First War of Independence 1857 PDF

THE FIRST WAR OF INDEPENDENCE, 1857 It was referred as sepoys Mutiny by British. POLITICAL CAUSES: (1) POLICY OF EXPANSION- British gained control over India by 4 ways: (a) By Outright Wars – Battle of Buxar (1764) gave Bengal, Bihar and Odisha to British. By Anglo Mysore wars British acquired Myso...

THE FIRST WAR OF INDEPENDENCE, 1857 It was referred as sepoys Mutiny by British. POLITICAL CAUSES: (1) POLICY OF EXPANSION- British gained control over India by 4 ways: (a) By Outright Wars – Battle of Buxar (1764) gave Bengal, Bihar and Odisha to British. By Anglo Mysore wars British acquired Mysore. Similarly by Anglo Sikh war Punjab was annexed. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu (b) By Subsidiary Alliance - It was introduced by Lord Wellesley. All Indian states had to enter into alliance with the company. (i) Rulers have to accept British as supreme power. (ii) They have to surrender foreign relation & would not enter alliance. (iii) They have to accept a British resident and maintain British troops. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu (c) By using the Doctrine of Lapse - Introduced by Lord Dalhousie. Any ruler without a heir, his kingdom would come under company's rule. Ex: Jhansi, Satara, Jaitpur, Sambhalpur, Udaipur, and Nagpur. (d) On the pretext of Alleged Misrule: Awadh was annexed on this ground in 1856 by Lord Dalhousie. Nawab’s army was disbanded. British took away the estates of Zamaindars. High land tax tax on food, houses and ferries was imposed. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu 2. Disrespect Shown to Bahadur Shah: The name of the Mughal King was removed from the coins minted by the Company. In 1849, Lord Dalhousie announced that successors of Bahadur Shah Zafar would not be permitted to use the Red Fort as their palace. In 1856, Lord Canning announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah, his successors would not be allowed to use the imperial titles with their names and would be known as mere princess. This decision of the British hurt the feelings of the Muslims. Consequently, Zeenat Mahal, the wife of Bahadur Shah, began plotting against them. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu 3. Treatment Given to Nana Saheb: Nana Saheb was the adopted son of Baji Rao II, the last Peshwa. The British refused to grant Nana Saheb the pension they were paying to Baji Rao II. Nana Saheb was forced to live at Kanpur, far away from his family seat at Poona. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu 4. Absentee Sovereignty of the British: Absentee Sovereignty means that India was being ruled by the British government from England, at a distance of thousands of miles. This was resented by the Indians. The earlier rulers like the Mughals, who had conquered India, had in course of time, settled in India. The revenues they collected from the Indians were spent in India only. But in the case of Britain, the Indians felt that they were being ruled from England and India's wealth was being drained to England and not utilised for their welfare. SOCIO-RELIGIOUS CAUSES: The British government's attempt to interfere in the social and religious life of the Indians led to the widespread fear among the masses. 1. Interference with Social Customs: Some of the social reforms introduced by the British in India were aimed at improving the conditions of the people. The result was that the reforms like the abolition of Sati (1829), the introduction of the Widow Remarriage Act (1856) and the opening of Western education to girls were not Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu welcomed by the masses. 2. Apprehensions about Modern Innovations: People were suspicious of introduction of modern innovations like railways and telegraphs. There were rumours that telegraph poles were erected to hang those who were against the British rule. Orthodox Indians noted that in the railway compartments the higher castes and the lower castes were Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu made to sit side by side. They believed that the British had introduced such practices to defy their causes and relations. 3. Policy of Racial Discrimination: The British officers were rude and arrogant towards the Indians. They believed that they were superior to Indians and followed a policy of contempt towards the Indians. They dubbed the Muslims as cruel and unfaithful. Some European officers ill-treated and insulted Indians. Such acts of unjust discrimination alienated the British from the Indian masses. 4. Activities of Missionaries: In the 19th century, the British attitude underwent a change. The British began to interfere with the local religious and social customs. They denounced idol worship and Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu dubbed local beliefs as ignorance. After 1813, there was an increase both in the numbers and activities of the Christian missionaries. The Indians thought that the Government was supporting missionaries who would convert them to Christianity. 5. Fears Regarding Western Education: They saw in it an attempt to discourage traditional Islamic and Hindu studies. People started suspecting that the aim of Western education was not to promote literature and sciences but to encourage their children to become Christians. ECONOMIC CAUSES: 1. Exploitation of Economic Resources: Agricultural India was made an economic colony to serve the interests of industrial England. India was forced to export, at cheaper rates, raw materials like raw cotton and raw silk that the British industries needed urgently; plantation products (like indigo and tea); and food grains which were in short supply in Britain. India was made to accept readymade British goods either duty- free or at nominal duty rates, while Indian products were Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu subjected to high import duties in England. The Indian handmade goods were unable to compete with the cheaper, machine-made British products. This ruined the Indian industry, deprived the artisans of their income and reduced the avenues of employment for labour. 