Pandu Nadi, Battle of

(1857)

   A secondary although important engagement of the Indian Mutiny. To prevent General Henry Havelock ’ s relieving force from reaching Kanpur, the rebels forti-fied the masonry bridge over the river at Pandu Nadi. The rebels dug trenches on both sides of the river, which were filled with their infantry. In addition, they deployed two 24-pounder guns to sweep the approach to the river. The river itself was a raging torrent. Havelock had no pontoon equipment; neither were country boats readily available. On July 15, he sent forward an artillery battery and launched a decoy attack with his cavalry toward the center of the rebel position. The Madras Fusiliers equipped with rifles attacked both the flanks of the rebel line. Shrapnel from the guns and firing from the Enfield rifles forced the rebels to withdraw. In their hurry, the sepoys failed to blast the bridge, so that Havelock secured the bridge and the road to Kanpur at the cost of 22 casualties.

   See also <>; <>.

   FURTHER READING:

    David, Saul. Th e Indian Mutiny, 1857. London, Viking, 2002;

    Watson, Bruce. The Great Indian Mutiny. New York: Praeger, 1991.

   KAUSHIK ROY