Revolt of 1857 Chapter Notes | History Class 8 ICSE PDF Download

Introduction

The  Revolt of 1857 was a significant uprising against British rule in India, marking a major challenge to the East India Company's authority. Beginning as a mutiny among Indian sepoys, it quickly spread to include civilians, rulers, and various sections of society. Triggered by multiple grievances, including political, economic, social, religious, and military issues, the revolt aimed to end British dominance. Although it was ultimately suppressed, it led to significant changes, including the end of the East India Company's rule and the beginning of direct British Crown governance in India.

Causes of the Revolt

Political Causes

• British policies like Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse weakened Indian rulers, making them subordinates.
• British stationed residents in courts, disbanded rulers' armies, and seized their revenues and territories.
• Many rulers lost titles and pensions, causing resentment among ruling families.
• Nana Saheb, adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, was denied his father's pension.
• Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi was refused recognition of her adopted son as heir.
• Awadh was annexed in 1856 by Governor General Dalhousie, citing misgovernment, deposing Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
• Mughal emperors lost real power; their names were removed from Company coins.
• Governor General Dalhousie announced that Bahadur Shah Zafar’s descendants would not stay in the Red Fort after his death.
• In 1856, Governor General Canning declared Bahadur Shah Zafar as the last Mughal ruler, with descendants to be called princes, not kings.

Economic Causes

• British land revenue policies extracted maximum revenue, leaving peasants oppressed.
• Zamindars and moneylenders charged high rates, often displacing peasants from their lands.
• Many old zamindars lost their lands, which were confiscated by the British.
• Famines became frequent due to harsh revenue policies.
• The Industrial Revolution led to the decline of Indian handicraft industries as cheap British machine-made goods flooded the market.
• Indian rulers, who once supported artisans, lost power to patronize them, leaving craftsmen jobless.
• Displacement of ruling families caused unemployment among poets, musicians, and others dependent on royal patronage.

Social and Religious Causes

• British reforms, like abolishing sati and promoting widow remarriage, were viewed suspiciously by orthodox groups.
• After 1830, Christian missionaries were allowed to operate freely and own property.
• In 1850, a law allowed Christian converts to inherit ancestral property, encouraging conversions.
• Temple and mosque lands were taxed, disrupting religious practices.
• Caste norms were disturbed as different castes were mixed in the army, prisons, and railways.
• Many believed the British were threatening their religion and traditions.
• British considered themselves superior, discriminating against Indians in administration, judiciary, and army.

Military Causes

• Indian sepoys, forming the majority of the Company’s army, were unhappy with low pay and limited promotion opportunities.
• Sepoys faced humiliation from British soldiers.
• Earlier, the Company respected sepoys’ religious beliefs, like separate dining and no overseas service, but these practices changed.
• In 1824, sepoys refusing to travel by sea to Burma were punished harshly.
• The 1856 General Service Enlistment Act required new recruits to serve overseas, offending religious beliefs about crossing the sea.
• Foreign Service allowance (bhatta) for overseas service was discontinued.
• Sepoys were barred from wearing religious marks like tilak, turbans, or beards.
• Sepoys, mostly from peasant families, were affected by the annexation of Awadh and harsh land revenue systems.
• About 14,000 petitions were sent by sepoys regarding revenue system hardships.

Immediate Cause

• In 1856, the Enfield rifle was introduced, requiring sepoys to bite open cartridges rumored to be coated with cow and pig fat.
• Hindus revered cows, and Muslims considered pigs unclean, leading to fears that the British aimed to destroy their religion.
• Sepoys refused to use these cartridges, sparking widespread anger.

Beginning and Spread of the Revolt

• On March 29, 1857, Mangal Pandey at Barrackpore fired at a British officer, urging others to join, but was arrested and hanged.
• At Meerut, 85 sepoys refused to use new cartridges, were dismissed, and sentenced to 10 years in jail.
• The next day, Meerut sepoys freed their colleagues, captured weapons, killed British officers, and set British property on fire.
• Rebels marched to Delhi, where local sepoys joined, killed British officers, and captured arms.
• At Delhi’s Red Fort, rebels proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as Emperor of Hindustan.
• Bahadur Shah Zafar wrote to rulers and chiefs to form a confederacy against the British.
• The revolt spread to Kanpur, Awadh, Jhansi, Bareilly, and other areas, with civilians joining under local leaders, zamindars, and chiefs.

The Civilian Rebellion

• The revolt’s impact varied across Indian society, with different grievances driving participation.
• Communities like Gurkhas and Sikhs supported the British, while Bengal, Punjab, and South India did not revolt.
• At Delhi, Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, led the revolt.
• In Kanpur, Nana Saheb, declared Peshwa, expelled the British with help from Tantia Tope and Azimullah.
• In Lucknow, Begum Hazrat Mahal led the revolt, declaring her son Birjis Qadr as Nawab, under Mughal suzerainty.
• Ahmedullah Khan, a maulvi from Faizabad, prophesied the end of British rule and supported Begum Hazrat Mahal.
• Rebels attacked the Lucknow Residency, killing British resident Henry Lawrence and others, but could not capture it.
• In Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai led the revolt after the British refused her adopted son’s claim to the throne.
• Rani Lakshmibai fought with Tantia Tope, briefly regaining control of Jhansi.
• At Arrah, Kunwar Singh, an 80-year-old zamindar, led rebels to destroy indigo factories, symbols of British oppression.
• In Bareilly, Khan Bahadur Khan, a former British pensioner, led the revolt.
• Rebel victories boosted public confidence, encouraging more to join the fight.

