Current Affairs 8th Class

Category : 8th Class

A Popular Rebellion-The Revolt of 1857

During the colonial rule, the condition of the masses became so impoverished that they were compelled to raise their voice against the British. The Revolt of 1857 was a severe outburst of resentment against the British. Though it lasted for a few months only, it shook the foundation of British rule in India.

By 1857, almost the whole of India was under the control of the British. Indians suffered under the colonial rule. All Indians-kings, landlords, tribals, traders, artisans, peasants and soldiers were adversely affected by the oppressive policies of the East India Company and a feeling of discontentment was building up. There was a massive increase in rural poverty. Indians did not accept foreign rule passively and there were many revolts from time-to-time in different parts of the country. These were brutally suppressed by the British. In 1857, revolts broke out in the army and then spread to other parts of the country. It was a severe outburst of anger and discontent accumulated in the hearts of Indians.

CAUSES OF THE REVOLT

Many causes cumulatively started this revolt. Though this revolt broke out suddenly, it did not take shape in a day. There were many deeper reasons that are discussed here briefly.

POLITICAL CAUSES

The British policies of annexation caused resentment among the Indian rulers. The Subsidiary Alliance and the Doctrine of Lapse were just means of annexing the territories of the Indian rulers. You have already learned about them in the previous chapter. The rulers and the nawabs lost their powers because of the British residents stationed in their courts. This created a feeling of panic and insecurity among the rulers of the other states.

The British did not recognise adopted sons as heirs and the disposed rulers were refused pension. Many rulers tried to negotiate with the British but in vain. Rani of Jhansi had adopted a son and wanted the British to accept him as the heir to the throne. The last Peshwa, Baji Rao's adopted son, Nana Sahib was deprived of the pension his father was receiving.

?      The British abolished titles. In 1849, Governor General Dalhousie announced that Bahadur Shah Zafar's successors would not be allowed to stay in the Red Fort or use the title of 'King'. The Company also stopped inscribing the Mughal king's name on the coins minted by it.

?      The promises made with the princes were ignored by the British as the Company became confident of its military and political powers.

?      Awadh had accepted the Subsidiary Alliance and there were British residents to advice the Nawabs. Yet in 1856, the Company annexed it on the pretext of misgovernance. There was huge resentment because the Nawab of Awadh had been loyal to the British.

?      The British were defeated in the first Afghan War. This shattered the myth about their superiority.

?      Many zamindars and landlords, who were deprived of their land and the patronage of the kings and nawabs; resented the British rule.

Q. Explain any two political causes that led to the Revolt of 1857.

THE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

?      The land revenue policies introduced by the British led to devastation of the peasants. They lost their lands to the zamindars and became mere tenants. Peasants became destitute. Also, many famines occurred during this period and this added to the woes of the peasants.

?      The Industrial Revolution in Europe has adverse effects on the Indian economy. Indian handicrafts completely collapsed and the craftsmen were impoverished due to unemployment.

?      The patronage that the artisans used to receive from the Indian rulers came to an end because of annexation of their dominions.

?      The British confiscated the lands and properties of many landlords especially those of Awadh. These very disgruntled landlords became leaders of the Revolt.

?      Thousands of officials and soldiers became jobless when the native states were annexed. Naturally, the disbanded soldiers were full of resentment and were seeking an opportunity to strike at the British who had deprived them of their livelihood.

THE CONDITION OF THE SEPOYS

There was a lot of discontentment among the Indian soldiers. Their self-respect had been trampled upon by the British.

?      The British army consisted of more Indian soldiers than British. But their emoluments were very low in comparison with those of British soldiers.

?      The Indian soldiers' chances of promotion were negligible. The high ranking posts were reserved for the British soldiers. The highest rank for an Indian was the rank of a 'subedar'.

?      Indian soldiers were against overseas service as travel across the seas meant loss of caste for them. The Company made it compulsory for soldiers to fight overseas when required. Moreover, they were not given 'bhatta' or extra allowance to fight overseas.

?      The soldiers were not allowed to wear marks like a tilak, beard or a turban.

?      The soldiers believed that the British were trying to pollute their castes and convert them to Christianity.

?      The soldiers also reacted to the anger of the peasants in the villages.

?      The Indian soldiers highly outnumbered the British soldiers. So, the sepoys became bold enough to think of a revolt because of their numerical strength.

?      There was a rumour among the Indian sepoys that the British rule was going to end. It was believed that the British rule was destined to last for 100 years only and a century had passed since the Battle of Plassey in 1757. This made the sepoys more confident.

SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS CAUSES

?      Many Christian missionaries worked hand in glove with the British government. Their aim was to convert people to Christianity.

?      The religious sentiments of the people were further hurt when a tax was imposed on the property held by temples and mosques.

?      Some of the social reforms introduced to put an end to evil customs like?sati, female infanticide, etc., were looked upon as a direct attack on the Indian culture and led to discontentment among the people.

