BHAVAN’S PUBLIC SCHOOL

DOHA, QATAR
CLASS VIII
Prepared by Mr. Vinod

HIS L – 5 When People Rebel

Objectives:
 Look at the changes in colonial rule after 1857.
 Understand how revolts originate and spread see how vernacular and British accounts can be
read to understand the rebellion.

Introduction
 The British believed that Indian society had to be reformed, so laws were passed to stop the
practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage of widows; English-language education was also
actively promoted.
 The Indian sepoys in the Company were unhappy about their pay, allowances, and conditions of
service.
 From the mid-19th century, Nawabs and Rajas start losing their power.
 The British, by the end of 1859, had regained control of India.
 Indians rebelled against the East India Company after it killed a young soldier called
MangalPandey in 1857.

Policies and the People

Nawabs lose their power
 Nawabs and rajas lost their authority and power since the mid-eighteenth century. In order to
protect their interests, many ruling families tried to negotiate with the Company. Rani Lakshmi Bai
of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognize her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the
death of her husband. But, the Company turned down these pleas.
 Awadh was one of the last territories to be annexed. In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed
on Awadh, and in 1856 it was taken over. The Company planned to bring down the Mughal
dynasty to an end. In 1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of
Bahadur Shah Zafar, his family would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place in
Delhi to reside in. After Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal King, none of his descendants
would be recognized as kings – they would just be called princes.
The peasants and the sepoys
 Peasants and zamindars from the countryside resented the high taxes and the rigid methods of
revenue collection. Many lost their lands as they failed to pay back their loans to the
moneylenders.
 The Indian sepoys who were employees of the Company were unhappy about their pay,
allowances and conditions of service. When sepoys were told to go to Burma to fight for the
Company via sea route, they refused to go but agreed to go via land route. The Company passed
a law in 1856, which stated that every new person who took up employment in the Company’s
army had to agree to serve overseas, if required.
Responses to reforms

 The British reformed Indian society by passing laws to stop the practice of Sati and to encourage
the remarriage of widows.
 English education was widely promoted.
 After 1830, Christian missionaries were allowed to function freely in its domain and own land and
property. A new law was passed in 1850, to convert into Christianity easier.
 The law allowed Indian Christians to inherit the property of their ancestors.

A Mutiny Becomes a Popular Rebellion

 A large number of people believed that they have a common enemy and rose up against the
enemy at the same time.
 For such a situation to develop people have to organise, communicate, take initiative and display
the confidence to turn the situation around.
 In May 1857, English East India Company faced a massive rebellion.
 In several places, sepoys mutinied beginning from Meerut and a large number of people from
different sections of society rose up in rebellion.
 It is considered as the biggest armed resistance to colonialism in the nineteenth century.

From Meerut to Delhi

 On 29 March 1857, MangalPandey, was hanged to death for attacking officers in Barrackpore.
Some sepoys of the regiment Meerut refused to do army drill using the new cartridges, suspected
of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs. On 9th May 1857, eighty-five sepoys were
dismissed from service and sentenced to ten years in jail for disobeying their officers.
 The soldiers released the imprisoned sepoys from the Meerut jail on 10 May. The soldiers were
determined to bring an end to their rule in the country. The sepoys rode all night of 10 May and
reached Delhi in the early hours next morning. Triumphant soldiers gathered in the Red Fort
demanding to meet Badshah.
 Bahadur Shah Zafar accepted the demand and wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of the
country to come forward and organize a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British. The
Mughal dynasty had ruled over a very large part of the country. Small rulers and chieftains
controlled different territories were threatened by the expansion of British rule.
 The British thought that the disturbance caused by the issue of the cartridges would die down.
But the entire situation changed dramatically by the decision of Bahadur Shah Zafar.
 The rebellion spreads
 The British were routed from Delhi, and for almost a week there was no uprising. Regiments
mutinied and troops joined nodal points like Delhi, Kanpur and Lucknow. Nana Saheb, the
adopted son of the late PeshwaBajiRao proclaimed himself Peshwa, gathered armed forces and
expelled the British garrison from the city. In Lucknow, BirjisQadr proclaimed the new Nawab. In
Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British along with Tantia Tope,
the general of Nana Saheb. In the Mandla region of Madhya Pradesh, Rani AvantibaiLodhi of
Ramgarh raised and led an army against the British who had taken over the administration of her
state.
 The British were defeated in a number of battles. A situation of widespread popular rebellion
developed in the region of Awadh in particular. Emergence of many new leaders. For example,
Ahmadullah Shah, from Faizabad, Bakht Khan in Delhi, Kunwar Singh in Bihar.
The Company Fights Back

