The Revolt of 1857
The Revolt of 1857 is a key event in India's history. It occurred during the governorship of Lord Canning.
> Causes of the Revolt:
The 1857 revolt had political, economic, socio-religious, and military causes.
Political :
Nana Sahib was refused pension, as he was the adopted son of peshwa Baji Rao II. Avadh was annexed in 1856, on charges of mal-administration Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur and Sambhalpur were annexedowing to Doctrine of Lapse.
Economic:
Heavy taxes, forced evictions, and a tariff policy hurt Indian products. It destroyed traditional handicrafts, hurting peasants and artisans.
Socio religious:
British social reforms, like the 1829 end of sati and the 1856 legalisation of widow remarriage, hurt orthodox and conservative people's feelings.
Military Discrimination with Indian soldiers.
➤ Immediate cause:
The revolt was sparked by the introduction of Enfield rifles. Their cartridges were said to have a greased cover made of beef and pork.
>The Beginning and Spread of the Revolt:
➤ On March 29, 1857, an Indian sepoy of 34 Native Infantry, Mangal Pandey, killed two British officers-Hugesonand Baughron parade at Barrackpore (near Calcutta). The Indian soldiers present, refused to obey orders to arrest Mangal Pandey. However, he was later on arrested, put to and hanged.
➤ The mutiny really started at Meerut on 10th May 1857. The occasion was the punishment of some sepoys for their refusal to use the greased cartidges. The soldiers alongwith other groups of civilians, went on a rampage shouting 'Maro Firangi ko'. They broke open jails, murdered Europeans, and burnt their houses. Then, they marched to Delhi after sunset.
➤ The appearance of the marching soldiers next morning (i.e. 11th May) in Delhi was a signal to the local soldiers, who in turn revolted, seized the city and proclaimed the 82 year old Bahadur Shah Zafar as Shahenshah-i-Hindustan (i.e. Emperor of India).
➤ Within a month of the capture of Delhi, the revolt spread to the different parts of India (esp. all over the North India, Central India and Western India). South remained quite and Punjab and Bengal were onlymarginally affected.
Note:
1. Bahadur Shah II was deported to Rangoon, where he died in 1862. His sons were dead. Nana Sahib (Dhundhu Pant), Begum Hazrat Mahal, and Khan Bahadur Khan escaped to Nepal. Tantiya Tope was captured and executed on 15th April, 1859. Rani Laxmi Bai died on the battlefield. Kuer Singh was wounded and died on 26 April, 1858.
2. Sir Huge Rose described Laxmi Bai as 'the best and bravest military leader of the rebel'.
3. Other Important Leaders: Khan Bahadur Khan (Bareilly), Maulavi Ahmadullah (Faizabad), Azimullah Khan (Fatehpur), Devi Singh (Mathura), Kadam Singh (Merrut) etc.
4. English authority re-established in India during July-Dec. 1858.
Causes of Failure:
The 1857 Revolt was a heroic but failed effort to end foreign rule. The main causes were:
1. Disunity of Indians and poor organization
2. Incomplete nationalism facilitated British dominance as Scindias, Holkars, Nizam assisted them
3. Lack of coordination between sepoys, peasants, zamindars and other classes
4. Many had different motives for participating in the revolt.
Significance:
The important element in the revolt lay in Hindu-Musli unity. People exhibited patriotic sentiment without any touch of commun feelings. It no doubt began as a mutiny of soldiers, but soon turned into revolt against British rule in general.
Nature of the Revolt of 1857:
There are two main views about the nature of the Revolt of 1857:
1. Sepoy Mutiny: Syed Ahmed Khan, Munshi Jeevan Lal and Durgada Bandyopadhyaya (Contemporary Historians); Stenley (Secretary of state for India), John Lowerence, John Seeley, Malleson, R.C. Mazumdar.
2. National Struggle/War of Independence: Benjamin Disraeli, Karl Marx, V.D. Savarkar, K.M. Pannikar, Ishwari Prasad, A.L. Shrivastva.
Important Books on 1857
The First Indian War of Indepence-1857-59 | 1859 | Karl Marx |
Causes of Indian Revolt | 1873 | Sayed Ahmad Khan |
The India War of Independence | 1909 | V.D.Savarkar |
The Sepoy Mutiny and the rebellion of 1857 | 1957 | R.C.Mazumdar |
Civil Rebellion in Indian Mutinies | 1957 | S.B.Chowdhary |
Rebellion, 1857 : A Symposium | 1957 | P.C.Joshi |
1857 | 1957 | S.N.Sen |
Select Opinions on 1857
"It was wholly unpatriotic and selfish Sepoy Mutiny with no native leadership and no popular support."-John Seeley
"The so-colled First National War of Independence is neither 'First', nor 'National', nor 'a war of Independence."
-R.C. Mazumdar
"The Revolt of 1857 was 'the First war of Independence."
-V.D. Savarkar
"What began as a fight for religion ended as a war for independence."
-S.N. Sen
Impact of the Revolt of 1857
1. In August 1858, the British Parliament passed an act, which put an end to the rule of the Company. The control of the British government in India was transferred to the British Crown.
2. A British government minister, the Secretary of State for India, was made responsible for governing India.
3. The British Governor-General of India was now called the Viceroy. He was the monarch's representative.
4. Marked the end of British Imperialism and Princely States were assured against annexation. Withdrawal of the Doctrine of Lapse occurred.
5. After the revolt, the British pursued the policy of 'divide and rule.
6. The army increased its white soldiers and changed its administration.
7. The Indian people had to bear the total expense of the suppression.
8.have been its original character, it soon became a symbol of challange alive. The same may be said about the Revolt of 1857. Whatever might to the mighty British empire in India and remained a shining star for the rise and growth of the Indian national movement.
Important PYQ Asked in Various Exams:
Q. Revolt of 1857 started from where?
Ans: Meerut
Q. Leader led the Revolt of 1857 in Bihar?
Ans: Kumwar Singh
Q. Khan Bahadur led the Revolt of 1857 from?
Ans: Bareilly
Q. Which mughal ruler contributed to revolt in 1857?
Ans: Bahadur Shah Zafar
Q. The Sepoys of Meerut arrived at the gates of Red Fort to meet the Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah on?
Ans: 11 May, 1857.
