The Revolt of 1857
(Longman Pearson)
Review Exercise
I. Fill in the blanks.
1. The British used the pretext of misrule and incompetence to annex the state of Awadh.
2. Under the British rule in India, the highest post that an Indian soldier could get was subedar.
3. The attempts by the British to introduce the Enfield rifle cartridge led to the Revolt of 1857.
4. On 29 March 1857 the revolt began at Barrackpore when Mangal Pandey, a soldier of the 34th regiment fired at his sergeant major.
5. Bahadur Shah II was declared as the Emperor of India by the rebels.
6. In Kanpur, the revolt was led by Nana Saheb.
7. After the revolt, Queen Victoria issued her Proclamation which transferred the administrative powers to the crown.
8. The states of Jhansi, Satara and Nagpur were brought under the British rule by the Doctrine of Lapse.
9. In 1856, the Enfield rifles were introduced in the army.
10. In 1857, Bahadur Shah II was deported as a prisoner to Rangoon where he died in 1862.
11. Tantia Tope was the general of Nana Saheb's army.
12. In Jhansi, the revolt against the British was led by Rani Laxmi Bai.
13. In 1858, the Queen of Jhansi was defeated and killed by Sir Hugh Rose.
14. In Awadh, the revolt was led by Begum Hazrat Mahal the queen of the exiled Nawab of Awadh.
15. According to the Queen's Proclamation, the Governor Generals would be replaced by Viceroys.
II. Choose the correct option.
1. Nana Saheb was the adopted son of _______ .
a) Baji Rao I. [ ]
b) Bahadur Shah II. [ ]
c) Balaji Baji Rao. [ ]
d) Baji Rao II. [✓]
2. Awadh was annexed through the policy of ____ .
a) annexation by force. [ ]
b) Doctrine of Lapse. [ ]
c) alliance. [ ]
d) Subsidiary Alliance. [✓]
3. Thousands of jagirs of the Bengal Army belonged to _______ .
a) Lord Cornwallis. [ ]
b) Lord Bentinck. [✓]
c) Lord Lytton. [ ]
d) Lord Clive. [ ]
4. Most soldiers of the Bengal Army belonged to _______ .
a) Awadh. [✓]
b) Murshidabad. [ ]
c) Bihar. [ ]
d) Gwalior. [ ]
5. Pursued by the British, Begum Hazrat Mahal fled to ________ .
a) Jhansi. [ ]
b) Awadh. [ ]
c) Bengal. [ ]
d) Nepal. [✓]
III. Answer these questions.
1. Give any two reasons to explain why the sepoys were unhappy with the British.
= The military factors behind the Revolt of 1857 were manifold.
❐ The Indian sepoy had played a major role in the establishment and expansion of the British Empire. However, they were neither appreciated nor rewarded by the British. They were excluded from all high military posts. The posts were kept reserved for the Englishmen. The highest post that an Indian sepoy could get was that of a subedar.
❐ The Indian soldiers were paid very low salary as compared to the British soldiers. The soldiers, in general, were dissatisfied because they were sent to fight in distant places without any extra remuneration, or bhatta, and were not assigned any honour or reward after the success in the battle. There were a few sepoy mutinies also to express their grievances.
2. The social reforms introduced by the British were resented by the Indians. Explain why.
= The company passed certain laws, which created distrust among the people. They had misgivings even about the useful social laws passed by the British. The abolition of sati, female infanticide and encouragement of widow remarriages were considered to be unnecessary acts of interference by the British in the social customs of the Indian society.
3. How was the last Mughal ruler treated? What happened to him later?
= The British ill-treated the last Mughal Emperor, he was ordered to vacate the Red Fort in Delhi and move to the outskirts of Delhi to the Qutub area. It was also announced that after Bahadur Shah II, the Mughal successor would have to renounce the title of Emperor. Such humiliating acts turned the Indian rules against the British.
Lord Canning gathered the forces from Madras, Bombay, Sri Lanka and Burma, and ordered the loyal Sikh army to proceed to Delhi immediately. The English occupied Delhi in September 1857. The two sons of Bahadur Shah II were killed and he himself was deported as a prisoner to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.
4. What were the military causes behind the Revolt of 1857?
= The military factors behind the Revolt of 1857 were manifold.
❐ The Indian sepoys had played a major role in the establishment and expansion of the British Empire. However, they were neither appreciated nor rewarded by the British.
❐ The Indian soldiers were paid very low salaries as compared to the British soldiers.
❐ All the Sikh and Muslim soldiers were assured that they would not be asked to remove their beard or hair. But later on, orders were passed for removing them and those who refused to obey the orders were dismissed. This hurt their religious sentiments.
❐ In September 1856, a general order was passed by which all the new recruits of the army were asked to serve overseas. The Indians resented overseas assignments which resulted in the loss of caste.
❐ The soldiers of the Bengal Army mostly belonged to Awadh. They felt indignant when Awadh was annexed to the British territory.
5. How were the religious sentiments of the people hurt by the British?
= All the Sikh and Muslim soldiers were assured that they would not be asked to remove their beard or hair. But later on, orders were passed for removing them and those who refused to obey the orders were dismissed. This hurt their religious sentiments.