 The Company brought reinforcements from England, passed new laws to easily convict the
rebels. In September 1857, Delhi was recaptured and the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah
Zafar was sentenced to life imprisonment.
 In March 1858, Lucknow was taken and Rani Lakshmibai was defeated and killed in June 1858.
Rani Avantibai chose to embrace death when surrounded by the British on all sides. Tantia Tope
was captured, tried and killed in April 1859.
 The defeat of rebel forces encouraged desertions. To win people loyalty, the British announced
rewards for loyal landholders, who will continue to enjoy traditional rights over their lands. If
anyone who rebelled against the British surrendered themselves and if they had not killed any
white people, they would remain safe and their rights and claims to land would not be denied.

Aftermath
By the end of 1859, the British had regained control of the country. Some of the important changes
that were introduced by the British are mentioned below:

1. In 1858, a new Act was passed and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the
British Crown in order to ensure more responsible management of Indian affairs.
2. A member of the British Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India and made
responsible for all matters related to the governance of India. He was given a council to
advise him, called the India Council.
3. The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy. Through these measures, the
British government accepted direct responsibility for ruling India.
4. All ruling chiefs were assured that their territory would never be annexed in future. They were
allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons. The Indian rulers
were to hold their kingdoms as subordinates of the British Crown.
5. The proportion of Indian soldiers in the army were reduced and the number of European
soldiers increased.
6. Muslims land and property were confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with
suspicion and hostility.
7. The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in
India.
8. Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over
their lands.

KEY WORDS
 Sepoy: Soldier
 Mutiny: When soldiers together begin to disobey their officers in the army.
 Firangis: Foreigners, Here, the term has been used for the Englishmen.
 Ghazis: Religious warriors
 Paramount: Supreme
 Questions and Answers
1) What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the British?
Ans) To accept her adopted son to succeed the throne of the king, after the death of her husband.

2) What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to Christianity?
Ans) Those who converted to Christianity would inherit the property of his ancestors.

3) What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?
Ans) Objections the sepoys had to the new cartridges were:
 The cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs.
 The sepoys had to use mouth to remove the covering of the cartridges.
 They termed the cartridges to be a violation of the religious sentiments.
 Hence, they rebelled.

4) How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?
Ans)The last Mughal emperor lived a very pathetic life during the last years of his life. He was tried in court
and sentenced to life imprisonment. He and his wife were sent to prison in Rangoon. He died there after
four years.

5) What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May
1857?
Ans)Reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857
1. The traditional rulers failed to develop independent leadership.
2. They also failed to have independent social, economic, and political aims of their own.
3. They fought among themselves and could not present a united front against the foreign rule.
4. A section of the people practiced inhuman social practices. They did not rise in revolt against the
Bruisers.

.6) How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh?
Ans)British succeeded in securing the submissions of the rebel landowners of Awadh:
 They provided inheritance rights to the landowners (who would enjoy traditional rights over their land).
 They were exempted from taxes.
 They were rewarded.
 They would be safe and their rights and claims would not be denied to them.

7) In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of 1857?
Ans)Some important changes brought by the British after the revolt were:
1. According to the Act of 1858 powers of the East India Company were transferred to the British Crown in
India.
 Secretary of State was appointed for governance and Governor-General was given the title of Viceroy.
 Secretary of State was to be assisted by a council of 15 members. It was only an advisory body.
 Governor-General was answerable to the Secretary of State.
2. All rulers were made to acknowledge British Queen as Sovereign Paramount and were allowed to
pass their kingdoms to their heirs.
 The proportion of Indian soldiers in the army was reduced. More soldiers were taken from Gurkhas,
Sikhs and Pathans.
3. Muslims were seen held responsible for rebellion and their land was confiscated.
4. Social and religious practices were given respect.
 Zamindars and landlords were given protection and rights over their lands.

