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Finely executed lithographic view of the City of Delhi, during the siege of the city by the British in September 1857.

The present view shows an exceptionally detailed view of Delhi and its fortifications, including its walls, gates and major landmarks, with initial wave of three columns under the command of Brigadier General Nicholson at the walls of the City. Nicholson would be mortally wounded during the third assault of the day, although not before legendarily threatening to shoot another officer for failing to continue the assault on Delhi.

The Siege of Delhi was one of the decisive battles of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The rebellion swept through much of Northern India, a product of the unrest among the sepoys (Indian Soldiers) in the employ of the British East India Company, which sought to restore the rule of the Mughal Empire. While rebellion had undoubtedly been brewing among the sepoy for some time, the tipping point was the introduction of the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle, whose cartridges were widely believed to be greased with a mixture of cow and pig fat and to bite them open when loading the rifle (as required by the drill books) would defile both Hindu and Muslim soldiers.

Following the start of the rebellion, many sepoy flocked to Delhi, home to Bahadur Shah II, the Mughal Emperor. The British contingent in Delhi, which was not a heavily fortified city at the time, was quickly overrun by the rebels. For about 5 months, Bahadur Shah II held court in Delhi, while the city quickly fell under siege of the forces loyal to the British East India Company.

The present view shows the action on the first day of the final battle, which began on September 14, 1857. While the British met with initial success in gaining a foothold in the city, many of the soldiers wound up with access to the local liquor stores and several days of drunkness ensued while the British officers regrouped their forces. The battle was rejoined on September 16 and the capture of the City was completed by September 21.