What were the causes and consequences of the War of Independence 1857–58?
3.1 The Causes of The Indian Revolt
- Long-term causes
- Political Causes
- Local leader’s lost authority
- Doctrine of Lapse
- Greedy Land Grabbers in case of Oudh
- 1856
- Mughal emperor and royal family mistreated
- Moved to Qutb Sahib from Red Fort of Delhi
- No place in civil service
- No say in their own country’s government
- English replaced Persian as official language in 1834
- Education in English
- 1835
- Religious and Social Causes
- British superior culture spreading
- British disrespect for native culture
- Comment of British general
- Indians considered inferior
- British were arrogant
- Technological advances, such as railways, not acceptable to many people
- Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism under threat from British Rule
- Forced Conversion
- British denied this aspect
- Christian Missionaries (those who travel to spread religion)
- Schools set up in India to preach Christianity
- Local people who worked for them were expected to follow Christian teachings
- Economic reasons
- British trade monopoly in India
- Indian industry and trade affected
- Removal of import tax on cotton products
- Indian cotton products became more expensive than British products
- Indian cotton and textile industry destroyed
- Drain of wealth concept
- Heavy taxation exploited poor people
- There were also corrupt tax thief
- British kept their salaries high in army
- Salaries of Sepoys and Sowrs was kept low
- These were mainly Indians
- Salaries of Sepoys and Sowrs was kept low
- British trade monopoly in India
- Military reasons
- Army officers were British
- The sowars and sepoys were Indian
- Resentment occurred
- Rumors of forced conversion to Christianity
- Hindus were not happy to leave mother India and fight abroad
- It was unacceptable to them
- When this happened in war in Afghanistan, this step was highly unpopular
- Indian observer said that all native army is dissatisfied with British government
- Army officers were British
- Political Causes
- Short-Term Causes
- The Rifle Issue
3.2 The Timeline of the War
- January 1857
- New Rifle introduced
- Paper cartridge
- Grease to keep try
- RUMORED
- Grease made from cow and pig fat
- Cow sacred for Hindus
- Pig Unclean for Muslims
- Both angered
- Refusal to use by Indian soldiers
- March 1857
- Mangal Pandey defied his officers
- Was executed
· May 1857
- Meerut sepoys refused to use rifles
- Were court-martialed and imprisoned
- Their fellow soldiers saved them
- Meerut was sacked
- Taken over by Indian soldiers
- British officers and any other european in the area was killed
- Delhi taken over by Indian soldiers
- Bahadur Shah II received support from both Hindus and Muslims
· Mathura, Kanpur, Jhansi and Allahabad, Delhi taken from British
- Lucknow also fell and the current entire Uttar Pradesh went out of British control
· Cawnpore massacre
- Indian troops under Nana Sahib
- Trapped British for 3 weeks
- Promised British safe passage
- However, turned back on their promise
- 300 women and children, along with British troops were killed
- British took even more severe revenge later
· September 1857
- Delhi taken back by Brtish
- Mirza Mughal, Mirza Sultan and Mirza Abu Bakr brutally killed by British
- Bahadur Shah II surrendered peacefully
- Was presented the heads of his sons as a lesson
- Lucknow taken back
· June 1858
- Lakhshmi Bai
- Lost her land due to doctrine of lapse after her father died
- Rani of Jhansi
- Assisted by Tatya Topee
- Indian General with great abilities
- Rani was killed in June 1858 while fighting dressed as a man
- Tatya Topee also killed later
· August 1858
- War officially declared at an end
1.3 Reasons for Indian Defeat In the War of Independence
· Indian weaknesses
- Lack of Unity
- No central leader
- Dispersed leadership
- No coordination
- Bahadur Shah II only had smalls cale support
- British had appointed soldiers from different areas into different areas
- Locals did not support soldiers from other areas appointed in their place when there was uprising
- Hindus and Sikhs and many princes did not wnat Muslims to rule them again the form of Mughal Empire coming back
- So they did not support much
- Some princes supported British instead
- Ruler of Jammu and Kashmir
- Indian army was weak and outnumbered at certain places
- Did not have the money to support long war
- More like an act of anger, with time their strength broke
