Later on Nana Sahib, with the help of Tantya Topi, recaptured Kanpur in November, 1857 but not for a long time and British defeated them once again in a fierce war from December 1 to 6, 1857. Causes of the Failure of the War of Independence. It was an extreme effort made by Indians, but they failed due to certain reasons including mutual jealousies, disunity, and lack of central leadership etc. 6. Q.3- The greased cartridges given to the Indian soldiers was made of what? THE REVOLT OF 1857 INTRODUCTION THE REVOLT OF 1857 INTRODUCTION INDIA IN 1857 One hundred years after the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the smouldering embers of resentment and anger against the unjust, exploitative and oppressive British government exploded into flames and shook the very foundation of the British rule in India. Col Carmichael Smith, commandant of the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry Regiment, had ordered 90 sepoys to assemble and use the disputed “greased cartridges”. The Company had upgraded to the new Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle, which used greased paper cartridges. Most of the European historians have pointed out that it was a revolt of Indian soldiers who were offended at the use of greased cartridges. My dear friend At this conjuncture I believe that the reasons for the Revolt of 1857 is indeed many, the prime and the most important one being the religious sentiments being hurt. The immediate cause of the Revolt was the issue of the _____ _____. Peasants were none too happy either, though—they joined the revolt to protest heavy land taxes imposed by the British. Causes of 1857 Revolt. Q.4- Who was the leader of the Revolt of 1857? It was too much of a disgrace and this incident sent a wave of indignation. This book is essentially about the heroes - Tatya Tope, Nana Saheb, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur - and not to forget, a few villains. This war was not spread throughout India but it was limited to few areas mainly Meerut, Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow etc. The Sepoys in the East India Company were first issued with the Enfield Pattern 1853 rifle-musket in 1857. After a long siege of four months, the British recovered Delhi in September 1857 A.D. Dry tinder-box was there and only Though the revolt was unsuccessful, the spirit of the people remained unshaken. This incident sparked off a general mutiny among the sepoys of Meerut. Both fought many successful battles against the British. Revolt of 1857 - Examine the reasons Question - Greased Cartridge Incident became a prime cause in the outbreak of the Revolt of 1857. Princely families joined the uprising due to changes to the inheritance law which made adopted children ineligible to assume the throne. Causes of 1857 Revolt The issue of greased cartridges and military grievances has been over-emphasized, as the factor for the Revolt of 1857. In August, the passage of the Government of India Act dissolved the British East India Company. The sepoy named Mangal Pandey attacked and killed his adjutant. This suppressed discontent bursted out with the use of greased cartridges in the Enfield Rifles. SPREAD OF REVOLT: On 29th March, 1857, the Brahmin sepoy, Mangal Pandey of Barrackpore refused to use the greased cartridge and fired at his adjutant. The Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was captured, his two sons and a grandson were shot dead before his eyes and he was sent to Rangoon where he died in the year 1862 A. D. At Kanpur the struggle for Independence was led by Nana Sahib Dondu Pant (The adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II). It was a source of inspiration for the national liberation movement, which later achieved what the revolt could not. On 9 May 1857,85 Indian soldiers in Meerut were dismissed and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for refusing to accept the greased cartridges. Religion also prompted some Indians to join the mutiny. II. The Revolt of 1857 eventually broke out over the incident of greased cartridges. Match the following: A: B: 1. It was too much of a disgrace and this incident sent a wave of indignation. The pretext for revolt was the introduction of the new Enfield rifle. To load it, the sepoys had to bite off the ends of lubricated cartridges. Eating cows, of course, is forbidden by Hinduism, while consumption of pork is forbidden by Islam. They refused to touch the greased cartridges. On 10th May 1857, the Indian soldiers at Meerut broke into open revolt. In order to regain Delhi, Sir John Lawrence sent a strong British force commanded by John Nicholson. A rumour spread among the sepoys that the grease used to lubricate the cartridges was a mixture of pigs’ and cows’ lard; thus, to have oral contact with it was an insult to both Muslims and Hindus. In addition, British officers and missionaries began to preach Christianity to the Hindu and Muslim sepoys. Fat of the hen b. By the time the rebellion was over, hundreds of thousands—possibly millions—of people had been killed, and India was changed forever. II. The struggle for independence at Lucknow was led by Nawab, Wajid Ali Shah. A Chowkeydar ran up to another village with two chupatties. The Revolt: Mangal Pandey. Series of local risings & civil disturbances was not a rare occurrence in British India . A fierce battle was fought between the British and the revolutionaries under Rani Laxmi Bai and Tantya Tope from June 11 to June 1 8, 1 858 A. D. But the personal velour of Rani and Tantya Tope could not match the resources at the command of the British. Diffusion of 1857 Revolt. The leader of the revolutionaries in Central India was Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi. Instead of relying heavily on Bengali troops from the Punjab, the British began to recruit soldiers from the "martial races"—those considered particularly warlike, including the Gurkhas and the Sikhs. It was admittedly a great and courageous effort by patriotic Indians to get rid of the foreign domination. 