Freedom Struggle
I. The Revolt of 1857
1. The Revolt of 1857 is an important landmark in the history of India which
occurred during the governer-generalship of Lord canning.
2. Causes of the Revolt : The revolt of 1857 was a combination of political,
economic, socio-religious and military causes.
3. 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
maladministration Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur and Sambhalpur were annexed owing
to Doctrine of Lapse.
4. Economic : Heavy taxation, forcibly evictions, discriminatory tariff policy
against Indian products and destruction of traditional handicrafts that hit peasants
and artisans.
5. Socio religious : British social reforms (abolition of sati, 1829; legalisation of
widow remarriage, 1856 etc.) hurted the sentiments of orthodox and conservative
People.
6. Military : Discrimination with Indian soldiers.
3. Immediate cause : The introduction of Enfield rifles whose cartidges were
said to have a greased cover made of beef and pork sparked off the revolt.
4. The Beginning and Spread of the Revolt : On March 29, 1857, an Indian
sepoy of 34 Native Infantry, Mangal Pandey, killed two British officers-Hugeson
and Baugh-on 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.
5. The mutiny really started at Merrut on 10th May 1857. The occasion was the
punishment of some sepoys for their refusal to use the greased cartridges. The
soldiers alongwith other groups of civilians, went on a rampage shouting 'Maro
Firangi ko'. They broke open jails, murdered Europeans, burnt their houses and marched to Delhi after sunset.
6. 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 andp roclaimed the 82-year old Bahadur Shah 'Zafar', as Shahenshah-i-Hindustan
(i.e. Emperor of India).
7. 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 only marginally affected.
Note :
1. Bahadur Shah II: was Deported to Rangoon, where he died in 1862. His sons
were dead; Nana Sahib (original name–Dhundhu Pant), Begum Hazrat Mahal
and Khan Bahadur Khan : Escaped to Nepal; Tantiya Tope (Original name —
Ramchandra Pandurang) : was captured and executed on 15th April, 1859; Rani
Laxmi Bai : Died in the battle-field; 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 Revolt of 1857 was an unsuccessful but heroic effort to
eliminate foreign rule. The main causes
were : 1. Disunity of Indians and poor
organisation 2. Lack of complete nationalism-Scindias, Holkars, Nizam and
others actively helped the British 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-Muslim unity.
People exhibited patriotic sentiment without any touch of communal feelings. It
no doubt began as a mutiny of soldiers, but soon turned into a revolt against
British rule in general.
I. The Revolt of 1857
1. The Revolt of 1857 is an important landmark in the history of India which
occurred during the governer-generalship of Lord canning.
2. Causes of the Revolt : The revolt of 1857 was a combination of political,
economic, socio-religious and military causes.
3. 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
maladministration Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur and Sambhalpur were annexed owing
to Doctrine of Lapse.
4. Economic : Heavy taxation, forcibly evictions, discriminatory tariff policy
against Indian products and destruction of traditional handicrafts that hit peasants
and artisans.
5. Socio religious : British social reforms (abolition of sati, 1829; legalisation of
widow remarriage, 1856 etc.) hurted the sentiments of orthodox and conservative
People.
6. Military : Discrimination with Indian soldiers.
3. Immediate cause : The introduction of Enfield rifles whose cartidges were
said to have a greased cover made of beef and pork sparked off the revolt.
4. The Beginning and Spread of the Revolt : On March 29, 1857, an Indian
sepoy of 34 Native Infantry, Mangal Pandey, killed two British officers-Hugeson
and Baugh-on 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.
5. The mutiny really started at Merrut on 10th May 1857. The occasion was the
punishment of some sepoys for their refusal to use the greased cartridges. The
soldiers alongwith other groups of civilians, went on a rampage shouting 'Maro
Firangi ko'. They broke open jails, murdered Europeans, burnt their houses and marched to Delhi after sunset.
6. 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 andp roclaimed the 82-year old Bahadur Shah 'Zafar', as Shahenshah-i-Hindustan
(i.e. Emperor of India).
7. 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 only marginally affected.
Note :
1. Bahadur Shah II: was Deported to Rangoon, where he died in 1862. His sons
were dead; Nana Sahib (original name–Dhundhu Pant), Begum Hazrat Mahal
and Khan Bahadur Khan : Escaped to Nepal; Tantiya Tope (Original name —
Ramchandra Pandurang) : was captured and executed on 15th April, 1859; Rani
Laxmi Bai : Died in the battle-field; 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 Revolt of 1857 was an unsuccessful but heroic effort to
eliminate foreign rule. The main causes
were : 1. Disunity of Indians and poor
organisation 2. Lack of complete nationalism-Scindias, Holkars, Nizam and
others actively helped the British 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-Muslim unity.
People exhibited patriotic sentiment without any touch of communal feelings. It
no doubt began as a mutiny of soldiers, but soon turned into a revolt against
British rule in general.
