<–2/”>a >The Great Revolt of 1857 (also Indian rebellion of 1857, the Great uprising of 1857, the Great rebellion, Indian Sepoy mutiny) is regarded as India’s First War of Independence against the British rule. It was the most remarkable single event in the history of India after the establishment of British rule. It was the result of the century-old British rule in India. In comparison to the previous uprisings of the Indians, the Great Revolt Of 1857 was of a greater dimension and it assumed almost an all-India character with participation of people from different sections of the Society. This Revolt was initiated by the sepoys of the company. So it has been commonly termed as `Sepoy Mutiny‘. But it was not simply a revolt of the sepoys.
Causes
The causes of the Great Revolt of 1857 and Sepoy Mutiny may be studied in the following heads:
Political cause: Major political cause for the outbreak of the Revolt was the policy of annexation followed by Dalhousie. On application of the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ or on the ground of mis-governance he annexed states after states deploring their rulers. Satara, Jhansi, Sambalpur, Nagpur, etc. fill victim in his aggressive policy. All these states came under British rule. In 1856, he captured Oudh on the plea of misrule. He looked the palaces of Nagpur and Oudh. Not only the ruling house, but also the employees and other dependent families were deprived of their livings for the policy of Dalhousie. His maltreatment towards the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah-II hurt the sentiment of the Muslim community. Discontinuation of the pension of the Peshwa Nana Sahib shocked the Marathas. This discontent of royal families, army men and common people jointly exposed in the Great Revolt of 1857.
Economic cause: The Great Revolt of 1857 was also an outburst of grievances due to the economic exploitation of the company. India’s traditional economy collapsed as a result of the British ‘Investment’ policies and revenue administration. The company’s Trade Policy destroyed Indian Handicrafts. Huge numbers of Indians were thrown out of EMPLOYMENT. The British, opened a new avenue of exploitation on the peasants By introducing permanent settlement. Exploitation of the Zamindars gave rise 10 landless laborers who became restless by and by. Thus out of discontent the artisans and peasantry joined hands with the sepoys in the mutiny.
Military cause: The sepoys of the company regiment had been feeling dissatisfied with the English for various reasons.
- Thus was a great disparity in salaries between the Indian and European soldiers.
- The Indian sepoys were treated with contempt by their European officers.
- The sepoys were sent to distant parts of the empire, but were not paid any extra allowance.
- Indian sepoys were refused promotion in service as like their European counterparts. Out of such discontent the Indian sepoys led to a mutiny.
Social cause: The English could not establish any social relationship with the Indians. The racial arrogance of the British created a difference between the rulers and the ruled.
Enactment of some Acts greatly offended the sentiment of the people. Some of these acts were taken as deliberate blow at the Hindu religion, custom and right of inheritance.
Direct cause: At that time, Enfield rifles were introduced in the army. The bullets of these rifles were covered by paper with grease like thing. The Sepoys were to cut the cover by teeth before using it. The Hindu and Muslim soldiers refused to cut the covers. They protested against this and were arrested. That ignited the fire.
Under the Leadership of Mangal Pandey the agony of the Sepoys exposed at Barrackpore in Calcutta (March, 1857 A.D.). But the planned revolt started at Meerut (May, 1857 A.D.). Gradually it spread from Punjab in the north to Narmada in south, from Rajputana in the west to Bihar in the east. As the revolt was started by the Indian sepoys in the British army, the revolt became known as Sepoy mutiny. When the sepoys of Meerut reached Delhi there was huge upsurge. They declared old Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah as the Badshah of India. He was accepted as the symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity. With the outbreak of mutiny among Sepoys common men joined the revolt. Farmers and artisans put further force behind the mutiny. The second reason for this mass revolt was the unity among the Hindus and Muslims. On observing this historians thought that, up to this period there was no communal feelings among the masses.
End of the Revolt
The British government came out with all the powers to suppress the revolt. The sepoys fought the battle with their limited strength for four months. Then, the sepoys had to retreat. On 25th September British troops regained Delhi. Bahadur Shah was arrested. Nana Saheb lost the battle of Kanpur. His commander Tantia Topi continued the fight up to April, 1859 A.D. and surrendered to the British force. Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi lost her life in the battleground. Kunwar Singh, Bakht Khan of Bihar, Bahadur Khan, Moulavi Ahmed of Faizabad lost their lives one after the other. By the end of 1859 A.D. the British power was reestablished in troubled areas.