6. How far were the aggressive expansionist policies of Lord Dalhousie and his Doctrine of Lapse responsible for the Revolt of 1857?
= During Lord Dalhousie time, many rulers of the dependent Indian states died without leaving male heirs. Such states were mercilessly annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse. Satara (1848), Jaipur and Sambalpur (1849), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853) and Nagpur (1854) were victims of this policy.
Lord Dalhousie also interfered in the internal affairs of the Indian states that had signed the Subsidiary Alliance with the British previously. He used excuses like misrule and incompetence of rulers to annex their territories. Awadh was brought under British control through this. The last Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, was exiled to Calcutta.
Nana Saheb was the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II. However, the British government denied him pension after the death of the Peshwa. He became one of the important leaders of the revolt.
7. What was the immediate cause of the Revolt?
= In 1856, English rifles were introduced in the army. While loading the rifle, the greased covering of the cartridges had to be bitten off. It was rumoured that the cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat. The sepoys considered this act anti-religious as it hurt the religious sentiments of both the Hindu and Muslim soldiers. They protested against the use of the greased cartridges. However, the British government paid no need to their protests and punished those who refused to obey their order.
8. Which were the main centres of the revolt? How did the revolt begin?
= The main centres of the revolt were - Barrackpore, Meerut, Delhi, Kanpur, Jhansi and Lucknow.
When the soldiers of the 19th regiment refused to use the greased cartridges, their leaders were punished and the regiment was disbanded. On 29 March 1857, at Barrackpore, Mangal Pandey, a soldier of the 34th regiment, fired at his sergeant major and asked his comrades to revolt against the British in defence of their caste and religion. But Mangal Pandey was arrested, tried and executed.
9. Name the leaders of the Revolt of 1857 and mention the areas in which they were active.
= The leaders of the Revolt 1857 are :
❐ Mangal Pandey - Barrackpore.
❐ Nana Saheb, Tantia Tope - Kanpur.
❐ Rani Laxmi Bai - Jhansi.
❐ Begum Hazrat Mahal - Lucknow.
10. The Revolt of 1857 can be called the first national uprising in British India. Discuss.
= Most of the European historians described the Revolt of 1857 as a sepoy mutiny. However, nationalist historians have opposed this view. They refer to this uprising as the Great Revolt of 1857 or the First War of Independence. They believe that :
❐ The revolt was the result of the grievances faced by the different sections of the society and not just the sepoys.
❐ The leaders joined the revolt because of their individual reasons but they shared the same objective of driving the British out of their land.
❐ The revolt brought various sections of the people from different strata of society together and fostered Hindu-Muslim unity.
Thus, it cannot be said that the revolt was a mere sepoy mutiny because people belonging to different sections of the society participated in it. It was the first large-scale popular uprising against the British rule.
11. What are the changes which the British government introduced after the Revolt of 1857?
= As a result of the revolt of 1857, Queen Victoria issued her proclamation in 1858. The proclamation transferred the administrative powers of the East India Company to the British Queen. Thus, the company rule was brought to an end and many changes in the administration of India were carried out.
❐ The board of control and court of Directors were abolished. In its place, a Secretary of state for India and the Indian Council were created.
❐ The army was thoroughly reorganised. The Indians were forbidden to handle arms.
❐ The British realised their mistake of antagonising the Indian rulers. The right of adoption was given to the Indian princes. The policy of annexation was also brought to an end.
❐ Governor Generals were replaced by Viceroys.
12. Do you think that the Revolt of 1857 was an exceptional event in the freedom struggle of India? Give reasons for your answer.
= Yes, I think that the Revolt of 1857 was an exceptional event in the freedom struggle of India.
The first hundred years of the British rule of India (1757-1857) was a period of conquests and expansion of their dominion over different parts of India. The combined effects of economic exploitation and expansionist policies had an adverse effect on all the segments of the movements against foreign dominations were not uncommon in this period but they were local and scattered in nature. The Revolt of 1857 was the result of the culmination of this popular discontent and rising wave of antagonism against the British rule.
13. Explain the economic factors that were responsible for the revolt of 1857.
= The economic factors that were responsible for the revolt of 1857 are :
❐ The peasants were heavily burdened with taxation and exploited to the extreme. Moreover, no part of the revenue collected was spent on development of agriculture or welfare of the peasants.
❐ Many of the traditional zamindars lost their land due to late payment of revenue and money lenders and merchants become the new landlords. These landlords were not concerned about the welfare of the peasantry. They oppressed the peasants to collect revenues. There were many peasants rebellions in various parts of the country.
❐ The economic policies of the British also caused great fear among the landlords. Thousands of jagirs were confiscated during the region of Lord Bentinck and Lord Dalhousie. The estates of those landlord who failed to produce written deeds of their lands were taken away by the government. Even when the British annexed Awadh, it confiscated the lands of several zamindars and talukdars.
❐ The British forced Indian to export raw cotton and silk at cheaper rates for the British factories in England. The British ready-made goods were then sold in India with nominal duty rates. Indian handmade goods could not complete with the factory-made British goods.
