Rebels and the Raj Important Question & Answer | History Class 12 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

Q.1. Why did the British become increasingly interested in acquiring the territory of Awadh?
Answer:

• The Britishers felt that the soil of Awadh was very good for the cultivation of indigo and cotton.
• They also thought that this state could be developed into a principal market of North India.

Q.2.  How did the message about the Revolt of 1857 spread?
Answer: The Revolt of 1857 was associated not only with the people of the court but also with ordinary men and women. Besides the ranis, rajas, nawabs, and taluqdars, many common people, religious persons and self-styled prophets participated in it.

1. The message of rebellion was carried by ordinary men and women.
2. At some places, even the religious people spread the message of the Revolt of 1857. For example, in Meerut, a Fakir used to ride on an elephant. Many sepoys met him time and again.
3. After the annexation of Awadh, Lucknow had many religious leaders and self-styled prophets who preached the destruction of British rule.
4. At many places, the local leaders played an important role. They urged the peasants, Zamindars, and tribals to revolt.
5. In Uttar Pradesh, Shah Mai motivated and mobilized the residents of Barout paragana.
6. Similarly, Gonoo, a tribal who cultivated in Singhbhum in Chotanagpur, became a rebel leader of the Kol tribe.

Q.3. What were the causes for the discontent among the soldiers before the Mutiny of 1857?
Answer:
There were many reasons for discontent among the soldiers:

1. Fear of New Cartridges: The sepoys were provided bullets which were coated with the fat of cows and pigs. Before use, the soldiers had to bite these bullets. So they feared that it would corrupt their caste and religion.
2. Grievances about Leave and Promotions: The sepoys were not easily granted leaves. They were also paid lower salaries as compared to the British soldiers. They were not given due promotions which enraged the soldiers and nurtured a sense of discontent among them.
3. Grouse Against Misbehaviour and Racial Abuse: Earlier, the British officials had very friendly relations with the sepoys. They joined them in their leisure activities and talked to them in the local language. They also familiarised themselves with their customs and culture. They posed themselves as fatherly figures to all the Indian soldiers. But after 1840s, there was a change for the worse. The British officers started considering themselves as superior. They treated Indian sepoys as their social inferiors and ignored their feelings and sensibilities. They even abused and assaulted them. It was naturally resented by the soldiers.
4. Nexus between Soldiers and Villagers: Awadh was the nursery of the Bengal Army. In other words, a large number of soldiers were recruited from the villages in the vicinity of Awadh. So these soldiers had a close relationship with the villages. Such a link between the two had grave implications during the mutiny. 

Q.4.  How did the British dispossess the taluqdars of Awadh during 1857? Explain with examples. 

Answer: The taluqdars of Awadh felt influenced by the British policy in the following way:
1. The forts and castles of the taluqdars were demolished and their armed forces were disbanded.
2. They were deprived of their lands under the Summary Settlement of 1856. Many taluqdars lost even more than half the villages under their control.
3. Their freedom was snatched.
4. They lost a lot of power and respect because of the loss of their land.
5. The demand for revenue was doubled. It generated a sense of anger among the taluqdars.

Q.5. Examine the provisions of the ‘Subsidiary Alliance System’ devised by Lord Wellesley in 1798 for India.
 Answer: Subsidiary Alliance was a system of land revenue introduced by Lord Wellesley in 1798 C.E. All the local rulers had to accept the following terms and conditions who entered into such an alliance with the British:

1. The ally would have to keep a British-armed contingent in his territory.
2. The British would be responsible for the protection of their ally from any type of external and internal threats to their power.
3. Resources for maintaining the British contingent would be provided by the ally.
4. The ally could not enter into an agreement with other local rulers or foreign companies or engage in warfare without the permission of the British.
5. One British Resident would be stationed in the Court of the allied king.

Q.6. Which types of laws were used by the British to suppress the Revolt of 1857 in North India?
Answer: The British passed a number of laws to help them quell the insurgency before sending their troops to reconquer North India. With the help of a number of Acts passed in May and June 1857, the British put the whole of North India under Martial Law. Military officers and ordinary Britons were given the authority to try and punish Indians who were suspected of rebellion. It was put out that only one punishment could be given to rebels and that was death. 

Q.7. How did the Mutiny of 1857 start? Give a brief description of the events concerning the uprising in Meerut.
Answer: The uprising of 1857 started in the afternoon of 10 May, 4857 in the cantonment of Meerut. It broke out in the lines of the native infantry. It then quickly spread to the cavalry and soon engulfed the whole city. The ordinary people of the city also joined the sepoys who took up arms and attacked the white people. They ransacked their bungalows and burnt their property. They also destroyed the government buildings like the jail, the court, the treasury, and the post office and cut down the telegraph lines to Delhi.