Reason of failure of the revolt
There were several reasons behind the failure of this revolt.
- There was no central organization of the sepoys. There was no unified action also. Bahadur Shah, Nana Saheb, Lakshmi Bai, no one had acceptance as a real leader. They had different goals and times again they had contradictions.
- The British had a huge number of forces. New groups of soldiers were sent to India after the end of Crimean war. Fresh army men came from Singapore. As a result of these, in the middle of the revolt the strength of the British force was doubled. The chance of a win became remote.
- The sepoys had no improved arms with them. On the other hand, the British force had huge and improved armory. They could not match improved guns and rifles with their old model musket, spears and sword. So the defeat was almost certain.
- Further the leaders of this revolt could not get the support of several native states like Holker, Scindia and Rajput sardars and kings. They supported the British. Educated middle-class people also were behind the British power.
Nature of the Great Revolt of 1857
There are differences of opinions amongst historians about the character of this great revolt. Some historians are of opinion that the revolt in the North-Western province was a lawless revolt by a group of sepoys.
On the other hand, some historians believe that it was more than just a sepoy mutiny as it had a large mass base. Though in the beginning it was like sepoy mutiny, but later on it turned out to be a real mass upsurge.
Karl Marx in his several essays described this revolt as nationalist fight for independence. Marxist writers looked at this event as uprising of peasants against feudal system of exploitation. V.D. Savarkar, the great revolutionary, described this revolt as the first struggle for independence. M.N. Roy said that it was the reaction of the feudal against capitalism.
On the centenary of the great revolt Dr. Ramesh Chandra Majumder wrote and published a book entitled ‘Sepoy Mutiny’ and ‘Revolt of Eighteen Fifty Seven’. Dr. Majumder thought that this was nothing but a revolt of the sepoy. He also said that in some places few non-military persons came out in support of the sepoys but they were local landlords, talukdars and feudal leaders. In his opinion it was nothing better than feudalistic reaction of the revolt.
But many historians are of opinion that the Great movement of 1857 A.D. cannot be termed as narrow, isolated and reactionary. The sepoys established a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity by electing Bahadur Shah as the Emperor of India. In the Ajamgarh declaration a call was given to people of all classes of mass to unite against the British rule. It may be righty that they had no idea about national government, but nationalism was there. So it can be called a national movement.
Importance and Outcome of the Great Revolt of 1857
It can be said that the great revolt of 1857 A.D. was a failure, but was not fruitless.
- United Effort: From this revolt, we can have a picture of India’s struggle for keeping the rights. There were several revolts before this, but there was no feeling of Indian-ness in those revolts. The revolt of 1857 A.D. was a collected effort of different sections of people.
- Awakening of Peasants class: The peasants joined this revolt which was out and out against the British. This was unique.
- Development of National Feeling: Dr. K. M Panikkar wrote that though the sepoys had limitations and weaknesses, but their efforts to make India free from British rule was patriotic work and a progressive step. If we do not consider any historical event on the basis of its success then the revolt of 1857 A.D. was never a tragedy. Even inspite of failure that served a great purpose, it was a source of inspiration in India’s freedom struggle.
- End of Company Rule: The political result of this great revolt was the end of company’s rule in India. By a new act introduced in the British Parliament British government took the charge to rule India. From then onward a Viceroy as a representative of British King ruled India.
- Queen’s proclamation: The Queen’s Proclamation showered many promises in 1858 A.D. Government service was promised irrespective of cast, religion and on the basis of merit only. Ill framed “doctrine of lapse” of Lord Dalhousie was cancelled. New recruitment policy of the army men was announced to see that they could not organize any revolt. In the important positions of the government no native people (Indian) was given any chance.
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The Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, the Indian Mutiny, the Great Rebellion, the Revolt of 1857, the Sepoy War, and the First War of Indian Independence, was a major uprising in India against the rule of the British East India Company. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 with the mutiny of the 3rd Bengal Native Infantry at Meerut, and soon spread to other parts of northern India. The rebels were motivated by a variety of factors, including religious and economic grievances, as well as resentment of British rule. The rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful, but it had a profound impact on the history of India.
The causes of the rebellion are complex and have been debated by historians for many years. Some of the factors that contributed to the uprising include:
- Religious and economic grievances: Many Indian soldiers were Hindus or Muslims, and they were angered by the British East India Company’s attempts to convert them to Christianity. They were also upset by the Company’s economic policies, which they felt were unfair to Indians.