8) Explain in detail the causes that led to the revolt of 1857 ?

Ans.
 The Company allowed Christian missionnaires to function freely in its domain and even own land and
property.
  In1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier.
 Many Indians felt that the British were destroying their religion; thus, revolted against the British rule.
 The British believed that Indian society had to be reformed. Laws were passed to stop the practice of
sati and to encourage the remarriage of widows.
 English-language education was actively promoted.
 Many Indians believed that the British were meddling in their social customs and their traditional way of
life; thus, revolted against the British rule.

Practise Questions :
Question 1.
When soldiers as a group disobey their officers in the army then it is called a __________
(a) Cartridge
(b) Sepoy
(c) Mutiny
(d) Barracks

Question 2.
What did Lord Dalhousie announce after the death of King Bahadur Shah Zafar?
(a) The British set fire to the royal palace and killed all the family members.
(b) The family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place to live in.
(c) The family members were imprisoned and Company annexed the state of Delhi
(d) The family can continue staying in Red Fort and his son would be crowned as the next king

Question 3.
In 1856, which Governor General decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal King and none of his
descendants would be recognized as Kings hereafter?
(a) Lord Cornwallis
(b) Lord Canning
(c) Warren Hastings
(d) William Bentick

Question 4.
Who helped Colin Campbell to rescue the British holed up in the residency of Lucknow?
(a) Kunwar Singh
(b) Nana Saheb
(c) Bahadur Shah Zafar
(d) Gurkha regiment

Question 5.
In 1824, when the sepoys were asked to go to Burma by sea route to fight for the Company, they refused to
follow the order. Why?
(a) It was widely believed that if they crossed the sea they would lose their religion and caste.
(b) There was a belief that the sepoys will not be paid if they go to Burma.
(c) It was believed that Burma was a non- friendly country and hence did not welcome foreigners.
(d) It was widely believed that they were taken as prisoners and will be put in a jail there.

Question 6.
What did the East India Company do from the coins minted by the Company?
(a) The name of the Mughal emperor was removed from the coins.
(b) The name India was removed from the coins
(c) The name of the Governor general was removed from the coins
(d) The name of the British King was removed from the coins

Question 7.
Who was Subedar Sitaram Pande ?
(a) Sitaram Pande was a sepoy who attacked Lieutenant Baugh with a sword and almost killed him
(b) Sitaram Pande was a Resident appointed by the British in the Bengal region.
(c) Sitaram Pande was the self proclaimed ruler who pleaded with the British to give his fathers pension when
the latter died.
(d) Sitaram Pande was a sepoy who helped the British to suppress the rebellion even though his own son was
killed by the British in front of his eyes.

Question 8.
What was the new amendment in the law in 1856 passed by the East India Company?
(a) Every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to agree to serve overseas if
required.
(b) Every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army will be paid only a low salary
(c) Every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to collect the revenues set by the
British.
(d) Every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to pay a tax.

Question 9.
Which one of the following best describes a Resident with respect to British India?
(a) An official who administers oath to the soldiers.
(b) A local money lender collecting revenue
(c) A senior British Government administrative official positioned in a local place and controlling the
happenings of the kingdom.
(d) A local landlord to keep a check on the land revenue

Question 10.
In what way did the Christian missionaries help the British East India Company? From the statements given
below, choose the one that is not TRUE with respect to the missionaries.
(a) The Christian missionaries functioned freely and even owned land and property.
(b) The Christian missionaries did not encourage education of women.
(c) An Indian converted to Christianity could inherit the property of ancestors
(d) The Christian missionaries converted the people as Christians

Question 11
By the mid 18th century, what actually happened to the Nawabs and Rajas in India?
(a) The East India Company started constructing their empire with the help of Nawabs and Rajas.
(b) They lost their authority and honour, residents stationed in many kingdoms
(c) They became more popular and extended their kingdom
(d) Many Nawabs and Rajas were dead after a major war with the British.

Question 12.
Name the Indian soldier who tried to rebel against the British at Barrackpore, but was arrested and hanged to
death on 8th April 1857.
(a) Nana Saheb
(b) Bahadur Shah Zafar
(c) Tantia Tope
(d) Mangal Pandey