Revolt of 1857
In1600 AD Akbar was ruling the India, then during his reign British
Company came to India for business but later they started to rule the
India. Indian people were not aware that they are going to be the
slave of the Britishers. They started to occupy many parts of India
and Indians latterly felt that they want independence from Britishers.
Indians try many ways to get free and some causes behind the
independence of India are as follows which let to the first war of
Independence held -
Causes –
1- Military cause –
Britishers while ruling the India was also giving jobs to Indian
people and one of them was of the Army. There were two
Groups of Army, one was European Army and second was
Indian Army.
Overseas posting -To protect British Army, Britishers started
to send Indian army to overseas country. And some Hindu
people don’t want to cross the sea for the job as they do not
want to leave their family.
Discrimination in salary - There was a big difference in the
salaries of the Britisher soldier and Indian Soldier which was
of the same rank. Example, British soldier will get rupees
10000 and on the other hand, with the same post Indian
soldier get rupees 1000 for the job. This also led a problem
for British Empire.
No promotion of Indian soldier after Subedar- Indian soldier
was not promoted after they reach subedar level while
British soldier can reach more up to subedar level. This also
led a violation.
Double Batta was not given to Indian Soldiers-Double Batta
was a special agreement to those Soldiers who participates
in war. In Double Batta, the soldiers were given some special
prize, extra money, money allowance and many more such
things. But this Double Batta was only for the British Soldiers
not for Indian Soldiers. Indian people think’s that Indians
were also going to war then why they were not getting
credited with Double Batta. This also led a conflict.
2- Political Cause –
Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by Lord Dalhousie in
1848.Doctrine of Lapse was an act which states that if the
last ruler of the particular empire has a adopted son, then
after the death of king all his empire, all his administration,
all his money and wealth will be taken by British Empire and
that adopted son will get pension monthly. This was not
accepted by some of the rulers.
Pension was stopped to Nana sahib - Nana Sahib was the
adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao, Nana Sahib was getting his
pension monthly but after some time Britishers stopped
giving pension to Nana Sahib and Nana Sahib revolts against
them.
Awadh was annexed due to fake reason- In 1856, Awadh was
in the control of Begum Hazrat Mahal. As she was a female
ruler, Britihers want to conquer Awadh to extend their
territory and in 1856, Britishers take control over Awadh by
giving the reason that the administration is very weak.
The Policy of Subsidiary Alliance.
Area Captured Doctrine of Lapse act were Satara, Jhansi,
Nagpur, Sambhalpur.
3- Economic Cause –
Increase in high Taxes in each administration- From 1855,
Taxes were increasing day by day. And by the end of the
1856, the Taxes were on its peak. Britishers divided taxes in
India into three categories- Zamindari,(zamindari system was
adopted on 1798 in Bengal first. And Zamindari system is
also known as Permanent Settlement of Bengal). Second was
Ryotwari and third was Mahalwari (In Mahalwari system,
whole village has to give Tax together). And the increase in
the Taxes led these three taxes collecting administration to
face a problem because due to high tax Indian people were
taking some actions.
High tax on Indian Product and low tax on British Product-
Britishers were taking high tax on the Indian products. As the
British products were facing low tax. This was a
discrimination that Britishers were offering less tax to their
own products and high tax on the Indian products. This also
led a conflict.
Decreasing in the Jobs(unemployment) - Before 1848,
Britishers were giving raw material to Indian people and
Indians were manufacturing the raw material to final
product. Then Britishers give gold in the form of money to
buy the final product. Then a complain was registered in the
Queen office, London. Then Queen order them to not give
Gold to India, instead they can take raw material from
Indians and give final product to Indians so that Britishers
can take more and more gold. But this led in decrease in
Jobs for Indians as Indian people were doing a job of
converting raw material to Final product. This also led a
conflict.
4- Socio Religious cause –
Interfering Hindu religion by passing acts which harm Hindu
Culture - Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Lord Willian Bentick were
the main person who banned the Sati System by passing a
Anti Sati Act in 1829. As in Sati system, the widow is burned
after her husband death. And Lord Dalhousie later passed an
act named Widow remarriage act in 1856 so that widow can
marriage and live their life happily. But this was not
accepted by some of the Hindus, they think that Christians
were interfering in the Hindus religion. This also led a
conflict.
Racial Discrimination - Britishers were discriminating people
on the basis of their color, look, etc.
Conversion into Christianity - Britishers were converting
people to their religion by giving them money.
5- Religious Cause – Britishers introduced new type of gun which
uses cartridges made up of Pig and Cow fat (rumored). This
rumor led many Hindu and Muslims to question Britishers as
Cow is sacred for Hindus and Pig is forbidden in Muslim
religion. The soldiers had to open cartridges with the help of
their mouth so many of the people protested against the
Britishers.
6- Elite Muslims –
Muslims were ruling before Britishers so they don’t want to
work under them.
Persian language was replaced by English as an Official
Language.
Important – As South India was not suffering from such problems. As
they were busy in trading with Britishers at the seashores to gain
jobs and money. The whole revolt was fought in the north-east India.
Mangal Pandey was a sepoy in the British Empire as an Indian
Soldier. He also refused to use the new Enfield refile as the cartridges
contain fat od Cow and pig. He was the first person to attack
Britishers in Barrackpore. He killed two British officers namely
Hugeson and Baugh. On May 10,1857 he starts strike against
Britishers in Merrut and spread all over the UP and alter major parts
of India. And on may 11, he goes to Bahadur Shah Zafar for attacking
the Britishers and he did it and the Mughal Empire Collapsed with
many empires with them. Mangal Pandey later arrested by Britishers
and died as the court order hang till death.
Important rulers in Revolt of 1857 –
Written and Compiled by
Zahid Malik (mannu)