2. Drain of Wealth: After the conquest of Bengal, the British stopped getting gold into India. They began to purchase raw material for their industries in England from the surplus revenues of Bengal and profits from duty-free inland trade. The transfer of wealth from India to England for which India got no proportionate economic return, is called the Drain of Wealth. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu 3. Decay of Cottage Industries and Handicrafts: Heavy duties on Indian silk and cotton textiles in Britain destroyed Indian industries. The misery of the artisans was further compounded by the disappearance of their traditional patrons and buyers - the princes, chieftains and zamindars, admirer extinct. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu 4. Economic Decline of Peasantry: The peasantry bore the heavy burden of taxes to provide money for the trade of the Company, for the cost of administration and the wars of British expansion in India. Increase in the land revenue forced many peasants into indebtedness or into selling their lands The traditional zamindars were replaced by merchants and moneylenders. These new landowners had no concern for the peasants. They pushed rents to exorbitant levels and evicted their tenants in case of non-payment. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu 5. Growing Unemployment: When the native States were annexed to the British dominion, thousands of soldiers and officials in administrative, military and judicial posts became unemployed because British policies excluded Indians from high posts. All these people became bitter enemies. of the British rule in India. 6. Inhuman Treatment of Indigo Cultivators: Indigo trade was highly profitable to the British but the conditions Under which the peasants had to work were inhuman) The peasants were forced to cultivate only indigo in the fields chosen by the British planters. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu 7. Decline of Landed Aristocracy: According to the provisions of the Inam Commission (1852), 20,000 estates were confiscated when the landlords failed to produce evidence like title-deeds by which they in India held the land. MILITARY CAUSES: Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu 1. Ill-treatment of Indian soldiers: The East India Company established the British Empire in India with the help of Indian soldiers. Despite the fact that Indian soldiers were as efficient as their British counterparts, they were poorly paid, ill-fed and badly housed. (2) General Service Enlistment Act 1856 - Indian soldiers could be sent abroad on duty. It was taboo for Brahmin to cross the sea so they resented. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu (3) Larger Proportions of Indians in the British Army – No. of british soldiers was as low as 1 in 4000. Dalhousie advised for more british soldiers. It made easier for soldiers to take arms. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu (4) Little Prospects of Promotion -Indian soldiers could not rise above Subedar. All higher ranks were reserved for the British. (5) Poor Performance of British Troops - The British army suffered badly in the first Afgan war, in the Punjab Wars, in the Crimean War and Santhal tribesmen of Bihar & Bengal. It broke the myth that they were invincible. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu Immediate Cause: When British introduced a new 'Enfield Rifle'. The loading of rifle with cartridge involved biting if the top greased paper with the teeth. The grease had fat of cow and pig. For Hindus cow is a sacred and for Muslims the pig is a taboo. They refused to use these cartridges & revolted. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu Beginning of the Uprising:- Mangal Pandey, an Indian sepoy attack his officer at Barrackpore He was executed. EVENTS AT MEERUT:- 85 soldiers refused to use grease cartridge were arrested. All sepoys revolted and freed them. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu EVENTS AT DELHI:- The soldiers from Meerut were. joined by infantry they declared Bahadur Shah Jafar locals as "emperor of India'. Later he was caught & deported to Yangon & died in 1862. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu EVENTS AT LUCKNOW:- Begum Hazrat Mahal led the revolt but British recaptured Lucknow. She fled to Nepal. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu EVENTS AT KANPUR:- Nana Saheb, adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao I, led the revolt. He fled to Nepal too. EVENTS AT CENTRAL INDIA:- Rani Laxmi Bai was cheated by traitor but fought bravely. She died fighting in 1858 at Gwalior. Tantia Tope was caught and hanged. OTHER CENTRES:- At Bareilly - Khan Bahadur, Bihar - Kunwar Singh, & Faizabad - Ahmadullah led the revolt. Click here to buy Latest ICSE Class 10 Books-https://amzn.to/3xib8Bu Consequences of the First War of Independence: END OF COMPANY'S RULE - The company's rule came to end by the Government of India Act 1858. a) The power was transferred to the British Crown from East India Company. b) The Secretary of State and 15- member India Council will be responsible to British Parliament. c) First Viceroy lord Canning was appointed. d) Appointments to civil services were to be made open competition. 2) QUEEN VICTORIA'S PROCLAMATION - The government would follow policy of non-intervention in social- religious matters of Indian and treat all subjects equally. Pardon to all who have take part in war. 3) CHANGES IN THE ARMY - The no. of European troops were increased. They were kept in key positions. All modern weapons & arm were placed under them. Discrimination on basis of caste, region and religion was practised. Soldiers were not allowed to get newspapers. 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