British social legislation, however well-intentioned, was perceived as an assault on traditional society. The abolition of Sati (1829), the ban on female infanticide, the legalisation of widow remarriage (1856) and the promotion of English education and Christian missionary activity alarmed orthodox Hindus and Muslims alike.

The sepoys, drawn largely from high-caste Hindu and Muslim communities, feared the British were undermining caste and religion. Rumours spread that the cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat and that the British aimed to convert the whole country to Christianity. This religious anxiety provided the emotional charge that turned military grievances into a mass upheaval.