Class 8 History Chapter 1 Question Answers - Our Pasts III (Part - I)

Q1: Why did the chiefs and rulers support the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in the revolt?
Ans: The Mughal dynasty had ruled over a very large part of the country. Most smaller rulers and chieftains controlled different territories on behalf of the Mughal ruler. Threatened by the expansion of British rule, many of them felt that if the Mughal emperor could rule again, they too would be able to rule their own territories once more, under Mughal authority.

Q2: How did other Indian soldiers in Meerut participate in the revolt of 1857?
Ans: The response of the other Indian soldiers in Meerut was quite extraordinary. On 10 May, the soldiers marched to the jail in Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys. They attacked and killed British officers. They captured guns and ammunition and set fire to the buildings and properties of the British and declared war on the firangis.

Q3: What did the British do to suppress the revolt of 1857?
Ans: The Company decided to repress the revolt with all its might. It brought reinforcements from England, passed new laws so that the rebels could be convicted with ease, and then moved into the storm centres of the revolt. Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces in September 1857. Lucknow was taken in March 1858. Rani Lakshmibai was defeated and killed in June 1858. Tantia Tope was captured, tried and killed in April 1859.

Q4: What were the main provisions of the Act of 1858?
Ans: Main provisions of the Act of 1858 were:

• Powers of the East India Company were transferred to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.
• A member of the British Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India and made responsible for all matters related to the governance of India.
• The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy, that is, a personal representative of the Crown.

Q5: How did British plan to bring Mughal dynasty to an end?
Ans: 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 recognized as kings – they would just be called princes.

Q6: What reforms did the British introduced in the Indian society? How did people of India respond to them?
Ans: British introduced the following reforms in the Indian society.

• 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.
• Many Indians began to feel that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs and their traditional way of life.

Q7: In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of 1857?
Ans: Following are the important changes that were introduced by the British.

• The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.
• All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in future. They were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge the British Queen as their Sovereign Paramount.
• It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced and the number of European soldiers would be increased. It was also decided that instead of recruiting soldiers from Awadh, Bihar, central India and south India, more soldiers would be recruited from among the Gurkhas, Sikhs and Pathans.
• The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicion and hostility. The British believed that they were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.
• The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in India.
• Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over their lands.

Q8: What efforts were made by the British to win back the loyalty of the people?
Ans: The British tried their best to win back the loyalty of the people.

• They announced rewards for the loyal landlords who would be allowed to continue to enjoy traditional rights over their lands.
• Those who had rebelled were told that they submitted to the British, and if they had not killed any white people, they would remain safe and their rights and claims to land would not be denied.

Q9: How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh?
Ans: The British also tried their best to win back the loyalty of the people. They announced rewards for loyal landholders would be allowed to continue to enjoy traditional rights over their lands. Those who had rebelled were told that if they submitted to the British, and if they had not killed any white people, they would remain safe and their rights and claims to land would not be denied.

Q10: Who was Subedar Sitaram Pande?
Ans: 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 rebellion 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.

Q11: Why were the Indian sepoys unhappy with the British rule?
Ans: They were unhappy about their pay, allowances and conditions of service. Some of the new rules violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs. Those were the 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.

Q12: What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857?
Ans: The reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857 were:

• Nawabs and rajas had 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.
• 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.
• 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 recognized as kings – they would just be called princes.

Q13: What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families?
Ans: Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion boosted the morale of the people and the ruling families.

• The people of the towns and villages also rose up in rebellion and rallied around local leaders, zamindars and chiefs who were prepared to establish their authority and fight the British.
• Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao, gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the city.
• In Lucknow, Birjis Qadr, the son of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, was proclaimed the new Nawab. He too acknowledged the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah Zafar.
• In Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British along with Tantia Tope, the general of Nana Saheb.