The revolt of 29 march 1857 was a revolutionary war in Indian history. Although it was an unsuccessful event, Begun in Meerut by Indian troops (sepoys) and Mangal Pandey played the main role in this revolt. There were many reasons like political, social, religious & military causes that resulted in the revolt of 1857.

1. The Revolt Of 1857
The first war of Independence or Indian Mutiny of 1857 was a significant awakening
against the British regime. Although it was an unsuccessful event, it began Indian
independence from the Britishers. There are several names for this war: First War of
Independence, revolt, mutiny, etc. The revolt began on 10 May 1857 by the sepoys of
Bengal Presidency against the Britishers as the sepoy mutiny. NCERT Solutions will help
you to get complete information about the Revolt of 1857.
Causes of Revolt 1857

2. There were various causes of the revolt of 1857, which consisted of Social causes,
economic causes, political causes, and military causes. Here we’ll talk about all the
causes of the first war of independence.
Social Causes
● Spread of western culture, an act of enabling the Hindu Inheritance Act, which lets
people inherit ancestral properties even after converting themselves to Christianity.
● Implementing a western education system will challenge the Hindu orthodox system.
● Abolition practices like Sati pratha and legalizing widow remarriage were considered
a threat.
Political Causes
● If we talk about the political causes, it would be the expansion of British policy
through the doctrine of lapse.
● There were dislodged people, like Rani Laxmi Bai’s adopted son was not allowed to
sit on the throne.
● The annexation of Awadh, Satara, Nagpur, and Jhansi under the Doctrine of
Lapse.
Note: Doctrine of Lapse is the annexation executed by Dalhousie in the late 1840s, which
implies the prohibition of Hindu rulers without a natural heir from adopting a successor
after the ruler died or surrendered.
Economic Causes
● In the rural areas, the peasants and the zamindars were frustrated by the heavy
taxes on the land and the problematic methods of revenue collection.
● Most of the sepoys belonged to the peasant class, which heavily affected the
peasants' grievances.
● There was a rush of British Manufactured goods after the Industrial Revolution in
England, which majorly destroyed the textile industries of India.
Military Causes
● The Indian Sepoys would make up about 87% of the British Army in India but were
considered inferior to the British soldiers
● European soldiers of the same rank get paid more than the Indian Sepoys.
● Lord Canning issued the General Services Enlistment Act in 1856, which said that
the Indian Sepoys could also have the posting across seas.

3. Centers of Revolt
The center covers almost the entire country consisting of the neighborhood of Patna,
Delhi, Assam, Jhansi, Bihar, and many more.
Cities Leaders
Barrackpore Mangal Pandey
Delhi Bahadur Shah II, General Bakht Khan
Delhi Hakim Ahsanullah (Chief advisor to
Bahadur Shah II)
Lucknow Begum Hazrat Mahal, Birjis Qadir,
Ahmadullah (advisor of the ex-Nawab of
Awadh)
Kanpur Nana Sahib, Rao Sahib (nephew of
Nana), Tantia Tope, Azimullah Khan
(advisor of Nana Sahib)
Jhansi Rani Laxmibai
Bihar (Jagdishpur) Kunwar Singh, Amar Singh
Allahabad and
Banaras
Maulvi Liyakat Ali
Faizabad Maulvi Ahmadullah (He declared the
Revolt as Jihad against English)
Farrukhabad Tufzal Hasan Khan

4. Bijnor Mohammad Khan
Moradabad Abdul Ali Khan
Bareilly Khan Bahadur Khan
Mandsaur Firoz Shah
Gwalior/Kanpur Tantia Tope
Assam Kandapareshwar Singh, Manirama Datta
Orissa Surendra Shahi, Ujjwal Shahi
Kullu Raja Pratap Singh
Rajasthan Jaidayal Singh and Hardayal Singh
Gorakhpur Gajadhar Singh
Mathura Sevi Singh, Kadam Singh
Also check: NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science
Suppression of Revolt 1857
The Britishers considered this revolt as a significant threat to their regime and changed
their policies to overcome the situation.
Places of Revolt Leaders Associated Suppressing Officials
Delhi Bahadur Shah II John Nicholson

5. Lucknow Begum Hazrat Mahal Henry Lawrence
Kanpur Nana Saheb Sir Colin Campbell
Jhansi & Gwalior Lakshmi Bai & Tantia Tope General Hugh Rose
Bareilly Khan Bahadur Khan Sir Colin Campbell
Allahabad and Banaras Maulvi Liyakat Ali Colonel Once
Bihar Kunwar Singh William Taylor
Causes of Failure of the Revolt
● There was no clear understanding of the British rules and the plan was poorly made.
● Modern Education Indians were taking the revolt as backward
● The resources were less in terms of men and money than the Britishers.
● Many zamindars, wealthy merchants, and traders supported the Britishers.
● The rulers of the local cities like Hyderabad, Gwalior, Indore, Jodhpur, Patiala,
Kashmir, Bhopal, Sindh, and Nepal are active supporters of the Britishers.
● There was a lack of leadership quality. Some people were adequate but not that
extinct.
Result of the Revolt
1. The revolt marked the end of East India Company
2. India now came under the direct rule of the British Crown, and Queen Victoria took the
Indian administration directly under the rule of the British Parliament.
3. The army was restructured, but the armory was still in the hands of the Britishers.
4. Attention will be paid to the customers and the traditions of India.

6. Conclusion
The Revolution of 1857, or the first war of Independence, was an unusual historical event.
While it united many sections of India for a common cause, it also took many things from
India. Although the revolt failed to achieve its goal, it measured Indian nationalism.
FAQ
Q1. What are the causes of the revolt of 1857?
Ans- There were four cases of the revolt of 1857: Social cause, Economic cause, Political
Cause, and Military Cause.
Q2. What was the slogan of the revolt of 1857?
Ans- Inqalaab Zindabad became one of the rallying cries, which was the First War of
Independence motto long live the revolution.
Q3. Who started the revolt of 1857?
Ans- Sepoy Mangal Pandey of the 34th Bengal Native Infantrygan to the revolt on March
29, 1857, at the Barrackpore, attacking the officer with the greased Enfield Cartridge.
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