William Stephen Raikes Hodson

Who was William Stephen Raikes Hodson?

Brevet Major William Stephen Raikes Hodson was a British leader of irregular light cavalry during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was known as "Hodson of Hodson's Horse."

His most celebrated action in British 19th century annals, was to apprehend the King of Delhi. The following day he rode to the enemy camp, heavily outnumbered by the rebels and demanded the surrender of the Mughal princes who were leading the rebellion around Delhi and killed them,. It needs to be noted that in the course of the Mutiny a number of male members of Bahadur Shar II's family were killed by East India Company forces, who imprisoned or exiled the surviving members of the Mughal dynasty; furthermore, Bahadur Shah II was tried on four counts, two of aiding rebels, one of treason, and being party to the murder of 49 people - however, as Hodson had previously guaranteed his life the Emperor eventually died peacefully of old age. Hodson's career received praise from a number of senior military commanders such General Hugh Gough but there were certain dissenting voices from other members of the military.