History & Civics
How did the introduction of Greased Cartridges become an immediate cause of the War of Independence in 1857.
Answer
The cartridges to be used for the Enfield rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. The loading process of the Enfield rifle involved bringing the cartridge to the mouth and biting off the top greased paper with the teeth. The cow is sacred for the Hindus and the Muslims consider pigs as unclean. The information about the greased cartridges spread like wild fire. The whole Bengal army was seized with panic. The soldiers refused to use these cartridges and staged an uprising when they were forced to use them.
Related Questions
Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow:
"The sepoys are now enjoined to display communal harmony and exhorted to pray to their respective gods…. They are now called sipah-i-Hindostan (the Army of India) and there are appeals now to fellow countrymen "ahl-i watan", dear compatriots "aziz ham-watan" with specific exhortations for a united rallying of Hindus and Muslims."
— The Dehli Urdu Akhbar (the first Urdu weekly newspaper), June 1857(a) What was the policy that the British followed to dispel 'the communal harmony'? Briefly explain how the British unwittingly led to the 'united rallying of Hindus and Muslims' by introducing the Enfield Rifle'
(b) How was the British army reorganised to avoid another uprising of this kind?
(c) How did the end of the East India Company's rule bring in grave economic perils in India?
Suppose the Uprising of 1857 had not taken place when it did. What would have happened then? Do you think India would still have gained Independence later. Why or why not?
Choose the options that were not a part of the Queen Victoria's Proclamation
P: All subjects of the Queen would be treated as equals.
Q: A general pardon to all those who were a part of the 1857 uprising.
R: Policy of non-intervention in social and religious matters.
S: Continue political expansion with the Doctrine of Lapse and Subsidiary Alliance.- P and Q
- Q and R
- R and S
- Q and S
(I) The British policy of territorial expansion and gradual annexation of the native Indian States was one of the major grievances of the Indian rulers.
(II) Some States were brought under British control without actually being annexed.
- (II) contradicts (I)
- (II) is the reason for (I)
- (I) is true but (II) is false
- (I) and (II) are independent of each other