Suppression of the Revolt

• The British brought reinforcements and commanders like Hugh Rose, Henry Havelock, John Lawrence, and Colin Campbell.
• Delhi was recaptured in September 1857; Bahadur Shah Zafar was imprisoned and deported to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.
• Lucknow was recaptured in June 1858, and Jhansi in 1858 by Hugh Rose’s forces.
• Rani Lakshmibai fled to Gwalior, where she died fighting in June 1858.
• Tantia Tope continued guerrilla warfare but was captured and killed in April 1859.
• Khan Bahadur Khan and Kunwar Singh died in battle.
• Nana Saheb and Begum Hazrat Mahal escaped to Nepal.
• By 1859, the British regained control, offering safety to rebels who had not killed Britishers and rewards to loyalists.
• Rebel defeats led many to abandon the cause.

Failure of the Revolt

• The revolt was limited to North and Central India, with no support from Bengal, Punjab, or South India.
• Rulers like the Nizam of Hyderabad, Scindias, and Holkars supported or sympathized with the British.
• The western-educated class did not join or support the revolt.
• Rebels lacked organization, a central ideology, or a plan to replace British rule.
• No national leader emerged to unify the movement; Bahadur Shah Zafar was a reluctant leader.
• Rebels used outdated weapons like swords and spears, while the British had modern arms and communication systems like telegraphs and railways.

Nature of the Revolt

• The revolt is known as the Sepoy Mutiny, India’s First War of Independence, or the Uprising of 1857.
• British called it the Sepoy Mutiny, suggesting it was limited to sepoys, but civilians also participated.
• Some Indian historians call it the First War of Independence due to its widespread nature and Hindu-Muslim unity.
• Others argue it was not a national war, as India was not a unified nation, and rebels were loyal to regional kingdoms.

Effects of the Revolt

• The East India Company’s rule ended with the Government of India Act 1858, transferring power to the British Crown.
• A Secretary of State for India was appointed, advised by the Indian Council, with the Governor General titled as Viceroy.
• The British assured Indian rulers their rights and lands would be respected, allowing adopted sons to rule.
• Rulers had to accept Queen Victoria as their Sovereign Paramount.
• The British promised non-interference in religious and cultural matters, promoting tolerance.
• The army was restructured, increasing European soldiers and reducing Indian recruits from Awadh, Bengal, and Central India.
• Gurkhas, Sikhs, and Pathans were recruited into the army.
• Muslims were blamed for the revolt, facing suspicion and property confiscation.
• The British adopted a Divide and Rule policy to prevent unity among Indians.
• Zamindars and landlords were granted land rights protection.

Case Study: The Khurda Uprising

• In 1817, Khurda in Odisha saw an armed uprising against the British, led by Buxi Jagabandhu and Raja Mukunda Deva II.
• Khurda’s rulers were custodians of the Jagannath Temple; the British took control in 1803 when Mukunda Deva II was a minor.
• Jai Rajguru, the king’s custodian, was killed for resisting the British.
• British policies included dispossessing Paiks of their lands, causing economic hardship.
• High revenue demands and oppressive collection methods burdened ryots and zamindars.
• A salt monopoly raised salt prices, affecting common people.
• The British abolished cowrie currency, insisting on silver for taxes.
• Corrupt police and revenue officials fueled public anger.
• On March 29, 1817, Paiks attacked Banpur, killed over 100 men, and seized government money.
• Rebels captured Puri on April 14, 1817, declaring Mukunda Deva II as ruler, supported by Jagannath Temple priests.
• The uprising spread to southern and north-western Odisha.
• The British declared Martial Law, defeated the rebels, and captured the king and his son.
• Hundreds of Paiks were killed or imprisoned; Buxi Jagabandhu continued guerrilla warfare until surrendering in 1825.
• The British reduced salt prices, dismissed corrupt officials, restored lands, and allowed Ramachandra Deva III to manage the Jagannath Temple.
• The Khurda Uprising, or Paik Rebellion, was India’s first popular anti-British armed uprising.

The Taiping Rebellion in China

• From 1850 to the 1860s, China faced the Taiping Rebellion, led by Hong Xiaquan, a Christian convert.
• Hong Xiaquan opposed Confucianism and Buddhism, aiming for a Christian-based Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace.
• The rebellion sought a society without private property, social classes, or gender differences.
• Practices like opium use, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, prostitution, and slavery were prohibited.
• The Qing Dynasty, with British and French help, suppressed the rebellion.

Points To Remember

• British policies and mistreatment of Indians led to the Revolt of 1857.
• Although it began with the mutiny of sepoys in the British army, it soon spread to other parts of society.
• The Mughals had little authority during this time but were still respected, and the British declaration of Bahadur Shah Zafar as the last ruler was seen as disrespectful and offensive.
• Indian sepoys were dissatisfied with their wages, allowances, and service conditions, often facing humiliation from British soldiers. The sepoys of the Meerut regiment initiated the revolt.
• The uprising was crushed by the British with extreme brutality and violence. In September 1857, Delhi was recaptured by the British, and Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried and deported to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.
• Following Delhi's fall, other regions also fell to the British. Rani Lakshmibai, Tantia Tope, and Kunwar Singh were killed in battle against the British, while Nana Saheb and Begum Hazrat Mahal fled to Nepal.
• The revolt marked the end of East India Company rule in India. Under the Government of India Act 1858, the Company’s rule was terminated, and its authority was transferred to the British Crown.