Chapter 11
Rebels and the Raj (1857 revolt and its Representation)
Q. Why did the mutinous sepoys in many places turn to erstwhile rulers to provide leadership to the revolt?
Ans. Following are the major reasons as to why the rebellious soldiers turned to native rulers for leadership:
1. The East India Company defeated native rulers to grab power in India. Many believed that the native Indian rulers had the legitimate right to regain power in the respective kingdoms. Therefore, it was natural that they became the leaders of the rebels to regain the lost power of rulers.
2. The erstwhile rulers had substantial resources at their command. They had wealth and private armies too. The rebels waited to get the support of resources from them, and by declaring them the leader’s it was natural outcome.
3. Most of the erstwhile Indian rulers were popular at the local level. Their subjects often sympathized with them as they believed that the later were unlawfully thrown out of the power and even suffered humiliation.
4. Choosing these native rulers was winning the sentiments and support of the people.
Q. Discuss the evidence that indicates planning and coordination on the part of the rebels?
Ans. The rebellion was not abrupt and sporadic but to a great extent done with proper planning and coordination. This is brought out by the following points:
i. The mutiny travelled down the Ganga from Meerut to Delhi with the little time gap between different stations. It was required for news to travel from one place to another.
ii. The same pattern was followed everywhere. The sepoy started their action with a signal of firing of the gun or sounding of the bulge, followed by seizure of bell and arms. Treasuries were looted, prisoners set free and bungalows set on fire.
iii. In various places people collected, conferred and planned attack. People of neighboring villages were connected with caste and kingship ties together, as decision were taken collectively were a nightly occurrence in Kanpur Sepoy lines. Given the fact, Sepoys were peasants in uniform.
iv. Chapattis were passed from village to village during the winter of 1856-57. The meaning and purpose of those chapattis is not clear even today. There is no doubt that people perceived it as omen of holocaust.
v. Historians quoted that transmission of rumor about the new cartridges being greased by fat of cows and pigs, and “atta” being mixed with bone dust of cows and pigs, and acted as sign boards of action.
Q. Discuss the extent to which religious beliefs shaped the events of 1857?
Ans. A major cause of the outbreak of the revolt was the fear among the people that the British government was determined to destroy their religion and convert Indians to Christianity. The Company introduced many religious and social reforms which Indians began to believe were an attempt to deviate them from their own religion. The increasing activities of the Christian missionaries and the actual conversions made by them were taken as a proof of this fear. The policy of taxing lands belonging to temples and mosques lent further support to this idea. The soldiers were given cartridge greased with cow and pig fat. Importance of such reforms was prevention of Sati system, widow remarriage etc. The Christian Missionaries during company rule involved in spread of education. But local people looked upon them with suspicion to convert them to Christianity. The belief that their religion was under threat, united all sections of society against a common enemy.
Q. What were the measures taken to ensure unity among the rebels?
i. The first task the Meerut mutineers did was to cross over Delhi and appeal to Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah to lead them and proclaimed him Shahanshah-e-Hindustan.
ii. In the principalities of Kanpur and Jhansi, the rebels sought leadership of erstwhile rulers. This helped in unity among the rebels.
iii. The rebel’s proclamations of 1857 repeatedly appealed to all sections of the population irrespective of their caste and creed. Proclamation in Hindi, Urdu, and Persian called upon both Hindus and Muslims to unite, rise and exterminate the “Firangis”.
iv. Proclamations issued by Muslim Princes in their names took care to address the sentiments of Hindus. The defense of religion and the fight against British was seen closely linked to each other.
v. The Posters glorified the pre-British Hindu-Muslim past and co-existence of different communities under Mughal Empire. Bahadur Shah’s Proclamation emphasised the standard of Mohammad (s.a.w) and the Standard of Mahavir.
Q. What steps did the British take to quell/crush the uprising?
Ans. In 1857 a sepoy mutiny broke out in last India that became a mass uprising in many parts of the country. The company had faced rebellion in the past too, but not of this magnitude and extent. The
British rulers realized that unless the rebellion is suppressed their empire was destined to fizzle out. They took swift measure to put down the flame of the rebellion. The important measure taken by the British to suppress the rebellion are as follows:
i. Imposition of Martial law and large scale of execution.
ii. Apart from enforcing law, military officers also had the power to dispense justice and pronounce conviction and punishment.
iii. The execution was carried out in a manner that fear grips the masses. The people were blown up by canons; still others were hanged by trees. The objective was to terrorize the people and make them subservient to the might of the British Empire.
iv. The British masters used diplomacy and tried to win the support of native kingdoms that are not on the side of rebels, by promising those rewards and securing their kingdoms e.g Sikhs.
v. The British used technology like superior communication system and telegram to instantly communicate that routed the rebels.
