Class 8 History Chapter 5 Notes - When People Rebel

Introduction

The Revolt of 1857, often called the First War of Independence, was a landmark uprising against British rule. This chapter explores its causes, major events, and consequences, and explains why it is important in the history of India's struggle for freedom.

Significance of 1857: First large-scale resistance to British rule in India.

• Causes of the Revolt: Political grievances, economic exploitation, and cultural and religious insensitivity by the British.
• Key Events: The uprising began in Meerut and spread to many parts of India, with major centres of conflict at Delhi, Kanpur, and Jhansi.
• Aftermath and Consequences: The revolt was suppressed, leading to direct rule by the British Crown and changes in administration.
• Legacy:The revolt marked the start of a sustained national movement and influenced later freedom struggles.
  

Policies and the People

The policies of the East India Company affected different groups - rulers, peasants, landlords, tribals, and soldiers - in varied ways.

The Revolt of 1857

Nawabs Lose their Power

• By the mid-18th century, the authority of many nawabs and rajas had been steadily reduced.
• Rulers were confined to their courts, their freedom curtailed, armed forces dismantled, and revenues and territories taken away in stages.
• Several royal families tried to negotiate with the Company to protect their interests. For example, Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi sought recognition for her adoptive son as the heir after her husband's death.
• Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, demanded his father's pension when the latter died.
• Awadh was one of the last major territories to be annexed. A subsidiary alliance was imposed in 1801, and the Company assumed control of Awadh in 1856.
• Governor-General Dalhousie argued that Awadh was poorly governed and that British administration was needed for proper rule.
• The Company also took measures to diminish the Mughal dynasty: the Mughal emperor's name was removed from coins, and it was decided that after Bahadur Shah Zafar the royal family would be relocated from the Red Fort to another residence in Delhi.
• In 1856, Governor-General Canning declared that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal emperor, and that his descendants would not be recognised as kings but only as princes.

The Peasants and the Sepoys

• Peasants and zamindars resented high taxes and rigid systems of revenue collection.
• Many lost land because they could not repay loans to moneylenders.
• Indian sepoys employed by the Company were dissatisfied with pay, allowances, and service conditions.
• There was a widespread belief that crossing the sea would make one forfeit caste and religion.
• When sepoys were ordered to go to Burma by sea, many refused but agreed to go by land; they were punished harshly.
• To settle the issue, in 1856 the Company introduced a rule requiring all recruits to agree to serve abroad if needed.
• Since many sepoys were agriculturists or had families in villages, rural unrest quickly spread among the soldiers.

Responses to Reforms

• The British passed social reforms, such as laws to prohibit sati and to encourage the remarriage of widows.
• English education was promoted widely.
• Many Indians felt that British actions were undermining their religion, social customs, and traditional way of life.
• After 1830, Christian missionaries were allowed to operate freely and to hold land and property.
• A law in 1850 made conversion to Christianity easier.
• The law also allowed Indian Christians to inherit the property of their ancestors.

Through the Eyes of the People

• Understanding popular sentiment: Contemporary sources capture how people perceived British rule and the growing unrest.
• Source 1: The List of Eighty-Four Rules
  Vishnubhatt Godse's account reports meeting sepoys who warned of an impending upheaval. He claimed that the British had issued eighty-four rules seen as threatening Hindu and Muslim faiths, and that Indian rulers began secret preparations for war.
• Source 2: Memoirs of Subedar Sitaram Pande
  Sepoys grew deeply distrustful after the annexation of Awadh; agents circulated rumours urging them to rebel and restore the Emperor of Delhi.
• Controversial Rifle Cartridges: Rumours that new rifle cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat angered sepoys and fuelled the belief that the British sought to convert Indians to Christianity.

A Mutiny Becomes a Popular Uprising

• Many people came to see the British as a common enemy and rose simultaneously.
• Such a broad movement required organisation, communication, initiative, and the confidence to act.
• In May 1857, a massive rebellion challenged the English East India Company.
• From Meerut, sepoys mutinied, and people from many sections of society joined the revolt.
• The events of 1857 are often described as the largest armed resistance to colonialism in the nineteenth century.
  

From Meerut to Delhi

• On 8 April 1857, Mangal Pandey, a sepoy, was hanged for attacking his officers at Barrackpore.
• Soon after, sepoys in Meerut refused to use the new cartridges, suspected of being coated with cow and pig fat.
• On 9 May 1857, 85 sepoys were dismissed and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for disobedience; other soldiers in Meerut reacted strongly.
• On 10 May 1857, soldiers marched to Meerut Jail and freed the imprisoned sepoys.
• They attacked British officers, seized guns and ammunition, and set fire to British properties.
• The soldiers declared war on the British and sought to end their rule.
• They selected the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar as their leader.
• Riding through the night, they reached Delhi and spread the rebellion to regiments stationed there.
• British officers were killed, arms seized, and public buildings set on fire.
• The soldiers gathered around the Red Fort and demanded to meet Bahadur Shah Zafar.
• The emperor reluctantly accepted and became their symbolic leader.

