The revolt of 1857
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. Dalhousie annexed the states of Satara, Nagpur and Jhansi on the basis of the Doctrine of Lapse.
2. Prior to the outbreak of the Revolt, Bahadur Shah Zafar lived in Delhi as a pensioner of the British.
3. The Revolt of 1857 started as a mutiny of the sepoys.
4. The immediate cause of the Revolt was the issue of the greased cartridges.
5. The Revolt ended the rule of the English East India Company.
B. Match the following.
=
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A |
B |
|---|---|
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1. Nana Saheb |
a. confiscation of Jagirs. [2] |
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2. Bentinck and Dalhousie |
b. exiled to Rangoon. [4] |
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3. Hindu and Muslim sepoys |
c. adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II. [1] |
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4. Bahadur Shah Jafar |
d. Tantya Tope. [5] |
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5. commander of Nana Saheb |
e. greased cartridge. [3] |
C. Choose the correct answer.
1. When Awadh/Nagpur/Jhansi was annexed, the estates of the zamindars and talukdars were confiscated by the British.
2. The rumour regarding greased cartridges started in Madras/Calcutta/Delhi.
3. Mangal Pandey was a sepoy at Barrackpore/Nagpur/Satara who refused to use the greased cartridge in 1857.
4. The Revolt in Lucknow/Meerut/Kanpur was led by Nana Saheb.
5. Nana Saheb/Hazrat Mahal/Rani Lakshmibai led the Revolt in Lucknow.
D. State whether the following are true or false.
1. Indian rulers were quite satisfied with Lord Dalhousie's expansionist policies. [F]
2. Peasants benefitted from the land revenue system of the British. [F]
3. Social reforms such as the abolition of sati and female infanticide, and the Widow Remarriage Act caused deep resentment among the orthodox sections of society. [T]
4. The Doctrine of Lapse was abolished after the Revolt. [T]
5. The Revolt of 1857 had come as a shock to the British. [T]
E. Answer the following questions:
1. Why did Rani of Jhansi become a staunch enemy of the British?
= Because Dalhousie annexed her state by applying the doctrine of lapse.
2. Why did Nanasaheb fight against the British during the revolt of 1857?
= Because he was the adopted son of Peshwa Bajirao II and was denied a pension after his father's death.
3. Why did the zamindars and talukdar became sworn enemies of the British?
= Because when Awadh was annexed, the states of the zamindars and talukdars were confiscated by the British. They become sworn enemies of the British rule.
4. What happened to the nawab's army when Awadh was annexed?
= The nawab's army was disbanded.
5. When and where did the revolt of 1857 begin?
= On 29th March, 1857, at Barrackpore, the revolt of 1857 began first.
6. Mention any two centres of Revolt.
= Two main centres of Revolt are Kanpur and Lucknow.
7. What steps was taken by the British to reorganize the army after the Revolt?
= The army was reorganized and strengthened. The number of British soldiers was increased, and the artillery placed exclusively under their control.
8. Mention any two important results of The Revolt.
= Two important results of The Revolt are -
i)the rule of the English East India Company came to an end, and
ii) the doctrine of lapse was abolished.
F. In the context of the revolt of 1857, answer the following questions:
1. Mention any three political causes of The Revolt.
= Three political causes are -
i) Dalhousie annexed the states of Satara, Nagpur, and Jhansi by applying the doctrine of lapse. The annexation transformed the courageous Rani of Jhansi into enemy of the British.
ii) Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Bajirao II, was denied a pension after his father's death. Nana Saheb become one of the leaders of the revolt.
iii) Dalhousie announced that Bahadur Shah Zafar's successors would not be allowed to stay on the historic Red Fort. This was a great blow to the dignity of the Mughal emperor and deeply hurt the sentiments of the Muslims.
2. Mention any three economic features that led to the outbreak of the Great Revolt.
= Three economic factors that led to the outbreak of the Great Revolt are -
i) The land revenue system, introduced by the British, caused great hardship and misery among the peasants. If they failed to pay the revenue they were often tortured or jailed.
ii) Thousands of jagirs were confiscated by Bentick and Dalhousie when they were unable to produce written title deeds of their ownership.
iii) When Awadh was annexed, the estates of zamindars and talukdars were confiscated by the British. They became enemies of the British rule.