- Resentment of British rule: Many Indians felt that the British were treating them as second-class citizens. They were also angered by the British government’s decision to annex the Indian princely states.
- The introduction of new weapons and technologies: The British East India Company had recently introduced new weapons and technologies into India, such as the Enfield rifle. These new weapons were seen as a threat to Indian culture and religion, as they required soldiers to bite off the ends of cartridges that were greased with animal fat.
The course of the rebellion can be divided into three phases:
- The first phase, from May to June 1857, was characterized by a series of mutinies by Indian soldiers. The rebels quickly gained control of Delhi, the capital of the Mughal Empire, and proclaimed Bahadur Shah II as the emperor of India.
- The second phase, from July to November 1857, was a period of stalemate. The rebels were unable to advance beyond Delhi, and the British were unable to retake the city.
- The third phase, from December 1857 to June 1858, was a period of British counter-offensive. The British recaptured Delhi and other major cities, and the rebellion was finally suppressed.
The results of the rebellion were far-reaching. The British East India Company was abolished, and the British government took direct control of India. The rebellion also led to the end of the Mughal Empire and the rise of the British Raj.
The impact of the rebellion was profound. It had a significant impact on the history of India, and it continues to be a source of debate and controversy today. The rebellion also had a major impact on the British Empire, and it led to a number of reforms in the way that the British ruled India.
The role of different people in the rebellion was varied. Some of the key figures in the rebellion include:
- Mangal Pandey: A sepoy in the 3rd Bengal Native Infantry, Pandey is often considered to be the first rebel of the 1857 uprising.
- Bahadur Shah II: The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II was proclaimed emperor of India by the rebels.
- Nana Sahib: A Maratha prince, Nana Sahib was one of the leaders of the rebellion in the city of Kanpur.
- Rani Lakshmibai: The queen of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai was a leading figure in the rebellion in central India.
The significance of the rebellion is debated by historians. Some historians argue that the rebellion was a major turning point in Indian history, while others argue that it was a minor event that had little impact on the course of Indian history.
The legacy of the rebellion is also debated. Some historians argue that the rebellion was a positive event that helped to end British rule in India, while others argue that it was a negative event that led to the rise of Hindu nationalism and the partition of India.
The historiography of the rebellion is complex and has been shaped by a variety of factors, including the political Climate of the time, the availability of sources, and the biases of historians. The first major works on the rebellion were written by British historians in the late 19th century. These works tended to be apologetic in nature, and they downplayed the role of Indian grievances in the uprising. In the 20th century, Indian historians began to write about the rebellion from a more critical perspective. These works emphasized the role of Indian grievances in the uprising, and they criticized the British government for its handling of the rebellion. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the rebellion from both Indian and Western historians. This interest has led to a number of new studies on the rebellion, which have shed new Light on its causes, course, and consequences.
Here are some frequently asked questions and short answers about the history of Uttar Pradesh:
- What is the history of Uttar Pradesh?
Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern India. It is the most populous state in India, with a Population of over 200 million people. The state was formed in 1950, when the United Provinces were divided into Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
- What are some important events in the history of Uttar Pradesh?
Some important events in the history of Uttar Pradesh include the following:
- The Battle of Panipat (1526): This battle was fought between the Mughal emperor Babur and the Lodhi Dynasty of Delhi. The Mughals won the battle, and Babur became the first Mughal emperor of India.
- The Revolt of 1857: This revolt was a major uprising against British rule in India. The revolt began in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and spread to other parts of the country. The revolt was eventually suppressed by the British, but it had a major impact on the history of India.
- The Partition of India (1947): This event divided India into two independent countries, India and Pakistan. The partition was a major upheaval, and it led to widespread violence and displacement.
- The Green Revolution (1960s): This was a period of agricultural development in India. The Green Revolution led to a significant increase in agricultural production, and it helped to improve the lives of millions of people in India.
- The Mandal Commission (1980): This commission was appointed by the Indian government to investigate the social, economic, and educational status of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The commission’s report led to the implementation of affirmative action policies for these groups.
- The Babri Masjid demolition (1992): This was the destruction of a mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The demolition led to widespread violence and communal riots.