The next day, i.e., on 11th May 1857, the sepoys reached the gates of the Red Fort in Delhi. They briefed Bahadur Shah, the last Mughal king, about the incidents in Meerut and requested him to both bless and lead the uprising against the white men. At first, the emperor was a bit hesitant but later on, he accepted their demand. His approval gave legitimacy to the revolt as it was carried on in the name of the Mughal emperor.

Q.8. Discuss the general causes for the Revolt of 1857.
Answer: The following were the main reasons for the Revolt of 1857:
1. Many Indians had turned against the British because of the policy of Lapse initiated by Lord Dalhousie.
2. The British considered India as a market for raw materials to factories in England. So they made many efforts to destroy the Indian trade and industry. It increased poverty in the country and therefore people started despising British rule.
3. The Indian sepoys had a feeling of discontentment against the imperial rule. They got low salaries as compared to the British soldiers and were also maltreated. They could not bear this insult for long.
4. In 1856, the soldiers were given the new ‘Enfield’ Rifles. The cartridges of these rifles were coated with the fat of cows and pigs. So the Indian soldiers refused to accept and use these cartridges. Slowly and steadily this incident led to the emergence of the Revolt of 1857.

Q.9. Analyze the significance of unity amongst the Hindus and the Muslims during the events of 1857.
Answer:
Most of the strength of the Revolt of 1857 lay in the unity between the Hindus and the Muslims. This spirit of unity and harmony was visible in the soldiers, the leaders, and the people. Bahadur Shah Zafar was a Muslim but even then, all the rebels accepted him as their leader. Not only this, the Hindu sepoys of Meerut moved towards Delhi and reached Red Fort to seek the blessings of the Mughal Emperor. The soldiers, the Hindus, and the Muslims were considerate towards the feelings and sentiments of each other.
For example, wherever the revolt succeeded, the cow slaughter was immediately banned so that the Hindus may not feel hurt. Besides, the Hindus and the Muslims had an equal representation in the leadership of the rebellion. Regarding the Hindu-Muslim unity, a senior British official admitted that they had not been able to divide the Hindu and the Muslims this time.

Q.10. Examine the structure of authority and administration that the rebels wanted after the collapse of British rule in India.
Answer:  The revolutionaries of 1857 were in search of an alternative strategy. For example, after the British rule was demolished in Delhi, Lucknow, and Kanpur, the revolutionaries wanted to set up a uniform rule or authority at all the places. Though this experiment did not succeed, yet it was clear from their efforts that they wanted to establish the rule that existed prior to the 18th century.
These leaders took the help of the old Darbari culture. They made appointments on different posts and made arrangements for the collection of land, revenue, and the disbursement of salary to the soldiers. They issued decrees to end loot. They also planned strategies to continue the war against the British rule and took steps to strengthen their control of the army. In all these attempts, the revolutionaries were taking the help of the Mughal period rulers in the 18th century. The Mughal period was a symbol of all those things which were lost.

Q.11. How do the official accounts present the Revolt of 1857? Explain

Answer:  

Many official accounts are available for the revolt of 1857. Colonial administrators and military men left their versions in letters and diaries, autobiographies, and official histories. We can also gauge the official mindset and the changing British attitude through a number of memos and notes, assessments of situations, and reports that were produced. Many of these have now been collected in a set of mutiny records.
These tell us about the fears and anxieties of officials and their perception of the rebels. The stories of the revolts that were published in British newspapers and magazines narrated in detail the violence of the mutineers- and these stories inflamed public feelings provoking demands of retribution and revenge.

Q.12. “The annexation of Awadh displaced not just the Nawab but also dispossessed the taluqdars of the region, causing break down of an entire social order.” Critically examine the statement. 
Answer:
The annexation of Awadh not only displaced the Nawab but also dispossessed the taluqdars of this region. The whole of the countryside of Awadh was dotted with the forts and estates of taluqdars. These people controlled the land and power of their areas for centuries. Before the arrival of the British, these taluqdars maintained armed sepoys and had their own forts. The British were not ready to tolerate their power which is why, exactly after the annexation of Awadh, the taluqdars were disarmed and their forts were destroyed.
The entire social order was broke down with the dispossession of taluqdars. The ties of patronage and loyalty were disrupted that had bound the peasants to the taluqdars. Before the Britishers, these taluqdars were oppressed but some of them seemed to be generous father figures. They extracted a number of dues from the peasants but helped them during their bad times. Now during the British rule, the peasants were directly exposed to over-assessment of revenue and non-flexible methods of revenue collection.