India, July 25 -- On October 15, 1857, a havildar and a sepoy were marched onto the Esplanade in Bombay. Each was tied to the mouth of a cannon. The verdict - that they were guilty of plotting a "rising" against the British - was read out. A few moments later, before a large crowd, the guns were fired. As fate would have it, an arm, torn from one of the men, flew into the air and landed on the head of a young Englishman who promptly collapsed in shock. His name was JP Hughlings - and though he did not know it at the time, he was going to help the natives standing in the maidan mount a very different challenge to British rule.

Born to a working-class family in 1831, Hughlings had decided early in life to serve others, electing to attend K...