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 Page 1


When People Revolt 
1857 and After
5
Policies and the People 
In the previous chapters you looked at the policies of the 
East India Company and the effect they had on different 
people. Kings, queens, peasants, landlords, tribals, soldiers 
were all affected in different ways. You have also seen how 
people resist policies and actions that harm their interests 
or go against their sentiments. 
Nawabs lose their power
Since the mid-eighteenth century, nawabs and rajas had 
seen their power erode. They had gradually lost their 
authority and honour. Residents had been stationed in 
many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their 
armed forces disbanded, and their revenues and territories 
taken away by stages. 
Many ruling families tried to negotiate with the 
Company to protect their interests. For example, Rani 
Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognise 
her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the 
death of her husband. Nana Saheb, the adopted son of 
Fig. 1 – Sepoys and peasants 
gather forces for the revolt that 
spread across the plains of north 
India in 1857
Chap 5.indd   51 14-03-2024   11:10:30
Reprint 2024-25
Page 2


When People Revolt 
1857 and After
5
Policies and the People 
In the previous chapters you looked at the policies of the 
East India Company and the effect they had on different 
people. Kings, queens, peasants, landlords, tribals, soldiers 
were all affected in different ways. You have also seen how 
people resist policies and actions that harm their interests 
or go against their sentiments. 
Nawabs lose their power
Since the mid-eighteenth century, nawabs and rajas had 
seen their power erode. They had gradually lost their 
authority and honour. Residents had been stationed in 
many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their 
armed forces disbanded, and their revenues and territories 
taken away by stages. 
Many ruling families tried to negotiate with the 
Company to protect their interests. For example, Rani 
Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognise 
her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the 
death of her husband. Nana Saheb, the adopted son of 
Fig. 1 – Sepoys and peasants 
gather forces for the revolt that 
spread across the plains of north 
India in 1857
Chap 5.indd   51 14-03-2024   11:10:30
Reprint 2024-25
52 OUR PASTS – III
Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded that he be given his father’s 
pension when the latter died. However, the Company, 
confident of its superiority and military powers, turned 
down these pleas. 
Awadh was one of the last territories to be annexed. 
In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh, 
and in 1856 it was taken over. Governor-General 
Dalhousie declared that the territory was being 
misgoverned and British rule was needed to ensure 
proper administration. 
The Company even began to plan how to bring the 
Mughal dynasty to an end. The name of the Mughal king 
was removed from the coins minted by the Company. In 
1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after 
the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king 
would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another 
place in Delhi to reside in. In 1856, Governor-General 
Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be 
the last Mughal king and after his death none of his 
descendants would be recognised as kings – they would 
just be called princes.
The peasants and the sepoys
In the countryside, peasants and zamindars resented 
the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue 
collection. Many failed to pay back their loans to the 
moneylenders and gradually lost the lands they had 
tilled for generations. 
The Indian sepoys in the employ of the Company 
also had reasons for discontent. They were unhappy 
about their pay, allowances and conditions of service. 
Some of the new rules, moreover, violated their religious 
sensibilities and beliefs. Did you know that in those 
days many people in the country believed that if they 
crossed the sea they would lose their religion and caste? 
So when in 1824, the sepoys were told to go to Burma 
by the sea route to fight for the Company, they refused 
to follow the order, though they agreed to go by the 
land route. They were severely punished, and since the 
issue did not die down, in 1856 the Company passed a 
new law which stated that every new person who took 
up employment in the Company’s army had to agree to 
serve overseas if required.  
Sepoys also reacted to what was happening in the 
countryside. Many of them were peasants and had families 
living in the villages. So the anger of the peasants quickly 
spread among the sepoys.
Activity
Imagine you are a sepoy 
in the Company army, 
advising your nephew 
not to take employment 
in the army. What reasons 
would you give? 
?
