67 A1 1857 Revolt 19 Mar
1 The immediate factor was connected with exploitation of the beliefs of Hindus and Muslims.
2.The introduction of the ‘Enfield Rifle’ was the immediate cause of the Revolt 1857
4.The cartridge was made up of pork and beef.
5.For Hindus, beef was considered impure because they worshiped the sacred animal cow.
6.On the other hand, Muslims considered pork as impure
7.On 29th March, Mangal Pandey a sepoy at Barrackpore denied the use of cartridges and was hanged to death.
8.The other 85 soldiers on 9th May also refused the use of cartridges and were sentenced to 10 years jail which led to other sepoys' rise in revolt.
9.The revolt spread to different parts of India beginning from Delhi, Jhansi, Kanpur, Bareilly, Lucknow, Awadh, Bihar, Assam, Punjab etc. Thus, began the Revolt of 1857.
10 According to Savarkar it was considered as the ‘First War of Indian Independence
1.Use of greased cartridges in the army was the immediate cause.
2. They were coated with the fat of pig and cow and offended the religious sensibilities of the sepoys.
Qts 6 How did other Indian soldiers in Meerut participate in the revolt of 1857?
1. On 10 May, the soldiers marched to the jail in Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys.
2. They attacked and killed British officers.
3.They captured guns and ammunition and set fire to the buildings and properties of the British and declared war on the firangis
1.Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognize her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband.
2. But the British turned down her plea.
Qts 9. Name some new leaders that came to the forefront during the revolt of 1857.
1. Laws were passed to stop the practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage of widows.
2.English-language education was actively promoted.
3.After 1830, the Company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and property.
4.In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier.
5. Many Indians began to feel that the British were des
Qts 11. How did British plan to bring Mughal dynasty to an end?
1.The name of the Mughal king was removed from the coins minted by the Company.
2.In 1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place in Delhi to reside in.
3.In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king and after his death none of his descendants would be recognized as kings – they would just be called princes.
Qts 12 What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families?
1. The people of the towns and villages also rose up in rebellion and rallied around local leaders, zamindars and chiefs who were prepared to establish their authority and fight the British.
2. Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao, gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the city.
3. In Lucknow, Birjis Qadr, the son of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, was proclaimed the new Nawab. He too acknowledged the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah Zafar.
4. In Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British along with Tantia Tope, the general of Nana Saheb.
Qts 13 Why did the Indian soldiers get angry at the British?
1. Those were the days many people in the country believed that if they crossed the sea they would lose their religion and caste.
2. In 1824 the sepoys were told to go to Burma by the sea route to fight for the Company, they refused to follow the order, though they agreed to go by the land route.
3. They were severely punished, and
4. In 1856 the Company passed a new law which stated that every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to agree to serve overseas if required.
Qts 14 How did the Company suppress the revolt?
1.The Company decided to repress the revolt with all its might.
2.It brought reinforcements from England, passed new laws so that the rebels could be convicted with ease, and then moved into the storm centres of the revolt.
3.Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces in September 1857.
4.Lucknow was taken in March 1858.
5. Rani Lakshmibai was defeated and killed in June 1858.
6. Tantia Tope was captured, tried and killed in April 1859.
Qts 15 How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?
1.Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces in September 1857.
2. The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment.
3. His sons were shot dead before his eyes.
4. He and his wife Begum Zinat Mahal were sent to prison in Rangoon in October 1858.
5. Bahadur Shah Zafar died in the Rangoon jail in November 1862.
Qts16 What were the main provisions of the Act of 1858?
1.Powers of the East India Company were transferred to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.
2.A member of the British Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India and made responsible for all matters related to the governance of India.
3. The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy, that is, a personal representative of the Crown.
Qts 17 In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of 1857?
1. The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.
2. All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in future. They were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge the British Queen as their Sovereign Paramount.
3. It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced and the number of European soldiers would be increased. It was also decided that instead of recruiting soldiers from Awadh, Bihar, central India and south India, more soldiers would be recruited from among the Gurkhas, Sikhs and Pathans.
4. The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicion and hostility. The British believed that they were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.
5. The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in India.
6. Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over their lands.
Section B
Qts 1. Who was the last Peshwa?
Peshwa Baji Rao II
Qts 2. Who led the revolt in Kanpur?
Nana Saheb
Qts 3. Who was the mother of Birjis Qadr?
Begum Hazrat Mahal
Qts 4. Who was the leader of the mutiny as proclaimed by the sepoys?
Bahadur Shah Zafar
Qts 5. Who was the son of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah?
Birjis Qadr was the son of the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
Qts 6 Name the country where the Indian Sepoys were asked to go through the sea route.
Burma
Qts 7. Under what pretext did the British annex Awadh?
In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh, and in 1856 it was taken over.
Qts 8. When was Mangal Pandey hanged to death and why?
On 29 March 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey, was hanged to death for attacking his officers in Barrackpore.
Qts 9. What was the first step taken by the company towards ending the Mughal dynasty?
The name of the Mughal king was removed from the coins minted by the Company.
Qtts 10 What rumour spread among the sepoys of the Meerut regiment about the new cartridges?
The rumour spread that the new cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs.
Qts 11 Who took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi?
Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi.
Qts 12 What is mutiny?
When soldiers as a group disobey their officers in the army then it is called mutiny.
Qts 13 What was Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah’s prophecy?
Ahmadullah Shah, a maulvi from Faizabad, prophesied that the rule of the British would come to an end soon.
Qts 14 Who was the Begum Hazrat Mahal? What was her role in the 1857 rebellion?
Begum Hazrat Mahal was the mother of Birjis Qadr. She took an active part in organising the uprising against the British.
Qts 15 What is Bakht Khan?
Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi. He became a key military leader of the rebellion.
Qts 16 Who declared himself as a governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar?
Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao declared that he was a governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Qts17 Which Governor-General decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king?
In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king.
Qts 18 Name the zamindar of Bihar, who joined the rebel sepoys and battled with the British.
In Bihar, an old zamindar, Kunwar Singh, joined the rebel sepoys and battled with the British for many months.
Qts 19 What did the Bahadur Shah Jafar do after he was declared the leader of the rebel?
He wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of the country to come forward and organise a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British.
Qts 20 What was the plea of Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II ?
Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded that he be given his father’s pension when the latter died.
Qts 21 What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?
The sepoys objected that the new cartridges they were asked to use were suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs.
Part II
- Lack of central organisation
- Lack of Common Strategy
- Native Indian kings not supported
- English educated Urban Indians not Supported
- South India was away from revolt.
- British had better equipment