The Revolt Of 1857_kot-sukhia_faridkot

S. Shingara Singh (S.S Master)

The Revolt of 1857 • The year 1857 hold a great importance in the history of India. In this year there was a major revolt in India which shook the very foundation of the Company”s rule in India and sealed its fate for ever.

Uprising of 1857

Political causes 1. Lord Dalhousie annexed Satara,Jhansi, Nagpur and many other states by the Doctrine of Lapse. 2. The annexation of Oudh by Lord Dolhousie threw thousand of nobles, gentlemen, officers and soldiers out of job.The British provided no alternative employment to them. 3. The administration was corrupt and ineffecient.

Social and Religious Causes • The English also began to interfere in the social life of the people: (1) The practice of Sati was abolished. Widow-remarriage was legalised. (2) The government taxed land belonging to temples and mosques of charitable istitutoins.(3) The Spread of western culture and education gave a blow to the honour and influence of the Pandits and Maulvis.

Economic Causes • The British exploited the economic resources of India and enriched themselves at the cost of the Indians. They carriad away India’s wealth to their country.(2) They subordinated the Indian economy to the interests of British trade and industry. (3) Only The English were appointed to the high posts and were given handsome salaries. The educated Indians were not given executive posts.

Millitary Causes 1. There were no fellow feelings between the English and Indian soldiers.Indian soldiers were considered inferior to the English soldiers .They had helped the English ,who establish their empire in India but were treated with contempt by their British officers.

Millitary Causes cntd. 1. The Indian sepoys were not given handsome salaries .No Indian could rise higher than a Subedar. 2. In 1856 General Service Enlistment act was passed under which every new recruit undertook to serve overseas . 3. The Bengal Army consisted mostly of soldiers from Oudh.The annexatioun of Oudh sent a wave of recentment among the people and inflame their feelings.

Immediate Causes • A new type of rifle was introduced in the Army greased cartridges were to be used in them.Before fitting them into the rifles,the soldiers had to bite the end of the cartridges with their teeth. A rumour spread that they were greased with the fat of the cow and the pig.Both the Hindu and the Muslim sepoys were enraged and they thought that the English Govt. wanted to defile their religions.The Indian soldiers believed that the time to strike had come.

Mangal Pandey

Main events of the Revolt The revolt started from Barrackpore in Bengal .A brahman sepoy named Mangal Pande ,refused to use the greased cartridges and killed two English officers .He was hanged. This resulted in a general uprising in Meerut ,Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow and Jhansi etc.

Main Centres of Revolt of 1857

Meerut • About 85 sepoys refused to use the greased cartridges and They were dismissed and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.Next morning their companions revolted ,killed the officeres attacked the jail and released the prisioners.

Delhi • The Meerut soldiers set fire to the bungalows of the English and set of for Delhi .The local Infantry joined them.They killed their officers and captured the city.Bahadur Shah was declared the Emoeror of India.Sikh soldiers from Punjab and ultimately succeeded in recapturing Delhi in Sept. 1857.Thousands of people and soldiers were put to death under the supervision of General Neil.

Delhi cntd. • Bahadur Shah was also caught and sentenced to the life imprisonment and deported to Rangoon where he died in 1862.His 2 sons were shot dead before his very eyes.

Bahadur Shah Zafar

Kanpur • At Kanpur,Nana Sahib ,the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao ,led the Revolt.He was a brave and determined general.

NANA SAHIB

Lucknow • The revolt at Lucknow was led by the Begum of Oudh .She organised an all-out attack on the British and beseiged the Sir Henry Lawrence and other English Men in the residency.Sir Henry Lawrence was shot dead.General Havlock came to rescue them but failed to do so and lost a large no. of soldiers.Atv last Sir collin campbell reached there with more reinforcements. He defeated the rebels and captured Lucknowin 1858.

Central India • The rebels in central India were led by a brave and patriotic lady Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi .She was joined by the valiant General Tantye Tope.She fought gallantly but Jhansi was captured by th English with the help of some traitors .The Rani fled towards Kalpi.The English general Sir Hugh Rose followed her.Both the Rani and Tantya topye then fell upon Gwalior and seized it from Scindia.

RANI IN THE BATTLE FIELD

Central India cntd. The Rani died fighting on the battle field . Tantya Tope fled away.He was caught ,tried and hanged.With their deaths the great rising of 1857 came to an dead.

Rani Laxmi Bai

Causes of the failure of Revolt 1857 1. The Revolt was not wide spread.It could not embrace the entire country and become an all India struggle.Sindh ,Rajputana ,Kashmir,East Beangal and the most of the Punjab did not take part in it. 2. The Revolt was a national movement but it lacked unity. 3. The Sikh ,Rajput and Gurkha battalions remained loyal and helped the British to suppress the Revolt. 4. The leaders of the Revolt were not good General.

Result of the Revolt 1. The Governce of the Company ended in India by an Act passed by the British Parliament in August 1858.The rule of India was transferred to the British crown and Parliament. 2. This act was also abolished the rule by British East India company through Board of directors and the Board of control.

Result of the Revolt cntd.

1. A minister in the British Cabinet was made responsible for the administration of India.He was known as the Secretary of state for India. 2. Last but not the least the Revolt of the 1857 was undoubtedly a great struggle of the Indian people for freedom from British imperialism.It aroused national feelings among the peoples.It served as a source of Inspiration in the later struggle for freedom and consequently India won freedom in 1947.

Special Thanks To: • Mrs. Swaranjit Kaur • Miss Kiranjeet Kaur