How did the reduction of British troops in Bengal affect the outbreak of the rebellion?

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Illustration of De Kantzow defending the treasury at Mainpuri during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, showing a British officer confronting armed sepoys inside a building as tensions rise during the uprising. — Indian Rebellion of 1857 Indian sepoys (soldiers) corner a British officer amid their attack on a treasury in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh.

The reduction of British troops in Bengal was a significant factor that contributed to the environment in which the Indian Rebellion of 1857 occurred. At the time, the British garrison in Bengal had been reduced to approximately 23,000 men due to the withdrawal of troops for the Crimean War and the Anglo-Persian War.1

This decrease in military presence, combined with existing tensions in the countryside and a general sense of unrest, created a situation where governmental pressure was diminished. This allowed suppressed tensions to break out more easily when the military uprising began. The lack of European troops in key areas, such as Delhi, further facilitated the rebels' ability to seize control and establish a focal point for the broader mutiny.123