NCERT Solutions for Class 8 History Chapter 5 - When People Rebel

Let's Recall

Q1. What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the British?
Ans: Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi insisted that the company should accept her adopted son as the successor to the kingdom after the death of her husband. The British, on the other hand, refused to recognize her adopted son as the ruler of Jhansi. According to Lord Dalhousie's "Doctrine of Lapse," if an Indian emperor died without a male successor, his kingdom would "lapse" and be acquired by the British Empire. 

Rani Lakshmi Bai

Q2. What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to Christianity?
Ans: A new law was passed in 1850 to make it easier for people to convert to Christianity. This law gave an Indian who converted to Christianity the right to inherit his ancestors' property. Therefore, various efforts were put in by the British to protect the interests of those who converted to Christianity.  

Q3. What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?
Ans: It was suspected that Cow and pig fat were used to coat the new cartridges. The introduction of these cartridges outraged both Hindus and Muslim sepoys. A sepoy had to bite the wrapper open before inserting these cartridges into the rifles. This has an impact on Hindu and Muslim religious beliefs because Hindus regard cows as sacred, and Muslims see pigs as filthy animals. As a result, the sepoys refused to utilise the new cartridges. The British, they believed, were attempting to denigrate their religions. 

Q4. How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?
Ans: Mughal emperors had symbolic value only after Aurangzeb's death. The Mughal dynasty's last Emperor was Bahadur Shah Zafar. Although there was no powerful Mughal monarch after Aurangzeb, Mughal Emperors remained symbolically prominent. 

In reality, when a huge uprising broke out in 1857, the rebellions persuaded and declared Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Mughal Emperor at the moment, as their commander. He was a key figure in the 1857 uprising against the British. 

Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court after the insurrection was put down, blinded, and condemned to life in jail. Before him, his sons were brutally murdered. In October of 1858, he and his wife were finally imprisoned in Rangoon. In November of 1862, Bahadur Shah Zafar died in the Rangoon jail.

Let's Discuss

Q5. What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857? 
Ans: The Nawabs and Rajas had been losing power since the mid-eighteenth century. The presence of British residents in the courts weakened their power and limited their ability to govern their kingdoms.

• From 1757 through 1857, the Company used a combination of political, economic, and diplomatic strategies to annex numerous Indian states practically unchallenged. It only had to utilise military force on a few occasions.
• Before May of 1857, there were various riots, rebellions, and revolts. All of these, however, were localised and suppressed by the British at the time. 
• The influence of Nawabs, rajas, zamindars, and others was weakened in the mid-eighteenth century. 
• The Indian kings' freedom was limited, their armed forces were abolished, and their revenue and territories were gradually taken over.
• The decline of the Mughal dynasty was another cause for the British's confidence. 
• The Company insured the dynasty's demise through a variety of tactics. 
• The name of the Mughal emperor was erased from the Company's coinage. 
• It was also determined that Bahadur Shah would be the final Mughal king, with none of his descendants being recognised as kings after his death.
• The fact that there was no other dominating authority in the Indian subcontinent but the Company, as well as the conviction that there was no imminent challenge to its authority, all contributed to the Company's confidence in its position in India prior to May 1857. 
• This is why the insurrection, as well as the frightening form it took, surprised the British.

Revolt of 1857

Q6. What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families? 
Ans: Though the insurgents were resolved to overthrow the East India Company's authority in the country, they were confronted with the dilemma of who would rule the area once the power vacuum was filled.

• Since Bahadur Shah Zafar accepted leadership and extended his support to the rebellion, the people of this kingdom and its ruling families have felt a wide range of effects. 
• He called on all of the country's leaders and rulers to unite and form an Indian confederacy to fight the British.
• Bahadur Shah's single action had far-reaching consequences. All small and large kingdoms, kings, Nawabs, Rajas, princes, zamindars, chiefs, and even many Hindu and Muslim religious leaders cheered this and banded together to fight the British. 
• At nodal sites such as Delhi, Kanpur, and Lucknow, regiments after regiment mutinied and began to join other soldiers.
• When the rebel soldiers arrived at Red Fort, Bahadur Shah was hesitant to confront the British strength. 
• However, he had no choice but to submit, and as a result, he was named their leader. 
• The rebels were encouraged to battle the British with increased confidence, hope, and courage after receiving this symbolic head.
• The Mughal emperor's leadership appeared to give it credibility.
• At Delhi, Kanpur, and Lucknow, regiment after regiment mutinied and joined the rebel forces. 
• People in many Indian cities and villages rose up in revolt after them, rallying around local leaders, zamindars, and chiefs. 
• This not only bolstered the rebel forces but also gave the uprising a national flavour.

Bahadur Shah Zafar

Q7. How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh
Ans: The defeat of British forces in a number of battles during the insurrection sparked a number of uprisings against the British in various Indian states.

• In the Awadh region, in particular, a massive popular revolt erupted. The villagers took up weapons, with the landlords leading the charge.
• The British devised a two-pronged approach to repress the rebels and the insurrection after defeating the rebel forces.
• On the one hand, they tried and hanged a number of rebel leaders who had dared to defy their power and may do it again. On the other hand, they made every effort to reclaim the people's trust.
• They promised faithful landowners a reward. They were given assurances that their traditional rights to their lands would be respected. 
• Those who had rebelled were assured that if they surrendered to the British and did not kill any white people, they would be secure and their land claims and rights would be respected.

Q8. In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of 1857?
Ans: Changes in British policies following the crushing of the 1857 rebellion: 

• The British Crown gained control of administration. 
• In 1859, the British Parliament approved an Act transferring the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown. 
• The Doctrine of Lapse was abolished, and the right to adoption was acknowledged, with the adopted son being viewed as the heir to the throne.
• The English army's share of Indians was reduced. 
• Only Europeans were granted prominent positions. 
• Landlords and zamindars were given protection and security of rights over their lands and other holdings through policies.
• Non-interference in religious matters was promised by the British, who guaranteed the Indian people that their religious and social practices would be respected and not interfered with.