3. Explain briefly any four social or religious causes that led to the outbreak of the Great Revolt.
= Four social or religious causes that led to the outbreak of the Great Revolt are -
i) Social reforms such as the abolition of Sati and female infanticide, the Widow Remarriage Act and the introduction of women's education caused deep resentment among the orthodox sections of society.
ii) The efforts of the missionaries to convert people to Christianity caused great alarm. This hurt the religious sentiments of the people.
iii) The introduction of western education undermined the position and importance of the pundits and maulvis. It was an attack on ancient traditions and values.
iv) The introduction of the railways and posts and telegraphs aroused grave doubts and fears among villagers. They considered those as 'Western magic'. They grew fearful of the intentions of the British.
G. In the context of the military causes of the Revolt of 1857, answer the following questions:
1. Mention any three grievances that the sepoys had against their British masters.
= Three grievances that the sepoys had against their British masters are -
i) The sepoys had helped the British to establish their empire in India, but they were neither appreciated nor rewarded for their efforts.
ii) There was huge discrimination between the Indian Sepoy and the British counterpart. A capable Sepoy could not rise above the post of subedar.
iii) An Indian soldier was paid much less salary than his British counterpart. Lodging and boarding facilities were also far inferior to that of a British soldier.
2. How did the Act passed in 1856 by the British hurt the sentiments of the Hindu sepoys?
= In 1856, an Act was passed which made it compulsory for all new recruits to serve overseas, if required. This hurt the sentiments of the Hindus because they believed that overseas travel would lead to a loss of caste. The Sepoy considered the regulation as another attack on their caste and religion.
3. Explain the immediate cause of the 'Great Revolt'.
= By 1857, the country was seething with discontent. All that was needed was a spark to trigger of an explosion. The issue of the greased cartridges provided that spark. The British had introduced a new rifle known as the Enfield Rifle, in the army. The cartridge had a greased paper cover, which had to be bitten off before loading in rifle.
In January 1857, a rumour started at the DumDum cantonment ( in Calcutta) that the cartridges were greased with the fat of animals, which was taboo for both Hindus and Muslims.
The rumour spread like a wildfire among the Hindu and Muslim sepoys. They were convinced that the government was trying to defile their religion. A wave of anger swept through all the military stations.
H. In the context of the Revolt of 1857, briefly discuss:
1. The decline of the Mughal Dynasty:
= On 11th May 1857, Bahadur Shah Zafar was to persuaded to accept the leadership of the revolt in Delhi. He was proclaimed as the emperor of Hindustan. The restoration of the Mughal empire was proclaimed with the booming of guns. The Sepoy revolt had been transformed into a war of independence.
The success of the revolt proved to be short-lived. British army arrived from Punjab, and Delhi was recovered in September 1857. Thousands of innocent people were massacred, and hundreds were hanged without trial.
Bahadur Shah Zafar was taken prisoner, tried and exiled to Rangoon. The royal princess (two sons and one grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar) were shoot down and their bodies displayed in the streets. The once great dynasty of the Mughals finally came to an inglorious end.
2. Any four results of the Revolt of 1857.
= Four results of the Revolt of 1857 are -
i) The rule of the English East India Company came to an end.
ii) India now came under the direct rule of the British Parliament and the Queen of England.
iii) The Doctrine of Lapse was abolished. The right to adopt sons as legal heirs was acknowledged.
iv) The army was reorganized and strengthened. The number of British soldiers was increased, and the artillery placed exclusively under their control.
3. Nature of the Revolt of 1857:
= European historians have described the Revolt of 1857 as a 'mutiny' of sepoys.
Modern Indian historians have rejected the European point of view. According to them -
i) The Revolt was the outcome of the accumulate d grievances of different sections of people and not the sepoys alone.
ii) Those who joined the revolt had different reasons and different motives, but they were all united in their hatred of British rule and their determination to over-throw it.
iii) It had popular support of various sections of society. Even the boatmen of Lucknow refused to carry British soldiers across the river.
iv) The struggle created a strong bonding and sense of unity between the Hindus and the Muslims. They fought shoulder to shoulder, against a common enemy.
v) Of the estimated 1,50,000 people killed in the Revolt, 1,00,000 were civilians. Sepoy mutiny was India's first step towards freedom.