- Everyone was fighting for their own reasons
- Rani of Jhansi for her land
- Bahadur Shah II for Mughal empire
- No central leader
· British Strengths
- British had money to support warfare
- They had modern weapons and well-disciplined army
- Had faster means of communication
- Indian people who were satisfied with the government did not support the war
- Divide and rule policy
- Made many Indians fight amongst themselves
- Had the strong belief that they would win no matter what
- They had their focus on becoming even stronger in India
- They saw it as a revolt and it was a matter of their pride for them to crush rebellion
1.4 The Proclamation of 1858
- Made by British
- Allahabad in 1858
- British will not interfere in religious beliefs
- Ancient property rights and customs will be respected
- Doctrine of Lapse abolished
- All treaty obligations followed
- No further territories will be grabbed
- Princely states will be allowed to rule themselves
- Right to appointment in Public Service for Indians
- Did not follow most promises
- Instead, took severe revenge in many cases
- For example in Cawnpore
- Revolting sepoys were BLOWN OFF using canons
1.5 The Aftermath of the War
· EAC abolished after the war
- British took complete control of India
- Secretary of State appointed in British Cabinet for Indian affairs
- Direct authority under Viceroy (Governor-General was changed to Viceroy)
- Indian Civil Service (ICS)
- More than 1000 members to help administer
- By 1870
- Only one Indian in ICS
- Loyal princes were allowed to stay on throne
- NO REAL POWER
- Bahadur Shah II tried and found guilty
- Was exiled to Burma (Rangoon)
- Nowadays Myanmar
- Queen Victoria officially became the Empress of India
· The Muslim consequences
- British blamed Muslims major for War of Independence due to Bahadur Shah II involvement
- Pathans and Gurkhas preferred in army
- Untrustworthy Muslim areas, like Oudh, no longer allowed to join army
- Muslim education funding withdrawn
- Muslim literacy declines
- Hindus took benefit by adopting British cultures, customs and learning English
- Their education improved
- Had most of the government employment
- Had english type schools
- Muslims also prevented to gain public office by British
- To avoid another uprising
· Nationalism
o Issues
- January 1877
- Victoria became Empress of India formally
- Indians did not have proper representation in the running of their own country.
- Viceroy was in Calcutta
- His executive council was also in calcutta
- Secretary of State was in Britain
- How can they know real Indian issues and help Indians?
- Indian civil service did not have more than 1 indian even in 1870
- British aims preferred over Indian needs
- Indians felt strangers and slaves in their own country
- British to Indian soldier ratio in the army was increased from 1 ratio 5 to 1:2
- Previously, for every 5 Indian soldiers in the army, there was 1 British
- Now there was 1 British for every 2 Indians
- Recruitment from less trustworthy areas stopped like Oudh
- So if there is another uprising it will not be as effective
- Viceroy Lord Lytton
- Ended import duties on British cotton goods completely
- British goods cheaper than Indian cotton goods
- Indian cotton industry destroyed
o The Nationalism
- Bhikhaiji Rustom Cama
- International Socialist Conference in Germany
- 1907
- Spoke against british Tyrannies in India
- MORE OPPRESSION
- Vernacular Act 1878
- Strict control over newspapers, especially in regional languages
- These newspapers criticized British
- Arms Act 1878
- Made it difficult to own weapons for many Indians
- If another uprising, it would not be as effective as 1857 because less weapons with Indians
- All British Actions after 1857 were oppressive and to save themselves from another uprising
- Society for Promotion of National feeling
- Rajinarayan Bose
- 1866
- Hindu Mela
- Every year
- Started in Bengal
- Sarvajanik Sabha in 1870
- Many other such political groups
- Indian National Congress
- Started in 1885
- Most important one (after that one main other is Muslim League)
- Vernacular Act 1878
Lesson Tags
Religious Reformers | Shah Wali Ullah | Haji Shariat Ullah | Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi | Complete and Detailed Notes For Revision | O Level Pakistan Studies 2059/01 and IGCSE Pakistan Studies 0448/01 | The History and Culture of Pakistan
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