?      The introduction of railways was resented on the ground that people of all castes would have to travel in the same compartments. People felt that the British were trying to break down the social order.

?      Indians were denied high posts because they were considered inferior. This racial discrimination angered the Indians.

IMMEDIATE CAUSE

Discontent and anger were brewing in the Indians. Finally, the introduction of the Enfield rifles in 1856 sparked off the fire. The cartridge of this gun contained some animal fat on it. It had a greased paper which had to be bitten off before it was loaded into the rifle. It was believed that the grease was derived from beef and pig fat. The Hindu as well as the Muslim sepoys were infuriated because the use of these animal fats was against their religion. The British authorities forced the sepoys to use these cartridges and denied the use of cow or pig fat in the cartridges. This sparked off the mutiny in March 1857. The discontent arising out of multiple factors at last culminated in the most notorious bloodbath in the modern Indian history.

BEGINNING OF THE REVOLT

On 29th March 1857, at Barrackpore near Calcutta, the sepoys refused to use the greased cartridges and one Brahman sepoy, Mangal Pandey, angered by the actions of the East India Company, attacked and fired at the British officer. He was hanged on April 8th. The regiment was disbanded and stripped of their uniforms because it was felt that they harboured ill feelings towards their superiors.

At Meerut, in May 1857, 85 sepoys also refused to use the cartridge. They were sentenced to long term imprisonment. On 10th May, the sepoys broke out in open rebellion, shot their officers, released their fellow sepoys and headed towards Delhi. They were determined to bring an end to the firangi rule.

Q. Describe briefly the immediate cause of the Revolt.

Delhi was seized by the rebels on May 12th, 1857. The Red Fort and the city were occupied. Some Europeans were shot dead. The old and powerless Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II was proclaimed the Emperor of India. The Mughals had for long been considered the symbol of political unity in India, and this development changed the rebellion into a revolutionary war. The king was shocked by the turn of events, but eventually agreed to give his countenance to the rebellion. The Mughal Emperor sent letters to all the important Indian kings to organise a coalition of Indian states which collectively could drive the British out of India. The rulers of the small kingdoms felt that they would be able to rule independently once again under Mughal rule.

The British suffered a crushing defeat. People were convinced that the British rule was over and joined the rebels in large numbers. Many rebels now led the rebellion. A Court of Soldiers was established with General Bhakt Khan heading it. This body became the real command centre for the revolt. Kunwar Singh, another rebel from Bihar fought the British bravely and defeated them near Arrah. Ahmadullah of Faizabad was another outstanding leader of the revolt. He had started preaching armed rebellion and later led the rebellion in Rohilkhand.

Q. why did Bahadur Shah Zafar join the Revolt?

The loss of Delhi was a serious loss of prestige to the British. They did not expect this to happen. They thought that this revolt was another disturbance that would die down. However, the events took a dramatic turn because Bahadur

Shah gathered confidence and joined the revolt.

SPREAD OF THE REVOLT

As the sepoys began the revolt, princes and other people also joined them. Very soon the rebellion spread throughout the Northern and Central India.

Lucknow was an important centre of the revolt. The revolt here was led by Begum Hazrat Mahal. She declared her minor son as the nawab and acknowledged the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah Zafar. The British residents along with many European inhabitants were killed. Nana Sahib marched to Kanpur with his troops. Tantia Tope assisted him. Kanpur was taken over on 5th June, 1857. Nana Sahib was proclaimed the Peshwa. He declared himself a governor of the Mughal Empire under Bahadur Shah Zafar.

History Reveals

The mysterious 'chappatti' and the 'lotus' moved from hand-to-hand as the symbol of the revolution, carrying with them a call "to rise against the British rule".

In Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, Rani Avantibai Lodhi of Ramgarh, fought against the British.

When the revolt broke out, Jhansi became a centre of the rebellion. In March 1858, the British army advanced on Jhansi and laid siege to the city. After two weeks of fighting, the British captured the city but the Rani Lakshmibai escaped. She regrouped in the town of Kalpi where Tantia tope and other patriots joined her. On 1st of June, she and her allies captured the fortress city of Gwalior from the Scindia rulers, who were loyal to the British. She died on June 17th, on the second day of the battle in Gwalior, when she was hit by a spray of bullets.

History Reveals

Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, was one of the great national heroes of the Revolt of 1857, and a symbol of resistance to the British rule in India. She earned her British enemies for her bravery. She became a hero in India. When the Indian Army created its first female unit, it was named after her.

SUPPRESSION OF THE REVOLT

The revolt met with some early successes but was eventually suppressed by the British within a vear. The British were quick and reinforcements poured in from England. Many British officers showed exemplary military skills in suppressing the revolt. New laws were passed by the British government so that the rebels could be convicted with ease.

