Chapati is a demonstration of the blending of historical and literary narratives. The circulation of chapati is mentioned in reports leading up to the Indian Mutiny. It appears as a sign of coming uprisings in Mutiny novels, a subgenre of fiction. It is still critiqued in scholarly works today. Yet, the role, if any, that it played in the uprisings of 1857-8 is still uncertain. If it is the fiery cross that some suspect, or warning of a cholera outbreak that happened to coincide with the Mutiny, the truth has likely been lost to time.
What follows in an attempt to compile all instances of chapati in the available literature, something that has not yet been done, to see what it might reveal.