The Great Uprising of 1857

Read the two statements given below about the Great Uprising of 1857. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between (A) and (R).

Assertion (A): There was constant drain of wealth from India to Britain.

Reason (R): An Indian soldier called Sepoy could not rise above the post of a Subedar.

1. (R) contradicts (A)
2. (R) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (R) is false
4. (A) and (R) are independent of each other

Answer

(A) and (R) are independent of each other

Explanation — The drain of wealth from India to Britain was primarily an economic issue, while the limitations on Sepoy rank were related to social and military structure. Hence, the given statements are independent of each other.

Identify the main results of the Great Uprising of 1857.

P: Continuation of Sati system.

Q: Discouragement of English education among Indians.

R: End of the East India Company.

S: Abolition of Doctrine of Lapse.

1. P and Q
2. R and S
3. P and R
4. Q and S

Answer

R and S

Vineeta is preparing a project on the "Importance of Lucknow in the Great uprising of 1857". Which of the following rulers she is MOST LIKELY to highlight?

1. Kunwar Singh
2. Mangal Pandey
3. Bahadur Shah Zafar
4. Begum Hazrat Mahal

Answer

Begum Hazrat Mahal

Identify the ODD ONE out of the following main causes of the Great uprising of 1857.

1. Vernacular Press Act
2. Constant drain of wealth from India to Britain
3. Doctrine of Lapse
4. Introduction of a new rifle "Enfield" for the Sepoys

Answer

Vernacular Press Act

Which of the following events is being depicted in the below picture?

1. Santhal Revolt
2. Sepoy Mutiny
3. Fishermen Mutiny
4. Peasants Revolt

Answer

Sepoy Mutiny

Consider the statements given below and choose the correct answer.

Statement I: The introduction of western education was also viewed as an attack on the Indian social and religious customs.

Statement II: India's wealth was used to expand British trade and maintain their huge administrative staff in India.

1. Statement (I) is correct and statement (II) is incorrect.
2. Statement (I) is incorrect and statement (II) is correct.
3. Both statements (I) and (II) are incorrect.
4. Both statements (I) and (II) are correct.

Answer

Both statements (I) and (II) are correct.

Which among the following statements is incorrect?

1. Mangal Panday, a Sepoy at Barrackpore, refused to bite the cartridges.
2. Historians have held same views about the nature of the outbreak of 1857.
3. During the uprising, the British soldiers were well equipped with modern weapons than the Indian soldiers who fought with outdated weapons.
4. After the Revolt of 1857, the British started following the policy of 'divide and rule' to minimise the threat of any future rebellion.

Answer

Historians have held same views about the nature of the outbreak of 1857.

Identify the ruler on the basis of given clues.

• He was the last Mughal emperor.
• He was imprisoned and exiled to Rangoon where he died in 1862.

1. Ahmad Shah Abdali
2. Murshid Quli Khan
3. Bahadur Shah Zafar
4. Alivardi Khan

Answer

Bahadur Shah Zafar

The East India Company passed the General Service Enlistment Act in 1856 which made it compulsory for

1. all new recruits to serve overseas if required.
2. all new recruits to work till the age of 50 years.
3. all new recruits to work till the age of 35 years.
4. all new recruits to work for Bengal Royal Army for the period of at least five years.

Answer

all new recruits to serve overseas if required.

Match the following columns :

Select an appropriate option:

1. (i) B, (ii) D, (iii) A, (iv) C
2. (i) C, (ii) D, (iii) B, (iv) A
3. (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) D, (iv) C
4. (i) C, (ii) A, (iii) D, (iv) B

Answer

(i) C, (ii) A, (iii) D, (iv) B

Fill in the blanks.

1. By his policy of Doctrine of Lapse ............... annexed ............... and ............... .

2. In Lucknow ............... led the revolt.

3. The rebels proclaimed ............... as the emperor of India.

4. The General Service Enlistment Act was passed in ............... .

Answer

1. Lord Dalhousie, Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur

2. Begum Hazrat Mahal

3. Bahadur Shah Zafar

4. 1856

Match Column A with Column B.

Answer

State whether the following statements are True or False.

1. Awadh was annexed on the ground of maladministration.

2. The British supported Sati.

3. The Indian soldiers were paid much less as compared to their British counterparts.

4. The Revolt of 1857 did not involve the masses.

Answer

1. True

2. False
   Correct Statement — The British didn't support Sati.

3. True

4. False
   Correct Statement — The Revolt of 1857 involved the masses.

How were the economic policies of the British responsible for the Revolt of 1857?

Answer

The economic policies of the British were responsible for the Revolt of 1857 in the following ways:

1. The new land revenue system allowed the government to confiscate land and collect revenue in cash, exploiting peasants and leading to famines due to the control of moneylenders and zamindars.
2. The Industrial Revolution flooded markets with machine-made goods, causing the decline of Indian industries and loss of livelihood for artisans and weavers.
3. Annexation of Indian states replaced local administrations with British control, causing unemployment among court officials and the confiscation of jagirs, leading to resentment.
4. Wealth was constantly drained from India to Britain, used to expand British trade and maintain their administrative staff in India.
5. Under Bentinck and Dalhousie, thousands of jagirs were confiscated, causing discontent among loyal zamindars and taluqdars.

Discuss the social and religious causes responsible for the Revolt of 1857.