• Bahadur Shah Zafar wrote to chiefs and rulers urging the formation of a confederacy against the British.
• Some smaller rulers and chieftains saw this as a chance to regain lost territories under Mughal suzerainty.
• The British did not anticipate the scale of the rebellion and thought the cartridge controversy would subside.
• The emperor's decision to support the rebels changed the situation and inspired many to act.

The Uprising Spreads

• After the British were driven out of Delhi, it took almost a week for news of the uprising to spread widely. Following this, mutinies and rebellions occurred in many regiments and important centres such as Delhi, Kanpur, and Lucknow.
• Towns and villages also rose, rallying behind local leaders, zamindars, and chiefs willing to challenge British authority.
• Nana Saheb expelled the British garrison from Kanpur and declared himself Peshwa under the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah Zafar.
• In Lucknow, Birjis Qadr, son of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, was proclaimed the new nawab; his mother, Begum Hazrat Mahal, played an active role in organising resistance.
• Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi joined rebel sepoys and fought against the British alongside Tantia Tope.
• Rani Avantibai Lodhi of Ramgarh led an army against the British in the Mandla region.
• The rebels outnumbered British forces in several engagements, creating the perception that British rule had collapsed.
• Ahmadullah Shah, a maulvi from Faizabad, rallied many followers with promises of ending British rule.
• Ghazis - religious warriors - gathered in Delhi; Bakht Khan from Bareilly emerged as an important military leader.
• Kunwar Singh, a zamindar from Bihar, joined the rebels and fought for many months.
• Leaders and fighters from many regions joined the uprising, showing the widespread nature of the revolt.

The Company Fights Back

• The Company responded with force, bringing reinforcements from England and enacting laws to facilitate the prosecution of rebels.
• Delhi was recaptured in September 1857; the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was tried and sentenced to exile and imprisonment.
• Bahadur Shah Zafar and his wife were sent to prison in Rangoon in October 1858; he died there in November 1862.
• The rebellion continued in many places even after Delhi's recapture, and British forces had to fight for nearly two years to suppress it.
• Lucknow was retaken in March 1858; Rani Lakshmibai and Rani Avantibai were defeated and killed in June 1858.

Company Fights Back

• Tantia Tope escaped to the forests of central India and waged guerrilla warfare with support from tribal and peasant leaders; he was captured, tried, and executed in April 1859.
• Desertions and the defeat of rebel centres weakened the uprising.
• The British tried to regain loyalty by rewarding cooperative landholders and assuring them of their traditional rights.
• Rebels who surrendered without having killed any British people were often promised safety and retention of land rights.
• Nonetheless, many sepoys, nawabs, and rajas were tried and hanged.

Aftermath

Some Important Centres of the Revolt in North India

In 1859 the British had largely re-established control but recognised the need to change policy.

• The British Parliament passed an Act in 1858, transferring authority from the East India Company to the British Crown to ensure more responsible governance. A Secretary of State for India and an India Council were appointed, and the Governor-General became the Viceroy, representing the Crown.
• Indian ruling chiefs were assured that their territories would not be annexed in future; they could pass their states to heirs, including adopted sons, but had to accept the British queen as Sovereign Paramount.
• The proportion of Indian soldiers in the army was reduced, and more European troops were posted. Recruitment focused more on groups such as the Gurkhas, Sikhs, and Pathans rather than from Awadh, Bihar, central and southern India.
• Muslims were often viewed with suspicion and some lost land and property because the British held them responsible for the rebellion.
• The British publicly pledged greater respect for Indian religious and social practices.
• Policies were adopted to protect landlords and zamindars and their rights over land.

These changes marked a new phase in Indian history after 1857.

Important Dates

• 1801: A subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh.
• 1849: Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar the royal family would be moved out of the Red Fort and given another residence in Delhi.
• 1856: Awadh was taken over by the British.
• 1856: Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal emperor; his descendants would be recognised only as princes.
• After 1850: Christian missionaries were allowed to operate freely and to own land and property.
• 1850: A law was passed that made conversion to Christianity easier.
• May 1857: The revolt began.
• 8 April 1857: Mangal Pandey was hanged for attacking officers at Barrackpore.
• 9 May 1857: 85 soldiers were dismissed and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for disobedience.
• 10 May 1857: Soldiers in Meerut marched to the jail and freed the imprisoned sepoys.
• September 1857: Delhi was recaptured by British forces.
• March 1858: Lucknow was taken by the British.
• June 1858: Rani Lakshmibai was killed.
• June 1858: Rani Avantibai was killed.
• 1858: The British Parliament passed an Act transferring the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown to ensure more responsible management of Indian affairs.