Internal Assessment January - May Semester 2023

Q.1 Discuss the causes of the revolt of 1857 in detail?

INTRODUCTION
The revolt of 1857 forms one of the most important struggles of the Indian people for liberation
from the British rule. It shook the foundations of the British empire in India and at some points it
seemed as though the British rule would end for all time to come. The Indian Mutiny of 1857-59
was a widespread but unsuccessful rebellion against the rule of British East India Company in
India which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British crown.

It was the first expression of organised resistance against

the British East India Company It began as a revolt of the
sepoys of the British East India Company’s army but
eventually secured the participation of the masses. The
revolt is known by several names: the Sepoy Mutiny (by
the British Historians), the Indian Mutiny, the Great
Rebellion(by the Indian Historians), the Revolt of 1857, the
Indian Insurrection, and the First War of Independence (by
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar).

SEPOY MUTINY

CAUSES OF THE REVOLT

SOCIO-RELIGIOUS CAUSES

ELIMINATION OF SATI SUPPORT FOR WIDOW REMARRIAGE

 ● The British administration's attitude toward the native Indian population had racial
overtones and a superiority mentality.
● Indians viewed the activity of Christian missionaries in India who flew the British flag with
distrust.
● A considerable segment of the populace saw initiatives at socio-religious change, such
as the elimination of sati, support for widow-marriage, and women's education, as
outsiders interfering in the social and religious spheres of Indian culture.
● These fears were exacerbated by the government's decision to tax mosque and temple
lands and the passage of laws like the Religious Disabilities Act of 1856, which
altered Hindu customs by declaring, for example, that a change of religion did not
prevent a son from inheriting his 'heathen' father's property.

POLITICAL CAUSES

●The notable British technique called the Doctrine

of Lapse was first perpetrated by Lord Dalhousie
in the late 1840s. It involved the British prohibiting
a Hindu ruler without a natural heir from adopting a
successor and, after the ruler died or abdicated,
annexing his land. To those problems added the
growing discontent of the Brahmans, many of
whom had been dispossessed of their revenues or
had lost lucrative positions. Dalhousie seized the
principalities of Satara, Jaipur, Sambalpur, Bhagat,
Udaipur, Jhansi, and Nagpur using the Doctrine of
Lapse. The state was economically exploited, and
the Nawabs were reduced to administrative
positions, which Dalhousie used as a justification to unite it into the British Empire.

● The takeover of the East India Company resulted in a great deal of resentment and
disaffection among the displaced royal dynasties and their heirs. The foreign rule
disillusioned and disgruntled a huge number of dependents on the royal family who lost
their means of subsistence, as well as other common people. The Punjab was annexed
by Lord Dalhousie, further humiliating the ruling dynasty.

● India was ruled by a foreign nation, which meant that the rulers of India were
administering the country hundreds of miles away; this was another major political issue
that infuriated Indians against the British. The British, on the other hand, dominated
India from England and siphoned India's resources into their own nation. India's riches
were being used to benefit the English people in both England and India. As a result,
the Indians could not help but feel irritated by the Britishers, and as a result, they joined
the rebels in the Mutiny of 1857.

ECONOMIC CAUSES
 ● The East India Company's colonial practices shattered Indian society's conventional
economic foundation.
● Due to severe taxes, peasants were forced to take out loans from moneylenders/traders
at exorbitant interest rates, with the latter frequently evicting the former from their
property for non-payment of debt dues.
● While the issue of landless peasants and rural indebtedness has plagued Indian
society to this day, these moneylenders and businessmen emerged as the new
landlords.
● The zamindari system, which had been in place for a long time, had to be dismantled.
The artists and handicrafts people suffered during the British administration as well.
Furthermore, British policies discouraged Indian handicrafts while emphasizing
British items.
● The collapse of Indian industry and trade rendered many people unemployed, and a
lack of other occupational opportunities forced a huge portion of the urban population
to rely on the rural economy.

ADMINISTRATIVE CAUSES
● Corruption was rampant in the Company's administration, particularly among the police,
minor officials, and subordinate courts, which was a major source of dissatisfaction.
● Many historians believe that the current levels of corruption in India are a result of the
Company's control.
● Furthermore, the nature of British rule gave it a distant and alien appearance in the view
of Indians: a form of absentee sovereignty.

MILITARY CAUSES

● The Indian military was not given the status of professional Military, they were
just accorded the title of Peasants in Uniform.
● The policies that were followed by Lord Dalhousie and Lord Canning adversely
impacted the sentiments of sepoys of the Indian military.
● The Indian Military was largely discriminated against in terms of salaries,
pensions and promotions. Though Indians dominated the military, they faced
discrimination at every stage and their European Counterparts faced no
discrimination.
● The avenues for promotion were closed for Indian Sepoys, thus they could rise
only to the post of a subedar. The higher posts were reserved for the European
Counterparts.
● The introduction of Enfield rifles, which was seen as interference in the religious
affairs of the sepoys, acted as a spark for the outbreak of the Revolt of 1857.

Results of The Revolt

● End of company rule: the great uprising of 1857 was an important landmark in the history of
modern India .

The revolt marked the end of the East India Company’s rule in India.
● Direct rule of the British Crown:India now came under the direct rule of the British Crown.
● This was announced by Lord Canning at a Durbar in Allahabad in a proclamation
issued on 1 November 1858 in the name of the Queen.
● The Indian administration was taken over by Queen Victoria, which, in effect, meant
the British Parliament.
● The India office was created to handle the governance and the administration of the
country.
● Religious tolerance: it was promised and due attention was paid to the customs and traditions of
India.
● Administrative change: the Governor General’s office was replaced by that of the Viceroy.
● The rights of Indian rulers were recognised.
● The Doctrine of Lapse was abolished.
● The right to adopt sons as legal heirs was accepted.
● Military reorganisation: the ratio of British officers to Indian soldiers increased but the armoury
remained in the hands of the English. It was arranged to end the dominance of the Bengal
army.

Conclusion

The revolt of 1857 was an unprecedented event in the history of British rule in India. It united,
though in a limited way, many sections of Indian society for a common cause.Though the revolt
failed to achieve the desired goal, it sowed the seeds of Indian nationalism.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

● https://blogmedia.testbook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/revolt-of-1857political-
and-economic-causes-beccc1ca.pdf
● https://www.drishtiias.com/pdf/1604304423-revolt-of-1857.pdf
● https://testbook.com/ias-preparation/military-causes-of-revolt-of-1857
● UNIT4 - THE REVOLT OF 1857 - egyankosh