Although the First War of Independence of 1857 failed, it had important consequences for India. In this context, answer the following questions:

(a) How did the uprising give rise to nationalism in India?

(b) How did the end of the East India Company's rule bring in grave economic perils in India?

(c) State how the British Government tried to pacify the feelings of Indians with regard to: (i) their religious practices (ii) the Princely States.

(a) The uprising of 1857 was the first struggle of the Indian people for freedom from British imperialism. It paved the way for the rise of the national movement. The sacrifices made by Rani Laxmi Bai, Nana Saheb and Mangal Pandey served as a source of inspiration for the future freedom fighters. The heroic struggle also established valuable traditions of resistance to the British rule.

(b) The uprising of 1857 ushered in the era of economic exploitation in the following manner-

1. India was turned into a typical colonial economy, exporting raw material and importing finished goods.
2. The salary and allowances of the Secretary of State and members of the India Council, the civil servants and military officers were a large drain on the country's resources.
3. Peasants were impoverished under the British rule. The indigo peasants of Bihar revolted on a large scale in 1866-68.
4. Rural artisan industries such as handicrafts, spinning and weaving collapsed.
5. Indians had to pay heavy interests and dividends on the British capital invested in India. The British invested their surplus capital in India in railways, plantations, coalmines, jute mills, shipping etc.

(c) The British Government tried to pacify the feelings of Indians in the following ways:

(i) Religious Practices:

1. The British rulers declared emphatically their policy of non-interference in the religious affairs, customs and traditions of the Indians.
2. Queen Victoria's Proclamation promised to follow a policy of non-intervention in social and religious matters of Indians.
3. The proclamation promised to treat all subjects- Indians and Europeans- as equals.

(ii) Princely States:

1. The Policy of Annexation and the Doctrine of Lapse were abandoned.
2. Some of the Indian princes had remained loyal to the British and had helped them in suppressing the uprising.
3. Their loyalty was rewarded with the announcement that their right to adopt heirs would be respected and the integrity of their territories guaranteed against future annexation.
4. In 1876, Queen Victoria assumed the title of the "Empress of India". The Indian princes willingly became junior partners or agents of the British Crown because they were promised that they would continue as rulers of their States.