To conclude the British used various strategies and technique’s to defeat the rebels. It was natural that the rebels crumbled in course of time.
Q. Why was the revolt particularly widespread in Awadh? What promoted peasants, taluqdars and zamindar to join the rebellion?
Ans. The annexation of kingdom of Awadh, on grounds of misgovernment, was greatly resented. The Nawabs of Awadh had always been loyal to the British. The annexation deeply hurt the sentiments of the Company’s sepoys because most of them came from Awadh. Moreover, even under the new regime, the people of Awadh got no relief from oppression. The British provided no alternative source of employment to the people who lost their jobs due to the dissolution of the Nawab’s administration. The Mutiny of 1857 which was rebellions of the sepoys of the company, turned into mass uprising in certain areas of the country. One report of the government says that 75 percent of men in Awadh were involved in the rebellion.
Following are the main reasons why Taluqdars, Zamindars and peasants joined the uprising in Awadh:
i. Unceremonious removal of the nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah by Dalhousie on the pretext of poor governance. Thus, the public sentiment was against the British government that got a vent out during the revolt.
ii. The ruling elite of Awadh during the rule of Nawab were dislodged from the position of power and prestige. They began to feel hardships and the people dependent on them also slipped in depravity.
iii. There was strong anti-British sentiment in Awadh from the level of Taluqdars to peasants. Taluqdars were rich landlords collecting taxes and enforcing law and order. They enjoyed a lot of autonomy as long as they paid revenue to nawab. The taluqdars faced the heavy hands of the British masters.
iv. Their autonomy ceased to exist. Their foot soldiers were disarmed and disbanded. Peasants were over assessed and forced to pay higher taxes than in past.
v. The Awadh which has the Substantial Muslim population burst out against the company rule in 1857. In fact the government of East India Company described the mass uprising of Awadh as Muslim Conspiracy.
Q. What did the rebels want? To what extent did the vision of different social group differ?
Ans. The rebels wanted to uproot the British rule. It was to be replaced by the rule of Indians, but what would be the nature of that governance is something the rebels were not sure of. They were definitely not fighting to establish a democratic government.
(B). The salient points of the vision of the rebels were as follows:
1. The rebels were not clear about the idea of Hindu Muslim unity. But they were definitely cherished the ideals of Hindu Muslim unity. The rebels wanted to reverse the processes of Britishers. Some of the measures by the company to reform our society were also seen with the same vein.
2. The vision of the different social groups like Zamindars did not like the provision of auction of their estate by the company to recover losses. They considered themselves as rulers who could not be dispossessed of their estate. Hence, many of them wanted to give governance that suited their interest.
3. The merchants were a mixed lot. They liked the rule of company as it maintained peace and law across vast areas of India. However, they also looked upon the company rule as partisan that promoted British trade interest at the coast of that of Indian, for the end of Company Rule could translate into a favorable environment.
4. Most artisans were struggling to survive as they suffered due to policies of company that pumped manufacture goods of England.
Q. What do visual representations tell us about the revolt of 1857? How do historians analyze these representations?
Ans. Pictorial images were produced by British and Indian paintings, pencil drawings, posters, etc. They form an important record of the mutiny. British pictures in particular presented a variety of images that have provoked a range of different kinds of emotions and reactions. Some of the British pictorial images commemorate the British heroes who served the English. for example.
1. Relief of Lucknow, painted by Thomas Jones Barker, depicts the efforts of James Outram, Henry Havelock and Colin Campbell in rescuing the besieged British garrison in Lucknow. This image was sketched in 1859.
2. News papers reported incidents of violence against women and children such kinds of news when broke out, they led to demands for revenge and retribution.
3. “In Memoriam” painted by Joseph Noel Paton portrays helpless English women and children caught in the circle awaiting their fate at the hands of the rebels.
4. Portrait of heroes of rebellion, the dead and injured portrait in the picture indicate the sufferings which occurred during the siege. While the triumphant figures of heroes in the middle ground emphasised the fact that British rule has been re-established.
5. British tried to demonstrate their invincibility through pictorial images for example; in one such image a female figure of justice with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other is shown. Her posture is aggressive, her facial expression express her anger and a desire for revenge she is presented in a heroic image.
6. In certain sketches and paintings women are depicted as heroic. They are represented as defending themselves against the rebels. Women’s struggle to save her honor and life is shown to have a deeper religious connotation. It is a battle to save the honor of Christianity and a book lying on the floor is said to symbolize the Bible.