Chap 5.indd   52 4/22/2022   2:43:01 PM
Reprint 2024-25
Page 3


When People Revolt 
1857 and After
5
Policies and the People 
In the previous chapters you looked at the policies of the 
East India Company and the effect they had on different 
people. Kings, queens, peasants, landlords, tribals, soldiers 
were all affected in different ways. You have also seen how 
people resist policies and actions that harm their interests 
or go against their sentiments. 
Nawabs lose their power
Since the mid-eighteenth century, nawabs and rajas had 
seen their power erode. They had gradually lost their 
authority and honour. Residents had been stationed in 
many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their 
armed forces disbanded, and their revenues and territories 
taken away by stages. 
Many ruling families tried to negotiate with the 
Company to protect their interests. For example, Rani 
Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognise 
her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the 
death of her husband. Nana Saheb, the adopted son of 
Fig. 1 – Sepoys and peasants 
gather forces for the revolt that 
spread across the plains of north 
India in 1857
Chap 5.indd   51 14-03-2024   11:10:30
Reprint 2024-25
52 OUR PASTS – III
Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded that he be given his father’s 
pension when the latter died. However, the Company, 
confident of its superiority and military powers, turned 
down these pleas. 
Awadh was one of the last territories to be annexed. 
In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh, 
and in 1856 it was taken over. Governor-General 
Dalhousie declared that the territory was being 
misgoverned and British rule was needed to ensure 
proper administration. 
The Company even began to plan how to bring the 
Mughal dynasty to an end. The name of the Mughal king 
was removed from the coins minted by the Company. In 
1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after 
the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king 
would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another 
place in Delhi to reside in. In 1856, Governor-General 
Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be 
the last Mughal king and after his death none of his 
descendants would be recognised as kings – they would 
just be called princes.
The peasants and the sepoys
In the countryside, peasants and zamindars resented 
the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue 
collection. Many failed to pay back their loans to the 
moneylenders and gradually lost the lands they had 
tilled for generations. 
The Indian sepoys in the employ of the Company 
also had reasons for discontent. They were unhappy 
about their pay, allowances and conditions of service. 
Some of the new rules, moreover, violated their religious 
sensibilities and beliefs. Did you know that in those 
days many people in the country believed that if they 
crossed the sea they would lose their religion and caste? 
So when in 1824, the sepoys were told to go to Burma 
by the sea route to fight for the Company, they refused 
to follow the order, though they agreed to go by the 
land route. They were severely punished, and since the 
issue did not die down, in 1856 the Company passed a 
new law which stated that every new person who took 
up employment in the Company’s army had to agree to 
serve overseas if required.  
Sepoys also reacted to what was happening in the 
countryside. Many of them were peasants and had families 
living in the villages. So the anger of the peasants quickly 
spread among the sepoys.
Activity
Imagine you are a sepoy 
in the Company army, 
advising your nephew 
not to take employment 
in the army. What reasons 
would you give? 
?
Chap 5.indd   52 4/22/2022   2:43:01 PM
Reprint 2024-25
when Pe OPle Rev Ol T         53
Source 1
Responses to reforms 
The British believed that Indian society had 
to be reformed. Laws were passed to stop the 
practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage 
of widows. English-language education was 
actively promoted. After 1830, the Company 
allowed Christian missionaries to function freely 
in its domain and even own land and property. In 
1850, a new law was passed to  make conversion 
to Christianity easier. This  law allowed an Indian 
who had converted to Christianity to inherit the 
property of his ancestors. Many Indians began to 
feel that the British were destroying their religion, 
their social customs and their traditional way  
of life. 
There were of course other Indians who wanted 
to change existing social practices. You will read 
about these reformers and reform movements in 
Chapter 6.
Through the Eyes of the People
To get a glimpse of what people were thinking those days 
about British rule, study Sources 1 and 2. 