Answer

The social and religious causes responsible for the Revolt of 1857 are given below:

1. The British advocated many reforms such as abolition of Sati, female infanticide, child marriage, widow remarriage. This caused discontent all over. These reforms were interpreted by Indians as an interference in their religious and social customs. At the same time the work of Christian missionaries created fear and suspicion.
2. The introduction of western education was also viewed as an attack on the Indian social and religious customs.
3. Added to all this, was the policy of racial discrimination. The Indians were treated with contempt by the British and were subject to humiliation in all walks of life.

Why do you think the Revolt of 1857 failed? Discuss any four causes for its failure.

Answer

The Revolt of 1857 failed due to the following reasons:

1. Though it was widespread, it failed to involve a large section of the population and different areas of the country. It could not take the shape of an all-India struggle.
2. Important rulers like Sindhia, Holkar, Nizam of Hyderabad, Raja of Jodhpur, etc. did not join the revolt. Instead, they supported the British. Many soldiers remained loyal to the British (Sikh, Rajput, Gurkha battalions). A large number of zamindars supported the British rule to suppress the revolt.
3. The British soldiers were well equipped with modern weapons while the Indian soldiers fought with outdated weapons.
4. The revolutionaries did not have enough resources for their struggle. The British were financially and militarily stronger.

Discuss the nature of the Uprising of 1857.

Answer

The Great Uprising of 1857 has been viewed in various ways by historians.

1. British historians have painted it as 'a mutiny' confined to the army which did not command the support of the people at large.
2. Some historians described it as a 'religious war against the Christians' or 'a racial struggle for supremacy between the Black and the White.'
3. Still others described it as 'a struggle between Oriental and Occidental civilisation and culture'.
4. A few historians described it as the result of 'Hindu-Muslim conspiracy to overthrow the British rule'.
5. Some Indian nationalists have called it a well-planned national struggle and as 'the First War of Indian Independence.'

Give reasons:
State of Awadh was annexed by the British.

Answer

The state of Awadh was annexed by Lord Dalhousie on the pretext of maladministration.

Give reasons:
Indian artisans, weavers and craftsmen lost their means of livelihood.

Answer

With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, markets were flooded with machine-made goods. Indian industries could not compete with them and declined, due to which the artisans, weavers and craftsmen lost their means of livelihood.

Give reasons:
The Indian sepoys refused to bite the cartridges of the Enfield rifle.

Answer

It was rumoured that the cartridges of the Enfield rifle were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. The cow was the holy animal of Hindus and the pig was considered taboo for the Muslims. The sepoys felt that the British were doing this to defile their religions, and they refused to bite off the cartridges.

1. Name the Indian soldier who fired on the British officers at Barrackpore.

2. How far were the greased cartridges responsible for the Revolt?

3. Give your opinion as to how the Revolt would have been successful.

Answer

1. The Indian soldier who fired on the British officers at Barrackpore is Mangal Pandey.

2. The greased cartridges were a significant immediate cause of the 1857 revolt, but they were not the sole factor responsible for the uprising. The rumor that the cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs deeply offended both Hindus and Muslims, as it violated their religious beliefs. This sparked a violent reaction among the sepoys (Indian soldiers) when they were asked to use them. However, the greased cartridges were just the tipping point, as underlying grievances such as economic exploitation, social reforms, political annexations (like the Doctrine of Lapse), and military discontent had been building up for years. While the cartridges triggered the revolt, the widespread discontent with British rule, coupled with long-standing injustices, ultimately led to the outbreak of the rebellion.

3. The 1857 Revolt could have been more successful if several factors had been different:

   1. Unified Leadership: A common leadership and coordinated military strategy could have strengthened the revolt. The lack of central leadership, with leaders like Bahadur Shah Zafar, Rani Lakshmibai, and Nana Saheb acting independently, weakened the movement.
   2. Broader Support: If more Indian rulers and social groups (peasants, artisans) had joined the revolt, it could have gained the necessary political legitimacy and resources.
   3. Better Military Resources: The British had superior weaponry and organization. If the rebels had better arms or captured British arsenals, they might have held their ground longer.
   4. Effective Communication: A clearer strategy and better communication would have helped unify efforts and make the revolt more organized, rather than scattered and disjointed.

In short, with unified leadership, broader support, and better military resources, the 1857 Revolt could have posed a greater challenge to British rule.

Assertion (A): The Uprising of 1857 failed in India.

Reason (R): Rulers like Sindhia, Holkar, Raja of Jodhpur did not join the revolt. Instead, they supported the British.

1. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
2. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
3. Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
4. Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

Answer

Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Explanation — The failure of the revolt was partly due to the lack of support from influential Indian rulers like the rulers of Sindhia, Holkar, and the Raja of Jodhpur. Their support for the British helped the colonial forces maintain control, contributing to the failure of the revolt.

Assertion (A): The Queen's Proclamation was issued in 1858.

Reason (R): The British did not start the policy of 'divide and rule' to minimise the threat of any future revolt.

1. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
2. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
3. Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
4. Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

Answer

Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.

Explanation — The British adopted the policy of 'divide and rule' after the 1857 revolt to minimize the threat of future uprisings. This policy involved fostering divisions between different Indian communities, such as Hindus and Muslims, and between various regional powers, in order to prevent a united resistance against British rule. This strategy was implemented more overtly after the revolt.