3) The Revolt of 1857 started as a mutiny of the sepoys. Fat of the dog c. Fat of the goat and the sheep d. Fat of cow and pig. The Revolt began at Meerut, ... On 24 April 1857, ninety men of the 3rd Native Cavalry refused to accept the greased cartridges. The sepoy named Mangal Pandey attacked and killed his adjutant. General Havelock captured Kanpur after defeating Nana Sahib in a hotly contested battle on June 17, 1857. The main event which became the immediate cause of the war was the refusal of the Sepoys to use the grease covered cartridges (greased with fat of pig and cow) on January 23, 1857. Before loading these rifles the sepoys had to bite off the paper on the cartridges. It began on 10 May 1857 at Meerut, as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army. This rebellion was a major anti-colonial movement against the aggressive imperialist policies of the British. Q.2- When did the Revolt of 1857 started? A rumour spread that the cartridges of the new Enfield rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. In May 1857, soldiers in the army of the British East India Company rose up against the British. 10th May 1857 : Ninety sepoys of 3rd Native Regiment at Meerut revolted on the issue of the greased cartridges. Political, social, economic, military and other factors contributed to the making of the Revolt of 1857. The Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was proclaimed Emperor of India. On 26 February 1857 the 19th Bengal Native Infantry(BNI) regiment became concerned that new cartridges they had been issued were wrapped in paper greased with cow and pig fat, which had to be opened by mouth thus affecting their religious sensibilities. Major Events of the revolt of 1857 2nd February 1857 – Revolt of the 19th foot regiment at Behrampur. They were stripped off their uniforms in the presence of the entire Indian crowd. Revolt of 1857. This news spread as fast as jungle fire. (d) Greased Cartridges. Their fellow Sepoys broke out an open rebellion on 10th May and shot their officer and … This provided the opportunity for circulating rumours that the paper was sealed with animal grease, either beef tallow or pork lard. 7. In January 1857,British introduced a new cartridge of en-field rifle greased with pig and cow fats, soldiers had to chew it before use. The Greased Cartridges supplied for new Enfield Rifels was the immediate cause for the Revolt of 1857. Q.4- Who was the leader of the Revolt of 1857? The grease was composed of fat taken from beef and pig. The East India Company forbade certain religious practices and traditions, including sati—the practice of killing widows on the death of their husbands—to the outrage of many Hindus. He died on April 27, 1858, leaving behind a glorious record of valour and bravery. Nana Sahib fled towards Nepal, where he probably died, while Tantya Tope migrated to Kalpi. The revolt was the conscious beginning of the Independence struggle against the Britishers that began on May 10, 1857, at Meerut as sepoy mutiny which was was initiated by sepoys in the Bengal Presidency against the British officers. The Indian army also saw huge changes after the revolt. The last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was blamed for the revolt (though he played little role in it). This sparked off a general mutiny among the Indian soldiers stationed at Meerut. This article deals with ‘ Revolt of 1857 – UPSC.’ This is part of our series on ‘Modern History’ which is important pillar of GS-1 syllabus . 4.06.74 c. 4.06.75 d. 4.06.72. At the same time, an Indian sepoy killed two British officers at Barrackpore, when he was forced to use greased cartridges. Nana Saheb (a) confiscation of Jagirs: 2. The roots of the 1857 revolt lay in Blatantly discriminatory policies, exploitative land revenue policy and the policy of greased cartridges. SPREAD OF REVOLT: On 29th March, 1857, the Brahmin sepoy, Mangal Pandey of Barrackpore refused to use the greased cartridge and fired at his adjutant. For more articles , you can click here. When the atmosphere was surcharged with an anti-British feeling the episode of the greased cartridges provided the spark which turned it into a conflagration. The company also tried to undermine the caste system, which seemed inherently unfair to post-Enlightenment British sensibilities. On the night of 10th May the mutineers marched to Delhi and reached there on 11th May. The Revolt began at Meerut, ... On 24 April 1857, ninety men of the 3rd Native Cavalry refused to accept the greased cartridges. But the Merrut incidence led to early breaking of the revolt on (a) May 10, 1857 (b) May 17, 1857 (c) May 21, 1857 (d) May 27, 1857. Q.2- When did the Revolt of 1857 started? This rebellion was a major anti-colonial movement against the aggressive imperialist policies of the British. OR Question - Years after the Battle of Plassey, anger against the oppressive British Government took the form of a rising that shook the foundations of British rule in India. The Indian soldiers were forced to work where their religious beliefs were antagonistic. Large landholders in northern India also rose up, since the British East India Company had confiscated land and redistributed it to the peasantry. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 is also called the Indian Mutiny, the Sepoy Mutiny, North India's First War of Independence or North India's first struggle for independence. 2) Prior to the outbreak of the Revolt, Bahadur Shah Zafar lived in Delhi as a pensioner of the British. The greased cartridges given to the Indian soldiers had to be bitten off before it was loaded into the rifle. The War of Independence is an important landmark in the history of Sub-Continent. On 10th May 1857, the Indian soldiers at Meerut broke into open revolt. Thus, out of the 90 sepoys, 85 troops refused to use them. Tantya Tope was betrayed by the Gwalior Chief Man Singh and fell into the hands of the British. He was subsequently hanged on April 18, 1859. In their opinion, the discontented sepoys were incited by the landlords and the deposed native princes and the people of India were not directly involved in this rebellion. The Greased Cartridge The Heroes and Villains of 1857-58. Diffusion of 1857 Revolt. The episode of greased cartridges, however, was a big enough issue to start the rebellion on its own. The revolt of 1857 began on religious note. 4) The immediate cause of the Revolt was the issue of greased cartridges. The course of the Revolt: The Sepoys brokeout into open revolt at Meerut in April 1857. When the atmosphere was surcharged with an anti-British feeling the episode of the greased cartridges provided the spark which turned it into a conflagration. a. On 9 May 1857,85 Indian soldiers in Meerut were dismissed and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for refusing to accept the greased cartridges. At the same time, an Indian sepoy killed two British officers at Barrackpore, when he was forced to use greased cartridges. A number of British fell into his hands and he showed great kindness to them. The issue of greased cartridges and military grievances has been over-emphasized, as the factor for the Revolt of 1857. Immediate causes for the Revolt of 1857 was the greased cartridges supplied for the new Enfield Rifles. 10th May 1857 : Ninety sepoys of 3rd Native Regiment at Meerut revolted on the issue of the greased cartridges. 29 March 1857 – The sepoys at Barrackpore refused to use the fat greased cartridges. Several months of increasing tensions coupled with various incidents preceded the actual rebellion. 2. When this news spread many sepoys started the revolt. The main causes of the War were political, social, economical, military and religious. (a) They are not allowed to go out of their states. It was called the Sepoy Mutiny by the British. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 is also called the Indian Mutiny, the Sepoy Mutiny, North India's First War of Independence or North India's first struggle for independence. Its cartridges had a greased cover which had to be bitten off before loading the cartridge in the rifle. I, on the other hand, have shown through several different sources that the greased cartridges were indeed the essential point in the Indian Mutiny of 1857, and therefore the main cause. THE REVOLT OF 1857. The Revolt of 1857 was sparked because of the use of greased cartridges. The Revolt of 1857 is also called the Indian Mutiny, the Sepoy Mutiny, India’s First War of Independence or India’s first struggle for independence, widespread but unsuccessful rebellion against British rule in India in 1857–59. THE REVOLT OF 1857. The Beginning :-29th March 1857 : First spark of revolt at Barrackpore in Bengal where Mangal Pandey killed the British adjutant and was later hanged for firing on senior officers. Q.3- The greased cartridges given to the Indian soldiers was made of what? After their trial and execution, entire garrison in Meerut revolted and raised the cry of Delhi … The Indian soldiers were introduced to the new Enfield Rifle for the first time. This seizure of power initiated a period of rule known as the British Raj. The Revolt of 1857 eventually broke out over the incident of greased cartridges. The revolt of 1857, which the British call the Indian Mutiny but many Indians prefer to think of as the First War of Independence, was the defining event in British imperial history. General Survey. I, on the other hand, have shown through several different sources that the greased cartridges were indeed the essential point in the Indian Mutiny of 1857, and therefore the main cause. This sparked off a general mutiny among the Indian soldiers stationed at Meerut. ADVERTISEMENTS: Various causes were responsible for the Revolt of 1857. The cartridges had to be bitten off by mouth before loading. Both Hindu and Muslim sepoys refused to use them. The Greased Cartridge: The Heroes and Villains of 1857-58 (English Edition) eBook: E. 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