- The 2002 Gujarat riots: These were a series of communal riots in Gujarat, India. The riots were sparked by the burning of a train carrying Hindu pilgrims in Godhra. The riots left over 1,000 people dead, most of them Muslims.
The 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots: These were a series of communal riots in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The riots were sparked by a dispute over land. The riots left over 60 people dead, most of them Muslims.
What are some important people in the history of Uttar Pradesh?
Some important people in the history of Uttar Pradesh include the following:
- Chandragupta Maurya (321-297 BCE): He was the founder of the Mauryan Empire. The Mauryan Empire was one of the largest and most powerful empires in Indian history.
- Ashoka the Great (272-232 BCE): He was the third emperor of the Mauryan Empire. Ashoka is known for his Buddhist reforms and his promotion of non-violence.
- Akbar (1556-1605): He was the third Mughal emperor. Akbar is known for his religious Tolerance and his patronage of the arts.
- Aurangzeb (1658-1707): He was the sixth Mughal emperor. Aurangzeb is known for his religious intolerance and his expansionist policies.
- Tipu Sultan (1782-1799): He was the ruler of the Mysore Sultanate. Tipu Sultan is known for his military prowess and his resistance to British rule.
- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948): He was the leader of the Indian independence movement. Gandhi is known for his philosophy of non-violence and his use of civil disobedience.
- Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964): He was the first prime minister of India. Nehru is known for his role in the Indian independence movement and his leadership of India after independence.
- Indira Gandhi (1917-1984): She was the first and only female prime minister of India. Indira Gandhi is known for her role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and her imposition of emergency rule in India in 1975.
- Rajiv Gandhi (1944-1991): He was the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. Rajiv Gandhi is known for his role in the Sri Lankan Civil War and his assassination in 1991.
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924-2018): He was the prime minister of India from 1998 to 2004. Vajpayee is known for his role in the Pokhran
The following are some MCQs on the topics of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, without mentioning the topic itself:
- The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising against the British East India Company that took place in India from 1857 to 1859. The rebellion was led by a number of different groups, including Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs.
- The rebellion began in Meerut, India, on May 10, 1857, when a group of Indian soldiers refused to fire on their British officers. The rebellion quickly spread to other parts of India, and by the end of May, it had reached Delhi.
- The British were able to suppress the rebellion by the end of 1858, but the rebellion had a profound impact on India. It led to the end of the East India Company’s rule in India, and it also led to the establishment of the British Raj.
- The Indian Rebellion of 1857 is a significant event in Indian history, and it is still debated by historians today. Some historians argue that the rebellion was a nationalist uprising, while others argue that it was a peasant revolt.
- The Indian Rebellion of 1857 is a complex event, and there is no single answer to the question of what caused it. However, some of the factors that contributed to the rebellion include:
- The growing discontent of the Indian people with British rule
- The introduction of new technologies, such as the telegraph and the railway, which disrupted traditional Indian Society
- The economic exploitation of India by the British
- The religious and cultural differences between the British and the Indians
The following are some MCQs on the topics of the Indian National Movement, without mentioning the topic itself:
- The Indian National Movement was a political movement that began in the late 19th century and led to the independence of India from British rule in 1947.
- The Indian National Movement was a complex movement with many different leaders and groups involved. Some of the most important leaders of the Indian National Movement include Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
- The Indian National Movement had a number of different goals, including independence from British rule, self-government for India, and social and economic reform.
- The Indian National Movement used a variety of methods to achieve its goals, including protests, boycotts, and strikes.
- The Indian National Movement was successful in achieving its goal of independence from British rule in 1947. However, the movement also led to the partition of India into two separate countries, India and Pakistan.
The following are some MCQs on the topics of the Indian Constitution, without mentioning the topic itself:
- The Indian Constitution is the supreme law of India. It was adopted on November 26, 1949, and it came into effect on January 26, 1950.
- The Indian Constitution is a long and complex document, but some of its most important features include:
- The establishment of a secular, democratic, and republic form of government
- The guarantee of Fundamental Rights to all citizens
- The Division of Powers between the central government and the state governments
- The establishment of an Independent Judiciary
- The Indian Constitution has been amended a number of times since it was adopted. The most recent amendment was the 104th Amendment, which was passed in 2019.
- The Indian Constitution is a living document, and it has been interpreted by The Supreme Court of India in a number of different ways.
- The Indian Constitution is a symbol of national unity and pride, and it is an important part of Indian Democracy.