The list of eighty-four rules
Given here are excerpts from the book Majha Pravaas, written by Vishnubhatt 
Godse, a Brahman from a village in Maharashtra. He and his uncle had set out to 
attend a yajna being organised in Mathura. Vishnubhatt writes that they met some 
sepoys on the way who told them that they should not proceed on the journey 
because a massive upheaval was going to break out in three days. The sepoys said:
the English were determined to wipe out the religions of the Hindus and the 
Muslims … they had made a list of eighty-four rules and announced these  in 
a gathering of all big kings and princes in Calcutta. They said that the kings 
refused to accept these rules and warned the English of dire consequences 
and massive upheaval if these are implemented … that the kings all returned 
to their capitals in great anger … all the big people began making plans. A 
date was fixed for the war of religion and the secret plan had been circulated 
from the cantonment in Meerut by letters sent to different cantonments.
Vishnubhatt Godse,  Majha Pravaas, pp. 23-24.
Fig. 2 – Sepoys exchange news 
and rumours in the bazaars of 
north India
Chap 5.indd   53 14-03-2024   11:11:03
Reprint 2024-25
Page 4


When People Revolt 
1857 and After
5
Policies and the People 
In the previous chapters you looked at the policies of the 
East India Company and the effect they had on different 
people. Kings, queens, peasants, landlords, tribals, soldiers 
were all affected in different ways. You have also seen how 
people resist policies and actions that harm their interests 
or go against their sentiments. 
Nawabs lose their power
Since the mid-eighteenth century, nawabs and rajas had 
seen their power erode. They had gradually lost their 
authority and honour. Residents had been stationed in 
many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their 
armed forces disbanded, and their revenues and territories 
taken away by stages. 
Many ruling families tried to negotiate with the 
Company to protect their interests. For example, Rani 
Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognise 
her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the 
death of her husband. Nana Saheb, the adopted son of 
Fig. 1 – Sepoys and peasants 
gather forces for the revolt that 
spread across the plains of north 
India in 1857
Chap 5.indd   51 14-03-2024   11:10:30
Reprint 2024-25
52 OUR PASTS – III
Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded that he be given his father’s 
pension when the latter died. However, the Company, 
confident of its superiority and military powers, turned 
down these pleas. 
Awadh was one of the last territories to be annexed. 
In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh, 
and in 1856 it was taken over. Governor-General 
Dalhousie declared that the territory was being 
misgoverned and British rule was needed to ensure 
proper administration. 
The Company even began to plan how to bring the 
Mughal dynasty to an end. The name of the Mughal king 
was removed from the coins minted by the Company. In 
1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after 
the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king 
would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another 
place in Delhi to reside in. In 1856, Governor-General 
Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be 
the last Mughal king and after his death none of his 
descendants would be recognised as kings – they would 
just be called princes.
The peasants and the sepoys
In the countryside, peasants and zamindars resented 
the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue 
collection. Many failed to pay back their loans to the 
moneylenders and gradually lost the lands they had 
tilled for generations. 
The Indian sepoys in the employ of the Company 
also had reasons for discontent. They were unhappy 
about their pay, allowances and conditions of service. 
Some of the new rules, moreover, violated their religious 
sensibilities and beliefs. Did you know that in those 
days many people in the country believed that if they 
crossed the sea they would lose their religion and caste? 
So when in 1824, the sepoys were told to go to Burma 
by the sea route to fight for the Company, they refused 
to follow the order, though they agreed to go by the 
land route. They were severely punished, and since the 
issue did not die down, in 1856 the Company passed a 
new law which stated that every new person who took 
up employment in the Company’s army had to agree to 
serve overseas if required.  
Sepoys also reacted to what was happening in the 
countryside. Many of them were peasants and had families 
living in the villages. So the anger of the peasants quickly 
spread among the sepoys.
Activity
Imagine you are a sepoy 
in the Company army, 
advising your nephew 
not to take employment 
in the army. What reasons 
would you give? 
?
