The Hindu as well as the Muslim soldiers, who refused to use such cartridges, were arrested which resulted in a revolt by their fellow soldiers on May 9, 1857. The 'sepoys' at Meerut whose religious sentiments were offended when they were given new cartridges greased with cow and pig fat, whose covering had to be stripped out by biting with the mouth before using them in rifles. Even though the British succeeded in crushing it within a year, it was certainly a popular revolt in which the Indian rulers, the masses and the militia participated so enthusiastically that it came to be regarded as the First War of Indian Independence. The Mutiny of 1857, which began with a revolt of the military soldiers at Meerut, soon became widespread and posed a grave challenge to the British rule. This soon broke out into a revolt which assumed the dimensions of the 1857 Mutiny. And while the British power gained its heights during the middle of the 19th century, the resentment of the local rulers, the farmers the intellectuals, common man as also of the soldiers who became unemployed due to the liquidation of the armies of various states became widespread. The British achieved political power in India. The French came and established their colonies in India. Vasco da Gama from Portugal came to trade his country's goods in return for Indian species. Columbus wanted to come to India, but instead landed on the shores of America. Chengis Khan, the Mongolian, invaded and looted India many times. Then came the Moghuls and they too settled down permanently in India. The Aryans came from Central Europe and settled down in India.The Persians followed by the Iranians and Parsis immigrated to India. In ancient times, people from all over the world were keen to come to India.