❐ The annexation of Indian states also created unemployment. The royal courts provided employment and patronage to several officials, their subordinates, poets and craftsmen.
❐ After the Battle of Plassey the British began to use the profits and revenues collected from Bengal to finance their trade in India. Thus, began the drain of wealth from India to England.
14. Why did the traditional handicrafts industry suffer under the British rule?
= The trade interest of the British resulted in the destruction of the traditional handicrafts industries of India. The British forced Indians to export raw cotton and silk at cheaper rates for the British factories in England. The British ready-made goods were then sold in India with nominal duty rates. Indian hand made goods could not complete with the factory-made British goods. The Indian weavers and craftsmen were forced to work according to the desires of the company. In return, they received very little remuneration. Strong resentment build up amongst the artisans. Nothing was done by the British to promote modern industries.
15. Write a brief note on the course of events when the British began their retaliation to supress the Revolt.
= Governor General Lord Canning took immediate steps to supress the Revolt :
❐ Delhi : The English occupied Delhi in September 1857. The two sons of Bahadur Shah II were killed and he himself was departed as a prisoner to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.
❐ Kanpur : Nana Saheb became the leader of the rebels. He captured Kanpur and proclaimed himself as the peshwa. He was, however, defeated by the British and Kanpur was recaptured. Nana Saheb fled. His general Tantia Tope continued the struggle but was captured and executed.
❐ Jhansi : The British managed to capture Jhansi but Lakshmi Bai fled from Jhansi and joined hands with Tantia Tope, who had assumed the leadership of the rebel army at Gwalior. The British captured Gwalior in June 1858 and Rani Lakshmi Bai was defeated and killed by Sir Hugh Rose on 18 June 1858.
❐ Lucknow : The rebel soldiers were joined by zamindars, talukdars and people from almost all the sections of the society who were affected by the annexation of Awadh. The revolt was led by Begum Hazrat Mahal, the queen of the exiled Nawab of Awadh. The British forces faced defeat in the hands of the rebels.
16. Why did the condition of the peasants deteriorate under the British rule?
= The condition of the peasants deteriorated because they had to mortgage their land to the money lenders to pay the revenues. Failure to pay the revenue in time resulted in the confiscation of their land. Many of the traditional 'zamindars' lost their land due to late payment of revenue and money lenders and merchants became the new landlords. These landlords were not concerned about the welfare of the peasantry. They oppressed the peasants to collect revenues. There were many peasant rebellions in various parts of the country.
IV. Write short notes.
1. Social and religious cause of the Revolt of 1857.
= The British interference in the social and religious life of the Indians caused wides spread discontent as the Indians became apprehensive about the intentions of the British concerning their religion.
❐ They propagated their religion and its beliefs among the Indians, which gradually led to some of the Indians converting to Christianity.
❐ The company passed certain laws, which created distrust among the people. They had misgivings even about the useful social laws passed by the British. The abolition of sati, female infanticide and encouragement of widow remarriages were considered to be unnecessary acts of interference by the British in the social customs of the Indian society.
❐ The introduction of railways, telegraph and postal services was eyed with suspicion by the Indians. They regarded it as a violation of the caste and religious norms.
❐ The schools up by the British for imparting western education were seen as instruments of conversion to Christianity.
❐ The British following the policy of racial discrimination and looked down upon the Indians. They considered themselves as superior. They did not interact with the Indians and humiliated them.
❐ The British judicial system was based on equality. This was viewed with suspicion by the Indians. They believed that it was an attempt by the British to destroy the caste system of the society.
2. The nature of the revolt.
= Most of the European historians described the Revolt of 1857 as a sepoy mutiny. However, nationalist historians have opposed this view. They refers to this uprising as the Great Revolt of 1857 or the First War of Independence. They believed that :
❐ The revolt was the result of the grievances faced by the different sections of the society and not just the sepoys.
❐ The leaders joined the revolt because of their individual reasons but they shared the same objective of driving the British out of their land.
❐ The revolt brought various sections of the people from different strata of society together and fostered Hindu-Muslim unity.
Thus, it cannot be said that the revolt was a mere sepoy mutiny because people belonging to different sections of the society participated in it. It was the first large-scale popular uprising against the British rule.
V. Match the columns.
=
|
1. Lord Dalhousie |
a. annexed the 1852. [2] |
|
2. Udaipur |
b. Delhi. [4] |
|
3. Satara |
c. Kanpur. [5] |
|
4. Bahadur Shah II |
d. Doctrine of Lapse. [1] |
|
5. Nana Saheb |
e. annexed in 1848. [3] |
VI. State whether true or false.
1. The Revolt of 1857 is also referred to as the First War of Independence. [T]
2. The Indian people welcomed the different social reforms introduced by the British. [F]
3. The immediate cause of the revolt was the introduction of the greased cartridges. [T]
4. All the Indian rulers participated in the Revolt of 1857. [F]
5. The Revolt of 1857 failed due to lack of planned efforts, central organisation and proper leadership. [T]