Chap 5.indd   52 4/22/2022   2:43:01 PM
Reprint 2024-25
when Pe OPle Rev Ol T         53
Source 1
Responses to reforms 
The British believed that Indian society had 
to be reformed. Laws were passed to stop the 
practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage 
of widows. English-language education was 
actively promoted. After 1830, the Company 
allowed Christian missionaries to function freely 
in its domain and even own land and property. In 
1850, a new law was passed to  make conversion 
to Christianity easier. This  law allowed an Indian 
who had converted to Christianity to inherit the 
property of his ancestors. Many Indians began to 
feel that the British were destroying their religion, 
their social customs and their traditional way  
of life. 
There were of course other Indians who wanted 
to change existing social practices. You will read 
about these reformers and reform movements in 
Chapter 6.
Through the Eyes of the People
To get a glimpse of what people were thinking those days 
about British rule, study Sources 1 and 2. 
The list of eighty-four rules
Given here are excerpts from the book Majha Pravaas, written by Vishnubhatt 
Godse, a Brahman from a village in Maharashtra. He and his uncle had set out to 
attend a yajna being organised in Mathura. Vishnubhatt writes that they met some 
sepoys on the way who told them that they should not proceed on the journey 
because a massive upheaval was going to break out in three days. The sepoys said:
the English were determined to wipe out the religions of the Hindus and the 
Muslims … they had made a list of eighty-four rules and announced these  in 
a gathering of all big kings and princes in Calcutta. They said that the kings 
refused to accept these rules and warned the English of dire consequences 
and massive upheaval if these are implemented … that the kings all returned 
to their capitals in great anger … all the big people began making plans. A 
date was fixed for the war of religion and the secret plan had been circulated 
from the cantonment in Meerut by letters sent to different cantonments.
Vishnubhatt Godse,  Majha Pravaas, pp. 23-24.
Fig. 2 – Sepoys exchange news 
and rumours in the bazaars of 
north India
Chap 5.indd   53 14-03-2024   11:11:03
Reprint 2024-25
54 OUR PASTS – III
“There was soon excitement in every regiment”
Another account we have from those days are the memoirs of Subedar 
Sitaram Pande. Sitaram Pande was recruited in 1812 as a sepoy in the 
Bengal Native Army. He served the English for 48 years and retired in 
1860. He helped the British to suppress the uprising though his own 
son was a rebel and was killed by the British in front of his eyes. On 
retirement he was persuaded by his Commanding Officer, Norgate, to write 
his memoirs. He completed the writing in 1861 in Awadhi and Norgate 
translated it into English and had it published under the title From Sepoy 
to Subedar.
Here is an excerpt from what Sitaram Pande wrote:
It is my humble opinion that this seizing of Oudh filled the minds of the 
Sepoys with distrust and led them to plot against the Government. Agents 
of the Nawab of Oudh and also of the King of Delhi were sent all over 
India to discover the temper of the army. They worked upon the feelings of 
sepoys, telling them how treacherously the foreigners had behaved towards 
their king. They invented ten thousand lies and promises to persuade the 
soldiers to mutiny and turn against their masters, the English, with the 
object of restoring the Emperor of Delhi to the throne. They maintained 
that this was wholly within the army’s powers if the soldiers would only 
act together and do as they were advised. 
Source 2
Fig. 3 – Rebel sepoys at Meerut attack officers, enter their homes and set fire to buildings
Source 2 contd.
Chap 5.indd   54 14-03-2024   11:11:25
Reprint 2024-25
Page 5


When People Revolt 
1857 and After
5
Policies and the People 
In the previous chapters you looked at the policies of the 
East India Company and the effect they had on different 
people. Kings, queens, peasants, landlords, tribals, soldiers 
were all affected in different ways. You have also seen how 
people resist policies and actions that harm their interests 
or go against their sentiments. 
Nawabs lose their power
Since the mid-eighteenth century, nawabs and rajas had 
seen their power erode. They had gradually lost their 
authority and honour. Residents had been stationed in 
many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their 
armed forces disbanded, and their revenues and territories 
taken away by stages. 
