When People Rebel

Main provisions of the Act of 1858 were-
a. The powers of the East India Company were transferred to the British Crown.
b. A member of the British Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India. He was authorized for all matters associated with the governance of India. Various causes were responsible for the failure of the revolt of 1857:

• Lack of unity of purpose among the mutineers.
• The uprising was not widespread.
• There was lack of resources in men and money.
• Indian leaders lacked organisation and planning. They were no match to the British generals.

The immediate cause for the revolt of 1857 was the greased cartridges supplied to the soldiers for the new Enfield rifles. The cartridges had to be bitten off before insertion. It was rumored that the new cartridges were greased with the fats of cow and pig. This angered both the Hindu and Muslim soldiers as it hurt their religious sentiments. Thus, they rebelled against the British.

In 1801 subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh and it acted as a buffer state. The Nawabs were rulers only in name and had very little power over the matters of the state. The state of Awadh was amongst the most prosperous states of India. By mid-nineteenth century the British wanted to directly control the state. So, in 1856 Governor-General Dalhousie annexed Awadh on the pretext of misgovernance.

The Indian sepoys employed under the British had many grievances such as-
1. Rough treatment was meted out to them. They were paid very less salary and allowances.
2. Due to their deep traditions and faith they had to face several social restrictions. Some of the new rules violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs such as use of greased cartridge and overseas recruitment.

The British started interfering in the social practices of Indians. They believed that there was a need to reform the Indian society. They passed some laws to stop the practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage of widows. Many Indians believed that the British were meddling in their social customs and their traditional way of life; thus, revolted against the British rule.

The British started imposing their religion on the Indians by building churches. Christian missionaries were given complete freedom to function in its region. They had the right to own land and property. They started forcing people to convert to Christianity. Many Indians felt that the British were destroying their religion; thus, revolted against the British rule.

Although the revolt of 1857 was a failure but its consequences were very important in Indian history. Some of the consequences of the revolt of 1857 were:

• End of the rule of the Company.
• British Policy towards the Indian States changed.
• The British Army was reorganized
• Policy of Divide and Rule was introduced by the British.

Some new leaders that came to the forefront during the revolt of 1857 were:
1. Bakht Khan from Bareilly, who took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi.
2. Ahmadullah Shah from Faizabad who raised a huge force of supporters.

Begum Hazrat Mahal was the mother of Birjis Qadr son of deposed nawab Wajid ali shah. She took an active part in the uprisings against the British.

Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Mughal emperor of Delhi led the revolt of 1857. All the princes and landlords fought the war to fulfill their own selfish objectives, which proved as their weakness leading to their defeat

The powers of the East India Company were transferred to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs. The British Government began to rule India thereafter.

Tantia Tope escaped to the jungles of Central India and continued to fight a guerrilla war against the British. He was then captured, tried and killed in April 1859.

Mangal Pandey was a young soldier who attacked his officers in Barrackpore during the revolt. He was hanged to death by the British on 29 March, 1857.

When soldiers as a group disobey their officers in the army, it is known as a mutiny. The Revolt of 1857 is also known as the ‘First Indian War of Independence', and the Sepoy Mutiny.

Use of greased cartridges in the army was the immediate cause. They were coated with the fat of pig and cow and offended the religious sensibilities of the sepoys.

a. The Indian soldiers in Meerut marched to the jails and imprisoned the jailed sepoys on May 10.
b. They attacked and killed British officers and captured guns and ammunitions, setting fire to buildings

The revolt of 1857 was unprecedented as:
1. It was the first battle for freedom against the British rule in India.
2. It brought together soldiers of different regions of India.
3. Many other sections of the society such as the landlords, peasants, artisans and scholars joined for the first time and left an impact on the English rule

1. The British Policy of annexation created unrest among the rulers of the states whose territories were annexed.
2. The Doctrine of Lapse added to the discontent of the Indian rulers as the ruling families were losing power which put fear among the other rulers that a similar fate awaited them.
3. The Subsidiary Alliance, where the British promised protection to states from outsiders also annoyed the local rulers

The British believed that the Indian society had to be reformed.
1. Laws were passed to abolish the practice of Sati and encourage widow remarriage.
2. English-language education was actively promoted in most of the Indian states.
3. The company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely and a new law was passed which made it easier for the Indian to get converted into Christians by choice

Kunwar Singh was a discontent and ruined zamindar of the state of Bihar and was the chief organizer of the revolt in Bihar. He fought the British in Bihar for many months showcasing valor and bravery. He also joined Nana Saheb’s forces and took part in various encounters in Awadh and Central India before he died in 1858.

Awadh, the Maratha lands, the Doab, the Carnatic, the Punjab and Benga were annexed by the British under their annexation policy

1. The revolt in Lucknow was led by Birjis Qadr..
2. In Delhi, it was led by Bakht Khan.
3. In Bihar it was led by Kunwar singh
4. In Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai led the mutiny
5. Nana Saheb was declared the Nawab of Kanpur and led the revolt there.
6. Tantia Tope fought along with Rani of Jhansi in Jhansi.

There was a feeling that the Indian army was mainly responsible for the revolt, and so it was thoroughly reorganized.
1. The British reduced the strength of Indian soldiers.
2. All the big posts in the army and related departments were reserved for the Europeans.
3. The discipline in the army was improved. The company army was dissolved and all the army became the servants of the Crown directly.

Policies of the East India Company affected each and every section of the Indian society. Kings, queens, landlords and tribals were affected in different ways. The Nawabs and the rajas gradually lost their authority and honour. Their armed forces were abandoned and revenues were taken away by the British. Many kings and queens were facing succession problems because of the Doctrine of Lapse. In the countryside, peasants and zamindars became victims of rigid methods of revenue collection and high taxation system. Many lost their land that they had tilled for many generations. The company sepoys were unhappy about their pay and conditions of service. Overall, there was a general discontentment with the policies of the East India Company.