‘The Great Rebellion Of 1857’ or ‘The Sepoy Mutiny’ is referred by Indians as the first war of Independence. It was a major uprising in India between 1857-58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown, the reasons for the revolt were the Destruction of Indian Economy and Land Reform Policies of Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse. Introduction of Enfield Rifles with fat coatings. Crimean War, Punjab War, and First Afghan War. An important event which generally gets missed while tracing the history, is a strong challenge, a strategic move posed by the great fighters of Kanpur to the British in Kanpur. Cawnpore (now Kanpur) was an important garrison town for the East India Company forces. Located on the Grand Trunk Road, it lay on the approaches to Sindh (Sind), Punjab and Awadh (Oudh). By June 1857, the Indian rebellion had spread to several areas near Cawnpore, namely Meerut, Agra, Mathura, and Lucknow. However, the Indian sepoys at Cawnpore initially remained loyal.There were four Indian regiments in Cawnpore: the 1st, 53rd and 56th Native Infantry, and the 2nd Bengal Cavalry. The revolt in Kanpur was led by Nana Sahib. Nana Sahib, the heir of Baji Rao II joined the struggle of Independence with full enthusiasm which brought hope in the eyes of denizens. The siege in Kanpur was a significant episode in the history of India’s first war of independence in 1857. The besieged East India Company forces and civilians in Kanpur surrendered to rebel forces under Nana Sahib in return for a safe passage to Allahabad. The revolt of 1857 in Kanpur and the events were discussed in the session titled ‘A defining time in the history of India and the Raj’, in reference to author Andrew Ward’s book India’s Historic Battles: Kanpur 1857. The author and city-based writer Mehru Jaffer were the panelists. “Nana Sahib was a significant personality in the siege at Kanpur. However, as the time passed his name turned foggy .Thus, Kanpur proved to be a glorious part of the legacy of freedom struggle. The role played by Nana Sahib gave rise to the spirits of other fighters and as a result, we see India as an Independent, Democratic and Sovereign nation.