Q. Why did the Indian think during British period that their religion was in danger?
Ans. During British rule, conservative Indians were enraged by the various social reforms initiated by the British. The abolition of sati, legalizing of widow remarriages were regarded as unwanted interference in Indian Social. Indian sentiments were also hurt by the Christian Missionaries. In 1850,
the government passed the Hindu property law under which even after converting to Christianity one could inherit one's ancestral property. The people's resentment was further fuelled by the Maulvis and Brahmins whose cry that their respective religions were in danger cloaked their selfish interests as these classes now lost their former importance.
Q. What was the system of Subsidiary Alliance? How did it help the Britishers to consolidate their position in India?
Ans. The Subsidiary Alliance was an agreement between the British and Indian ruler on the basis of Mutual understanding for performing administrative, military and political function. A typical subsidiary treaty was negotiated on the following terms and conditions:-
Provisions of the Subsidiary Alliance:
a) Surrender external relations to company.
b) Kept British army within its territories.
c) Surrendered part of his territory in full sovereignty. However smaller state paid in cash.
d) Accepted British Residents at its capital.
e) Agreed not to employ any foreigner in service without company’s approval.
f) Was free in internal affairs but protected by company from all its enemies.
Advantages of the Subsidiary System to the British:
(i) The British were able to raise army at the expense of the Indian rulers.
(ii) They were able to raise army at the expense of the Indian rulers.
(iii) Successful in checking the French influence in India.
(iv) Increased British control without waging war.
(v) Chances of revolts on the part of Indian ruler were minimized.
Q. Discuss Dalhousie’s Doctrine of lapse?
Ans. Lord Dalhousie was an imperialist as he endeavored to extend the company’s territory through conquests, abolishing titles and most importantly by “Doctrine of Lapse”. According to Doctrine of Lapse, when the ruler of a protected ally dies without natural heir to throne, the succession should never be allowed by adopted son of deceased king and state will lapse to supreme power that is East India Company for direct rule.
Q. “A very high degree of Hindu Muslim Unity was observed in the 1857 revolt” Explain with example.
Ans. Unity of Hindus and Muslims: A very high degree of Hindu- Muslim unity was reflected in the 1857 Revolt. There was scarcely a man of either faith who did not show unity. An English man wrote, ".......
the infanticide Rajput, the bigoted Brahman, the fanatic Musalman and the luxury living, Martha joined together in the cause. Cow killer and the cow worshipper, the pig hater and the pig eater revolted jointly." Several Hindu rulers accepted Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah as their leader. Bahadur Shah had many prominent Hindu officers, who fought together against the Britishers. In Awadh prominent leaders of the revolt belonged to both the communities.
Q. Analyse the causes of the unrest against the British rule in India. OR
"The revolt of 1857 came as a culmination of popular discontent with British policies and exploitation, "In the light of the statement explain the reasons of discontent of Indian people before 1857.
Ans. There were various reasons of people’s discontent against British rule like:
(i) Ruin of Indian economy (ii) Wealth drain from India (iii) Decay of Indian handcrafts (iv) Dispossessing several Indian rulers from their kingdoms. (v) Discriminatory social policies of the rulers.
(vi) Interference in religious affairs of the people of India (vii) Low salaries to Indian Military personal as compared with their European counterparts (viii) Arrogance of the English people.
Q. Did the Revolt of 1857 have a popular character? Give reasons in support of your answer?
Ans. Yes, it was a popular Revolt because of:
(i) Mass anticipation by civilians. (ii) Common Symbol like chapattis and Red Lotus (iii) Involvement of several regions (iv) Hindu-Muslim unity. (v) Involvement of the local leaders of different part of India.
Q. Explain the causes of the failure of the Revolt of 1857.
or
"The weaknesses of the Revolt were deeper" Explain why the Revolt failed in spite of some patriotic leaders.
Ans. The reasons for the failure of revolt of 1857 are:
(i) Lack of a common cause (ii) Lack of National consciousness (iii) Uncoordinated efforts
(iv) Absence of effective Leadership (v) Lack of Nationwide Dimensions (vi) Loyalty of Several Rulers to the British (vii) Lack of Resources (viii) Lack of Good Generals (ix) Regular supply of the British forces (x) The British Supremacy on the sea. (xi) British Diplomacy. (xii) Hostility of several indigenous rulers.
Q. What were the policies and administrative causes of the Revolt of 1857?
Ans. (a) Imperialist policy of the British administrators. (b) Doctrine of Lapse (c) Abolition of pensions and Titles. (d) Disrespect to the Mughal Emperor. (e) Annexation of Awadh (f)Misuse of Subsidiary alliance.
