VICTORY 2024

FOR CLASS 10TH ICSE BOARD STUDENTS

HISTORY
THE FIRST WAR OF
INDEPENDENCE,
1857
Lecture No - 01 Shigraf Ma’am
Today’s Targets
1 Various causes of the first war of independence

2 Political causes

3 Socio-religious causes

4 Economic causes,
 How to study?
 Regular classes  Class notes + handwritten notes
 Full dedication  Regular revision
 Distractions honge  Solve DHA (bahut important)
 No paragraph rattafication  0 doubt in mind
 Flow charts  Seedhi baat no bakwas
 Political causes

 British expansionist policies, economic exploitation,

administrative changes adversely affected all segments of
Indian society.
 Peasants were deprived of their land rights, artisans lost
their livelihood, middle and upper class was excluded
from well-paid higher posts, priests and scholars lost their
patrons and became without income.
 Power of Ruling classes dispossessed, rulers, princes and
zamindars lost their authority, Indian soldiers getting ill
treatment, low salary etc.
 1. Policy of territorial expansion

British did it in four ways:

a. By outright wars
 Battle of Buxar 1764 - Became master of Bengal, Bihar and
Orrisa. EIC v/s Shah alam II+ Mir Qasim+ Siraj-ud-daulah
 Anglo-Mysore wars [1767 to 1799] - Annexed most of the
territories of the Mysore state.
 Third Anglo-Maratha war [1817–18]- Peshwa’s entire
dominion and territory acquired by British.
 Second Anglo-Sikh war [1849] – Sikhs were defeated and
the Punjab was annexed.
 Different wars from 1823 to 1856 - British conquered
Sindh, territories of Assam, Arakan, Tenasserim and Peru
[Myanmar].
 2. Subsidiary Alliance- Lord Wellesley
 It was an agreement between the company
and the Indian Princely states, by virtue of
which these states lost their sovereignty to
the British.
 Princely states virtually lost their
independence and accepted the British as
supreme power.
 Princely states surrendered their foreign relations to the
company. They agreed that they would not enter into
alliance with any other power or would not wage wars.
 A British Resident shall be posted in their princely slates
and they cannot employ any European in their service
without the permission of the company.
 Also agreed to maintain a British army at their own cost.
 Victims of Subsidiary alliance

 Oudh was the first to enter into alliance like this through
the treaty of Allahabad in 1765.
 States who enter in subsidiary alliance were-
Nizam of Hyderabad, Mysore, Tanjore, Scindia and the
Rajputana states of Jodhpur, Jaipur, Macheri, Bundi and
Bharatpur.
 By using Doctrine of lapse- Lord Dalhousie
 According to this doctrine, if an Indian ruler died
without a male heir, his kingdom would lapse and
it would become company’s territory.
 When ruler of Jhansi died in 1853 without a male
heir, the widowed Rani was pensioned and their
adopted son ‘Anand Rao’ was not recognised as a
lawful successor.
 Other prominent victims of this doctrine were Satara,
Jaitpur, Samblapur, Udaipur, Nagpur.
 This doctrine was also applied to take away the titles and
pensions of the rulers of some states.
 For example, Nawabs of Karnataka and Tanjore.
 On the ground of alleged misrule or mis governance

 Annexed Oudh in 1856.

 Oudh played a major role in the uprisings of 1857.

 Disrespect shown to Bahadur Shah Zafar
 Bahadur Shah Zafar was under the protection of the
company and received a pension from the British.
 His name was removed from the minted coins.
 Dalhousie announced that his successors would not
be allowed to use red fort as their palace. Instead
they shall be shifted to a place near Qutub Minar.
 In 1856, lord Canning declared that his successor could
not be allowed to use imperial titles and would be known
as mere princes.
 These decisions hurt the feelings of Muslims and Zeenat
Mahal (Wife of Bahadur Shah) began plotting against
British.
 Ill-treatment to Nana Sahib

 Nana sahib was adopted son of last Peshwa Baji

Rao II. British refused to give him pension after
the death of Baji Rao II.
 Was forced to live at Kanpur [Bithoor], faraway
from his family seat Poona - Marathas resented
widely.
 Absentee sovereignty of the British- Remote control

 India was being ruled by British government from England

through the East India Company.
 Although Mughals were also foreigners, but they settled in
India and the revenues they collected were also spent in India.
 But in case of British they ruled from England and India’s
wealth was being drained to England.
Socio-religious
causes
 Interference with social customs

 Social reforms like abolition of sati (1829), widow re-marriage

Act (1856) and the opening of western education to girls were
not welcomed by the masses, because while introducing these
reforms, the feelings of the people were not taken into
consideration although these reforms were aimed at
improving the conditions of the people.
 Apprehensions about modern Innovations

 For example innovations like Railways and telegraph.

 There were rumours that telegraph poles were erected to hang
people who were against the British.
 Similarly, the sitting arrangement in the railways compartment
to sit side by side made them to believe that it will defy their
caste and religion.
 Policy of racial discrimination

 British officers were rude and arrogant towards Indians.

 They dubbed Muslims as cruel and unfaithful.

 Oppression of the poor

 Complex judicial system enabled the rich to oppress the

cultivators. Their was flogging, torture and imprisonment
of the poor for their inability to pay arrears of rent, land
revenue and interest on debt.
 Police and petty officials were corrupt- rich got away but
poor tortured.
 Activities of missionaries

 During 18th century, British showed a friendly attitude

towards Indian religions- Trustee of some Hindu temples.

 But in 19th century, this friendly attitude was changed.

They began to interfere in local religious and social
customs- denounced idol worship and dubbed local beliefs
as ignorance.
 After 1813, the activities of Christian missionaries
suspected people that the government was supporting them
to conversion to Christianity.
 Law of property

 The Religious Disabilities Act 1850 changed the Hindu Law

of property.
 Now no loss of property on conversion from Hindu to
Christianity.
 Fears regarding Western education

 Introduction of western system of education in Calcutta Madrasa

(1829) and in Banaras Sanskrit College not welcomed by the
people.
 Shifting from oriental education to western education was not
welcomed especially by pandits and maulvis. They saw it as an
attempt to discourage traditional Hindu and Islamic Studies.
 Taxing Religious Places

 Religious sentiments were hurt by the official policy of

taxing lands belonging to temples and mosques.
 Previously they were exempted by the Indian rulers.
Subsidiary alliance was introduce by-
(a)Lord Canning
(b)Lord Wellesely
(c)Lord Dalhousie
(d)Bahadur Shah Zafar
Who said that after Bahadur Shah Zafar his sons would not
be recognised as successors?
(a) Tipu Sultan
(b)Lord Dalhousie
(c) Lord Canning
(d)Lord Wellesely
Awadh was annexed on base of-
(a) Wars
(b)Misrule
(c) Good governance
(d)On the own wish of the Nawab
Sati system was abolished in
(a) 1827
(b)1828
(c) 1829
(d)1830
Which policy was used by Lord Dalhousie against ruler
of Jhansi and annexed it?
(a) Alleged misrule
(b)Doctrine of Lapse
(c) Subsidiary Alliance
(d)Law of property
THANK YOU