Letters of Spies

About the Book

Letters of Spies: How British Captured Delhi in 1857, compiled and edited by Shamsul Islam, presents original letters written by British-employed spies during the siege of Delhi from May to September 1857. Collected over more than a decade from rare documents across India and abroad, these dispatches provide key historical insights into British intrigues, intelligence strategies, and local stooges, while illuminating the resilience of rebel resistance during the 1857 uprising.

What You'll Discover

• Original letters and reports from native spies deployed during the siege of Delhi in 1857.
• Insights into the military maneuvers, intrigues, and strategies used by the British to capture Delhi on September 20, 1857.
• Perspectives reflecting both rebel opposition and the operations of British stooges.
• Documents sourced from the India Office Library, London, along with rare historical materials in Persian, Urdu, English, and Hindi.

Table of Contents

1. Preface - 11
2. Introduction - 15
3. Letters of Spies - 59
4. Latafat Ali - 59
5. Shahab Khan - 60
6. Jawahar Singh - 60
7. Mir Mohammed Ali - 61
8. Jawahar Singh and Mamraj - 62
9. Harchand Gosain - 63
10. Ramji Dass of Alipur - 64
11. Nawal spy - 66
12. Moulvi Rajab Ali - 68
13. Jawahar Singh and Mam Raj - 68
14. Acchoo and Gopal - 69
15. Moulvi Rajab Ali - 72
16. Hargobind - 72
17. Rustam Ali - 73
18. Unknown spy - 73
19. Rajab Ali - 77
20. Meg Raj - 78
21. Unknown - 79
22. Sedu - 80
23. Bhumbu and Jawahar - 81
24. Unknown spy - 82
25. Rajab Ali - 87
26. Gauri Shankar - 90
27. Unknown spy - 91
28. Gauri Shankar - 93
29. Turab Ali - 94
30. Salahuddin of Vasant Village - 95
31. Turab Ali - 95
32. Gauri Shankar - 99
33. Meeda - 103
34. Turab Ali - 104
35. Gauri Shankar - 105
36. Turab Ali - 110
37. Gauri Shankar - 111
38. Turab Ali - 112
39. Gauri Shankar - 114
40. Turab Ali - 115
41. Fateh Mohammed Khan - 116
42. Gauri Shankar - 117
43. Turab Ali - 119
44. Fateh Mohammed Khan - 120
45. Turab Ali - 121
46. Gauri Shankar - 122
47. Mohan - 124
48. Ami Chand - 124
49. Fateh Mohammed - 124
50. Rajab Ali - 125
51. Original Letters of Spies from India Office Library, London - 129

More About the Author

Shamsul Islam taught political science at the University of Delhi. As an author, columnist, and dramatist, he has been writing against religious bigotry, dehumanization, totalitarianism, and the persecution of women, Dalits, and minorities. He is globally known for fundamental research work on the rise of nationalism and its development in India and the world.