Q. Rumours and Prophecies played an important part in moving people to action. Explain?
Ans: The rumours and actions moved people into action because the new Cartridges in Enfield Rifle were greased with fats of cow and Pig, bone dust was mixed with atta to corrupt the caste and religion of Hindus and Muslims. The prophecy that British rule would come to an end on the centenary (100 years rule) of Battle of Plassey on 23rd June 1857.
Q. Discuses the nature of revolt of 1857?
Ans. (a) Only a Sepoy mutiny –
(i) The main ground for the uprising had been prepared by the soldiers.
(ii) Important and immediate causes of the revolt was the use of greased cartridges.
(iii) The revolt did not spread throughout the country.
(iv) The revolt did not enjoy the cooperation and support of the common people.
(a) First war of Independence – Lacs of artisans, farmers and soldiers struggled united against the British rule.
(b) Hindu and Muslim took actively part in the movement.
(c) The masses took active part in the struggle against the British at almost all centres of uprisings.
(d) It had country wide presence.
Q. What were the social, economical religious and military causes of 1857 revolt? Ans. Economic Causes:-
(a) Drain of wealth (b) Destruction of Indian industries, trade & commerce. (c) Exorbitant rate of land revenue. (d) Resumption of Inami or rent-free lands. (e) Unemployment and poverty among the masses. Social Causes:-
(a) Maltreatment of the Indians. (b) Interference in the social life of Indians. (c) Spread of Western Education. (d) Propagation of Christianity.
Military Causes:-
(a) Unrest among the Indian soldiers.
(b) Increase ratio of Indian soldiers.
(c) Faulty distribution of troops.
(d) General Service Enlistment Act.
(e) Greased cartridges.
Key concepts in nutshell:
❖ Important centers and Leaders of the revolt –
❖ Lucknow (Awadh): Begum Hazrat Mahal.
❖ Kanpur: Nana Saheb.
❖ Jhansi: Rani Laxmi Bai widow of Raja Gangadar Rao.
❖ Bihar: Kunwar Singh.
❖ Delhi: Bakht Khan and Bahadur Shah Zafar
❖ Gwalior: Tantia Tope.
❖ Assam: Diwan Mani Ram Datta.
❖ Faizabad: Molvi Ahmadullah.
❖ Allahabad: Liyaqat Ali.
❖ Bareilly: Khan Bahadur Khan.
❖ “A cherry that will drop in our mouth one day” was the reference towards Awadh given by Lord Dalhousie in 1851.
❖ Miss Wheeler, an English lady defended herself bravely against the Indian rebels in Kanpur
❖ Wajid Ali Shah was last Nawab of Awadh. He was sent to Calcutta on pension
❖ Immediate cause:- The immediate cause of revolt was introduction of greased Enfield Rifle in which Sepoy before inserting cartridge had to bite its tip. The grease was made of fats of cow and pig, which was objectionable to Hindus and Muslims alike. Hence, their anger broke out like volcano at Meerut and it provided a spark to fire.
❖ Revolt of 1857 began on 10th May 1857 at Meerut when the sepoys of cantonment broke out mutiny.
❖ Lord Canning was the governor general of India during revolt of 1857.
❖ Dalhousie Annexed Awadh in 1856 on the pretext of mal administration and was seen as an additional source of revenue to company through investment in Cotton and Indigo cultivation.
❖ Bahadur Shah was captured and deported to Rangoon where he died in 1862.
❖ E.I.C denounced policy of territorial extent by Act of 1858 in India.
❖ The constitutional result of Revolt 1857 was Act of 1858.
❖ Mangal Pandey shot his officer lieutenant Bough at Barrackpur on 29 May 1857.
❖ Drain of wealth theory was propounded by Dada Bai Naroji.
❖ The rule of E.I.C came into an end by Act of 1858& was transferred to crown of England.
❖ Educated Indians kept away themselves from Revolt of 1857 because they believed that British rule is beneficial for India.
❖ Asbab-e-Baghawat–e-Hind is authored by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
❖ Molvi Ahmadullah was also known as Danka Shah because he always moved in palanquin in front with drum beaters followers behind to preach Jihad against British.
❖ Shah Mal: a Jat cultivator was recognized as Raja in Pargana Barout of UP. His Kinship ties extended over Churasee des (84 Villages). He mobilized headmen and cultivators of Churasee des to revolt against the oppressive British rule.
❖ Firangiis a Persian origin word referring in derogatory sense foreigners.
❖ BellofArmsis a store room in which weapons were kept.
❖ Mutiny is a collective disobedience to rules and regulations within the armed forces.
❖ Revolt is a rebellion of people against established authority and power. The term Revolt and Rebellion can be used simultaneously.
❖ Resident was a designation of a representative of governor general who lived in a state which was not under direct British rule.
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