THE REVOLT OF 1857

“The Sepoy Mutiny”

THE GREAT REVOLT

THE FIRST WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

Political map of India before the Revolt of 1857

Causes of the Revolt of 1857

PoliticalEconomicMilitarySocial Administrative

POLITICAL CAUSES Lord Dalhousie’s policy of annexation and the Doctrine of Lapse had made the Indian rulers angry and insecure. The Rani of Jhansi, Laxmibai , was not allowed to adopt a son.

The Muslim feelings had been badly hurt when after the death of Bahadur Shah II, Lord Canning took away regal titles and Moghul palaces.

ECONOMIC CAUSESThe British had drained India of

all her wealth and natural resources by selfish economic policies.

Farmers were forced to grow cash crops. There was

severe food shortage and famine.

The handloom industry had been destroyed.

Weavers lost their jobs.

SOCIAL CAUSESThe practice of sati was abolished. Widow remarriage was encouraged. Child marriage, was not allowed. Interference of British in Indian social customs.

Common people did not appreciate changes in social customs, westernization brought about by the British.

RELIGIOUS CAUSESHindus and Muslims were forced to convert to Christianity.

ADMINISTRATIVE CAUSES

. High posts and handsome salaries were given to the British. This caused frustration amongst Indians.

MILITARY CAUSESImmense discrimination between the British and the Indians.

The Indian sepoys were deprived of high salaries and promotions. The highest post for an Indian was that of the Subedar.

Mangal PandeyOn March 29, 1857, on the parade ground at Barrackpore, a sepoy named Mangal Pandey fired the first shot of the uprising.

THE OUTBURSTOn 9th May 1857 some sepoys

in Meerut revolted against their British officers.Their Crime: These troopers

had refused to load their rifles with the new cartridges.

Immediate Cause

A rumour had spread that the new cartridge, to be loaded, in the Enfield rifle was greased with the fat of cow and pig.

HINDUS COW WAS SACRED

MUSLIMS PIG MEAT WAS FOBIDDEN BY QURAN

The sepoys marched to Delhi and declared BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR, the last Mughal ruler as

the emperor of India.

Important Centres Of The Revolt

MeerutDelhiOudhKanpur Jhansi Gwalior Many of the common people,

like the peasants and the artisans joined the revolt.

Leaders like Rani Lakshmi Bai ,Tantia Tope and Nana

Saheb also joined the fight.

OUTCOME The revolt was completely

suppressed and crushed by July 1858.

Bahadur Shah Zafar surrendered to the British

CAUSES OF FAILURE OF THE REVOLT

Localized Poorly organized.British had better resources than

the rebels. Feudal in character.Leaders lacked military skills.No unity. The native princes did not join

the revolt.

MAJOR IMPACT OF THE REVOLT

… the revolt was the first effort towards freedom and

independence.People from different parts of India

fought together against a common enemy

-the British…the British just considered it to be a mere military revolt.

IMPACT OF THE REVOLT The control

of Indian administration was transferred from the East India Company to the crown by the Government Of India Act 1858. Queen Victoria became the Empress of India.