Many ruling families tried to negotiate with the 
Company to protect their interests. For example, Rani 
Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognise 
her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the 
death of her husband. Nana Saheb, the adopted son of 
Fig. 1 – Sepoys and peasants 
gather forces for the revolt that 
spread across the plains of north 
India in 1857
Chap 5.indd   51 14-03-2024   11:10:30
Reprint 2024-25
52 OUR PASTS – III
Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded that he be given his father’s 
pension when the latter died. However, the Company, 
confident of its superiority and military powers, turned 
down these pleas. 
Awadh was one of the last territories to be annexed. 
In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh, 
and in 1856 it was taken over. Governor-General 
Dalhousie declared that the territory was being 
misgoverned and British rule was needed to ensure 
proper administration. 
The Company even began to plan how to bring the 
Mughal dynasty to an end. The name of the Mughal king 
was removed from the coins minted by the Company. In 
1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after 
the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king 
would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another 
place in Delhi to reside in. In 1856, Governor-General 
Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be 
the last Mughal king and after his death none of his 
descendants would be recognised as kings – they would 
just be called princes.
The peasants and the sepoys
In the countryside, peasants and zamindars resented 
the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue 
collection. Many failed to pay back their loans to the 
moneylenders and gradually lost the lands they had 
tilled for generations. 
The Indian sepoys in the employ of the Company 
also had reasons for discontent. They were unhappy 
about their pay, allowances and conditions of service. 
Some of the new rules, moreover, violated their religious 
sensibilities and beliefs. Did you know that in those 
days many people in the country believed that if they 
crossed the sea they would lose their religion and caste? 
So when in 1824, the sepoys were told to go to Burma 
by the sea route to fight for the Company, they refused 
to follow the order, though they agreed to go by the 
land route. They were severely punished, and since the 
issue did not die down, in 1856 the Company passed a 
new law which stated that every new person who took 
up employment in the Company’s army had to agree to 
serve overseas if required.  
Sepoys also reacted to what was happening in the 
countryside. Many of them were peasants and had families 
living in the villages. So the anger of the peasants quickly 
spread among the sepoys.
Activity
Imagine you are a sepoy 
in the Company army, 
advising your nephew 
not to take employment 
in the army. What reasons 
would you give? 
?
Chap 5.indd   52 4/22/2022   2:43:01 PM
Reprint 2024-25
when Pe OPle Rev Ol T         53
Source 1
Responses to reforms 
The British believed that Indian society had 
to be reformed. Laws were passed to stop the 
practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage 
of widows. English-language education was 
actively promoted. After 1830, the Company 
allowed Christian missionaries to function freely 
in its domain and even own land and property. In 
1850, a new law was passed to  make conversion 
to Christianity easier. This  law allowed an Indian 
who had converted to Christianity to inherit the 
property of his ancestors. Many Indians began to 
feel that the British were destroying their religion, 
their social customs and their traditional way  
of life. 
There were of course other Indians who wanted 
to change existing social practices. You will read 
about these reformers and reform movements in 
Chapter 6.
Through the Eyes of the People
To get a glimpse of what people were thinking those days 
about British rule, study Sources 1 and 2. 
The list of eighty-four rules
Given here are excerpts from the book Majha Pravaas, written by Vishnubhatt 
Godse, a Brahman from a village in Maharashtra. He and his uncle had set out to 
attend a yajna being organised in Mathura. Vishnubhatt writes that they met some 
sepoys on the way who told them that they should not proceed on the journey 
because a massive upheaval was going to break out in three days. The sepoys said:
the English were determined to wipe out the religions of the Hindus and the 
Muslims … they had made a list of eighty-four rules and announced these  in 
a gathering of all big kings and princes in Calcutta. They said that the kings 
refused to accept these rules and warned the English of dire consequences 
and massive upheaval if these are implemented … that the kings all returned 
to their capitals in great anger … all the big people began making plans. A 
date was fixed for the war of religion and the secret plan had been circulated 
from the cantonment in Meerut by letters sent to different cantonments.
Vishnubhatt Godse,  Majha Pravaas, pp. 23-24.
