It was remarkable that the uprising religious divisions between Hindus and Muslims were hardly noticeable despite British attempts to create such divisions. The rebel proclutnations in 1857 repeatedly appealed to ali sections of the population, irrespective of their caste and creed. Many of the proclamations were issued by Muslim princes or in their names but even these took care to address the sentiments of Hindus. The rebellion was seen as a war in which both Hindus and Muslims had equally to lose or gain. The ishtahars harked back to the pre-British Hindu-Muslim past and glorified the coexistence of different communities under the Mughal Empire. The proclamation that was issued under the name of Batrdar Shmhrappeated to the people to join the fight under the standards of both Muhammad and Mahavir. In Bareilly in Western Uttar Pradesh, in December 1857, the British spent 50,000 to incite the Hindu population against the Muslims. However, the auempt failed.