Troops from Punjab were rushed to Delhi. Tough resistance was offered by the Indian soldiers. Finally, after six days of street righting, Delhi was recaptured. The Kashmere Gate was blown up and the city and the palace were recaptured by the British in September 1857. This action was the turning point in the campaign and is known as "Siege of Delhi". Terrible vengeance was wrecked on the inhabitants of Delhi. The Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was arrested. Two sons and a grandson of the emperor were publically shot. The Emperor himself was exiled to Rangoon where he died in 1862, bringing the grand Mughal dynasty to an end.

Rani Lakshmibai was killed in Gwalior. Tantia Tope escaped into the jungles of central India and continued the struggle with the help of tribals. He was captured and after a hasty trial, he was put to death in 1859. Nana Sahib and Begum Hazrat Mahal fled to Nepal. Lucknow was taken in March 1858. Many other leaders of the revolt were also dead by 1859, the year in which the British again established their authority over India. The British promised the rebels that if they surrendered and had not killed any white people, they would be safe. However, many rebels, landlords, sepoys and even nawabs were killed by the British.

Many books have been written to explain the Revolt of 1857. The British officials called it 'Sepoy Mutiny?. but the British opinion was also divided. Ernest Jones, a chartist, supported the Revolt and explained the colonial exploitation of India in his epic poem The Revolt of Hindustan'.

CAUSES OF THE FAILURE

The Revolt of 1857 was undoubtedly not a success but though it had failed in its objective of defeating the British, this was the first time when Indians unitedly fought against the British power.

?      The Revolt failed because it lacked leadership and organisation. There was no leader to guide and command.

?      The rebels did not possess modem weapons. There was also lack of discipline as compared to the well-trained and well equipped British troops.

?      The Revolt failed to spread to all parts of the country and large sections of the population did not support it.

?      Many rulers and zamindars remained loyal to the British and helped the British in suppressing the Revolt. The educated class, zamindars and money lenders were against the revolt. The educated people thought that the British government was bringing about reforms and progress which was good for the country.

?      There was lack of unity among the rebels. They were joined together by a common feeling of hatred against foreigners and when the British power was overthrown from their area, they did not have any forward programme. There was confusion about the objective of the revolt.

EFFECTS OF THE REVOLT

The British rulers realised that in order to continue their rule in India, reforms in the British policies was needed. They could not risk another revolt. So, the following changes were made.

?      By the end of 1859, the British had regained their control over the subcontinent. The consequences of the Revolt of 1857 were very important and made an impact on British power. They could not continue the same policies.

?      According to an Act passed by the British Parliament in August 1858, the Company rule came to an end. The responsibility for administration was taken up by the British Queen and the Parliament.

?      The title of Governor-General was changed. He came to be known as Viceroy, that is, a personal representation of the Crown.

?      The Doctrine of Lapse was abandoned and the right to adoption was recognised.

?      The Indian princes were assured that their territories would never be annexed.

?      The Queen Victoria declared that all treaties with the native rulers would be honoured.

?      The British army was reorganised and the number of British soldiers was increased. British soldiers were put in charge of artillery

?      Indian soldiers were divided and separated to break their unity.

?      The Hindus and Muslims had fought together during the revolt to free themselves from foreign rule. Now the British tried to destroy the unity and adopted the policy of divide and rule.

?      The British decided to respect and not interfere with the religious and social practices of the people in India.

?      The sacrifices of some great Indian rulers during the Revolt of 1857 aroused feelings of nationalism among the Indians. The leaders of the revolt became heroes. The revolt became a symbol of challenge of the mighty British power in India,

?      The Mughal dynasty and Peshwaship came to an end.

?      Queen Victoria granted full religious freedom. Indians were given assurance that high posts would be given to them without any discrimination.

NATURE OF THE REVOLT

The Revolt met its tragic and bitter end. It has been given various names like-the Great Rebellion, Indian Mutiny, Sepoy Mutiny, India's First War of Independence, and National Revolt and so on.

British historians have dismissed the uprising in 1857 as nothing more than a 'sepoy mutiny'. The Indian historians termed it as the 'First War of Indian Independence'. They justify this by the argument that

?      It was a fight against injustice.

?      Its objective was to throw the British out of India and terminate the colonial rule.

?      The rebels wanted a countrywide rule under the Mughal Emperor.

The Revolt of 1857 was an important milestone in our freedom struggle. It gave hope and inspiration to our freedom fighters.

Around the World

In the middle of the 19th century, the northern and southern parts of the United States seemed like two different countries. In the north, there were numerous big cities and factories while most of the southern states consisted of farmland where slaves 'are made to work. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the President of the United States. He was against slavery and wanted to abolish it. This infuriated the people of the southern states as they heavily depended on slave labour for their huge plantations. In 1861, a civil war broke out and the southern states, known as the Confederacy, fought against the northern states, called the Union, for independence. The war continued till the Confederacy surrendered in 1865. After the civil war, the United States became a single nation once again. Slavery was abolished and thousands of slaves were freed.