THE REVOLT OF 1857 — CAUSES, CENTRES, LEADERS, NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES

PRERNA FOR IAS

         Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

         Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

THE REVOLT OF 1857 — CAUSES, CENTRES, LEADERS, NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES

1. Background and Beginning

• The Revolt of 1857 was the most serious challenge faced by the East India Company in India during the nineteenth century.
• It began at Meerut on 10 May 1857, when Indian sepoys rebelled against British authority and moved towards Delhi.
• The uprising soon spread to Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Bareilly, Arrah and several parts of northern and central India. (NIOS Digital)

2. Political Causes

• British expansion had alienated many Indian rulers and traditional elites.
• The Doctrine of Lapse, associated with Lord Dalhousie, enabled the Company to annex states where it refused to recognise adopted heirs.
• The annexation of Awadh in 1856 created widespread resentment among nobles, taluqdars, soldiers and peasants.
• The reduction of privileges of Indian princes further increased opposition to Company rule.

3. Economic Causes

• Heavy land-revenue demands and changes in land settlements adversely affected peasants and traditional landholders.
• Indian artisans and handicraft producers suffered from competition with imported British manufactured goods.
• NIOS identifies colonial exploitation, taxation, loss of land and declining traditional occupations as important causes of popular resistance. (NIOS Digital)

4. Social and Religious Causes

• Many Indians feared that British policies and missionary activities threatened their religious and social traditions.
• Reforms introduced by the colonial government, even when socially progressive, sometimes generated suspicion because they were imposed by an alien administration.
• Rumours of forced religious conversion contributed to distrust among both Hindu and Muslim soldiers.

5. Military Grievances and Immediate Cause

• Indian sepoys suffered from unequal pay, limited promotion opportunities, racial discrimination and dissatisfaction over service conditions.
• The immediate trigger was the introduction of the Enfield rifle cartridge, which had to be bitten open.
• A widespread belief that the cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat offended Hindu and Muslim religious sentiments.
• The cartridge controversy converted accumulated grievances into open rebellion.

6. Major Centres and Leaders