Fig. 2 – Sepoys exchange news 
and rumours in the bazaars of 
north India
Chap 5.indd   53 14-03-2024   11:11:03
Reprint 2024-25
54 OUR PASTS – III
“There was soon excitement in every regiment”
Another account we have from those days are the memoirs of Subedar 
Sitaram Pande. Sitaram Pande was recruited in 1812 as a sepoy in the 
Bengal Native Army. He served the English for 48 years and retired in 
1860. He helped the British to suppress the uprising though his own 
son was a rebel and was killed by the British in front of his eyes. On 
retirement he was persuaded by his Commanding Officer, Norgate, to write 
his memoirs. He completed the writing in 1861 in Awadhi and Norgate 
translated it into English and had it published under the title From Sepoy 
to Subedar.
Here is an excerpt from what Sitaram Pande wrote:
It is my humble opinion that this seizing of Oudh filled the minds of the 
Sepoys with distrust and led them to plot against the Government. Agents 
of the Nawab of Oudh and also of the King of Delhi were sent all over 
India to discover the temper of the army. They worked upon the feelings of 
sepoys, telling them how treacherously the foreigners had behaved towards 
their king. They invented ten thousand lies and promises to persuade the 
soldiers to mutiny and turn against their masters, the English, with the 
object of restoring the Emperor of Delhi to the throne. They maintained 
that this was wholly within the army’s powers if the soldiers would only 
act together and do as they were advised. 
Source 2
Fig. 3 – Rebel sepoys at Meerut attack officers, enter their homes and set fire to buildings
Source 2 contd.
Chap 5.indd   54 14-03-2024   11:11:25
Reprint 2024-25
when Pe OPle Rev Ol T         55
It chanced that about this time the Sarkar sent 
parties of men from each regiment to different 
garrisons for instructions in the use of the new rifle. 
These men performed the new drill for some time 
until a report got about by some means or the other, 
that the cartridges used for these new rifles were 
greased with the fat of cows and pigs. The men from 
our regiment wrote to others in the regiment telling 
them about this, and there was soon excitement in 
every regiment. Some men pointed out that in forty 
years’ service nothing had ever been done by the 
Sarkar to insult their religion, but as I have already 
mentioned the sepoys’ minds had been inflamed by 
the seizure of Oudh. Interested parties were quick 
to point out that the great aim of the English was to 
turn us all into Christians, and they had therefore 
introduced the cartridge in order to bring this about, 
since both Mahommedans and Hindus would be 
defiled by using it.
The Colonel sahib was of the opinion that the 
excitement, which even he could not fail to see, would 
pass off, as it had done before, and he recommended 
me to go to my home.
Sitaram Pande, From Sepoy to Subedar, pp. 162-63.
A Mutiny Becomes a Popular Uprising
Though struggles between rulers and the ruled are 
not unusual, sometimes such struggles become quite 
widespread as a popular resistance so that the power 
of the state breaks down. A very large number of 
people begin to believe that they have a common enemy 
and rise up against the enemy at the same time. For 
such a situation to develop, people have to organise, 
communicate, take initiative and display the confidence 
to turn the situation around. 
Such a situation developed in the northern parts of 
India in 1857. After a hundred years of conquest and 
administration, the English East India Company faced a 
massive uprising that started in May 1857 and threatened 
the Company’s very presence in India. Sepoys mutinied in 
several places beginning from Meerut and a large number 
of people from different sections of society rose up in 
rebellion. Some regard it as the biggest armed resistance 
to colonialism in the nineteenth century anywhere in the 
world. 
1. What were the 
important concerns 
in the minds of the 
people according to 
Sitaram and according 
to Vishnubhatt? 
2. What role did they 
think the rulers were 
playing? What role did 
the sepoys seem to 
play? 
Activity
?
Mutiny – When soldiers 
as a group disobey their 
officers in the army 
Source 2 contd.
Chap 5.indd   55 14-03-2024   11:11:26
Reprint 2024-25