3/26/2024

India's War of
Independence: Unraveling
Causes

Assignment #1
Subject : Ideology And Constitution Of Pakistan
Submitted to : Imdad Ullah
Submitted By : Salman Ahmad
Reg no : FA23-BSE-098

FA23-BSE-098(Salman Ahmad )
COMSATS ATD
Title:
Unveiling the Causes of the War of Independence and the Spark of
Mutiny in India

Introduction:
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 which came to be termed by different historians and nationalist
as ‘War of Independence’ or ‘Sepoy Mutiny’ was the most momentous of the nationalist
undertakings against British colonial rule. This work strives to unveil a multitude of elements
that laid the foundation for the war, weaving a thread of the socio-economic and cultural
fabric. Besides, through a painstaking analysis, it reveals the fuse that made the fire of
rebellion spread all through the Indian continent.

1. Socio-Political Causes:

a. British Colonial Policies:

- Doctrine of Lapse and Annexation: Argue the less appreciated Doctrine of Lapse propounded
by Lord Dalhousie in which princely states were joined with British India in the case there was
no natural heir to the throne. As a result, rulers and ordinary people alike felt more dissatisfied
with the British.
- Disempowerment of Indian Rulers: Review the ways in which British policies that were
centered on establishing power led to the weakening of the Indian princes and zamindars, and
then at the end, the feelings of indignation and repulsion became stronger.

b. Discontent among Indian Soldiers:

- Grievances of Sepoys: Address the grievances of Indian soldiers who served in the British
Indian Army - East India Company, one of the allocated types of the problem, including the
process of recruitment, payment differences higher position holders allied with your race,
racial discrimination, and total indifference for the cultural and religious ethnics.

2. Economic Exploitation:

a. Drain of Wealth:
- Economic Drainage: Dissect how the British economic policies extracted without
replacement such as extremely high taxation, trade monopolies, and obliteration of home
industries, instrumental for the enrichment of the colonial powers and the poverty and
stagnation of the colonies.
- Land Revenue System: Look into how the major revisions of the land revenue system by the
British government, which was paid in excessive taxes and exploitive measures, crushed the
peasants and ruined the Indian agricultural sector.
3. Religious and Cultural Factors:3. Religious and Cultural Factors:

a. Social Reforms and Religious Intolerance:

- British Social Reforms: Go into the topic of how the British tried to impose many foreign
notions of fashion, merit and worth. Let’s talk about how some of these were very different
from the assumed norms that were true to the Indians. Believed.
- Missionary Activities: Delve into the emergence of a strong campaign by Christian
missionaries with their belief in their faith destroying the indigenous religion. Thus, there were
increased tensions and hostilities among the people of different faiths.

b. Greased Cartridges Controversy:

- Religious Sensitivities: Take an angle on the Enfield rifle controversy and the use of cartridge
greased with animal fat, which was strongly classified as baseball by the soldiers of Hindu
faith owing to edible prohibitions and goes against the law of Islamic faith that dictates against
the consumption of both beef and pork.

4. Immediate Cause: The Flare that Will Cut the Cords of Slavery

a. Mangal Pandey Incident:

- Mangal Pandey's Rebellion: Describe the sequence of events that led to Mangal Pandey's
mutiny, an infantry sepoy of the 34th Battle of Native Bengal who refused to use grease-lathers
and tried instigating his comrades against the British officers.
- Symbolism and Impact: Study the role of Mangal Pandey's rebellion as a plea for defiance
against the brutality of the British that fueled a ripple emancipatory movement beginning with
the areas of North and Central India.

Conclusion:

In 1857, The War of Independence was not mere riots that just developed at a random time
but rather a product of prolonged agony and frustration at the ruling of British rule. The
resolution of all the social-political, economic, and cultural intricacies is done through this
assignment, which makes the under lying factors of independence clearer. Alongside, the
Mangal Pandey episode itself become the very striking proof of the crucial part that was
played not only by this incident but also by all that that happened afterward that lead to the
beginning of the Indian revolution that would turn it into such a seminal era. Identifying the
genesis of these variables is essential, to contextualize the turbulent events of 1857, and
continue to determine the effects that they have on the Indian subcontinent.