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1. History
THE REVOLT OF 1857

2. RECAP
• Why REVOLTOF 1857 is called 'The FirstWar of Independence'?
• As we know that, India got its independence on 15 August, 1947.
• But, before that, India had struggled for almost 200 years to gain Swaraj From the Britishers.
• So, the 1st revolt took place on 10 May, 1857 for gaining independence.
• Sepoy means --- (soldiers) , and Mutiny --- (Revolt).
• Because Indian Soldiers started the Revolt against the Britishers.
• What is the difference between REVOLT and MUTINY???
• Revolt means involving mass movement. But, Sepoy means involving only soldiers.

3. RECAP
• LONG-TERM CAUSES
• 1. Battle of Plassey (1757)
• This battle was fought between the forces (armies) of the Nawab of Bengal --- Siraj-ud-Daulah
• and the English East India Company, led by Robert Clive. It was fought on 23 June, 1757 at
• Plassey, near Murshidabad. Later, the Nawab of Bengal himself was caught and killed,
• and Mir Jafar was instituted as the new Nawab of Bengal.
• 2. Battle of Buxar (1764)
• The Battle of Buxar was the decisive battle fought on 22 October, 1764.
• It was the conflict at Buxar in North-Eastern India, between the forces of the British East
• India Company, commanded by Major Hector Munro; and the combined armies of an
• alliance of Indian States, including Bengal, Awadh and the Mughal Empire.
• But, the Battle of Buxar was not successful.

4. RECAP
• The Revolt of 1857 started in the town of Meerut(U.P.) 40 miles northeast of Delhi.
• Between 1756-1856 A.D., there occured 12 minor revolts against The British East India
• Company.
• CAUSES
• 1. Subsidiary Alliance
• It was introduced by Lord Wellesley. Using this policy, he had acquired Hyderabad, Gwalior, Indore, Jaipur, etc.
• The British East India Company promised the Indians to protect the state (India) from external dangers and
internal disorders, but the Indians had to
• pay a subsidy (tax) for the maintenance of the army. If they failed to make the payment required by the alliance,
them part of their territory was
• to be given away as a penalty to B.E.I.C.

5. RECAP
• 2. Doctrine of Lapse
• It was introduced by Lord Dalhousie. Using this policy, he had annexed Satara, Nagpur, Udaipur, Jhansi, etc.
• Doctrine ---> Government policy Lapse ---> Declination of the right of ruling due to having no heirs, and adopted
sons would not be specified.
• 3. Unjust Annexation of Awadh and Berar
• It was done by Lord Dalhousie. He had captured Awadh on pretext of maladministration of Nawab Wajid Ali Khan.
• He had annexed Berar (formerly, ruled by Nizam of Hyderabad) when unable to pay the debt.
• 4. Unjust Behaviour towards Mughal Emperor and Indians
• Successors of Bahadur Shah Zafar were not allowed to use the title 'KING', and they would have to leave the
palace (Red Fort).
• British Officers were very arrogant and had hatred for Indians. Indians were not appointed on high posts in
Administration.

6. SOCIO-RELIGIOUS CAUSES
• Widow Remarriage Act was legalized.
• Sati System, Female Infanticide and Child Marriage was prohibited.
• Indians were feared for Mass Conversion to Christianity.
• *Viceroy  GovernorGeneral , who carried out actual governance.
• * FirstViceroy  Lord Canning.

7. SOME OTHER CAUSES
• Peasants were forced to grow cash crops like Indigo. Due to this, the condition of
Indigo Cultivators were miserable. Hence, they revolted in Bengal.And, these
cultivators were known as “Blue Rebellions” (as Indigo is blue in colour).
• Introduction of Railways andTelegraph caused suspicion and fear amongst people.
• Loss of Employment
• Soldiers, Pandits and Maulvis were jobless, because ofWestern Education.
• Defeat of British in 1st Afghan War exposed Britishers’ weakness.

8. Immediate causes
• Britishers introduced a new system of Rifles, commonly called the Enfield
Rifles.
• While loading them, soldiers had to bite off the end of the cartridges.
• It was rumoured that it was made up of either pig or cow fat, which violated
the religious sentiments of the Muslim and Hindu Soldiers.

9. UPRISING AT MEERUT
• Mangal Pandey refused to use the greased cartridge.
• And, when he was forced to do so, he flew into a rage and killed an English
soldier.
• For this, he was executed.
• He was the FIRST MARTYR OF INDIAN UPRISING OF 1857.

10. Failure of the Revolt
• It was not an all- India Struggle, as many states like Sind, Kashmir,
Rajputana and most of Punjab did not take part in it.
• All the classes of society and Indian rulers did not join the Rising.
• Rebels didn’t have modern weapons.
• Rebels were not properly organized and were fighting under separate
leaders.