Chapter 1 First war of independence 1857

Chapter 1: The first war of Independence, 1857

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1

The East India Company's territorial power began to increase rapidly in India after which of the
following Battles?

1. The Battle of Buxar

2. The Battle of Plassey
3. The First Anglo-Mysore War
4. The Third Anglo-Maratha War

Answer

The Battle of Plassey

Question 2

Doctrine of Lapse: Jhansi :: Subsidiary Alliance: ...............

1. Awadh
2. Mysore
3. Tanjore
4. Jhansi

Answer

Awadh

Question 3

Where was the family seat of Nana Saheb located?

1. Nagpur
2. Lucknow
3. Pune
4. Kanpur

Answer

Pune

Question 4

Which of the following reforms was resented by the Indians?

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1. The Abolition of Sati

2. The Widow Remarriage Act
3. Opening of Girls' school
4. Both (1) and (2)

Answer

Both (1) and (2)

Question 5

Seventy-five thousand of the Company's sepoys belonged to which of the following states?

1. Jaipur
2. Awadh
3. Mysore
4. Sambalpur

Answer

Awadh

Question 6

By the provisions of which of the following, 20,000 estates of the landlords were confiscated by
the East India Company?

1. The Hunter Commission

2. Frazer Commission
3. The Inam Commission
4. The Woods' Dispatch

Answer

The Inam Commission

Question 7

Which of the following events of the Uprising of 1857 and their leaders is not correctly
matched?

1. Lucknow - Begum Hazrat Mahal

2. Kanpur - Nana Saheb
3. Kalpi - Tantia Tope
4. Bihar - Khan Bahadur

Answer

Bihar - Khan Bahadur

Question 8

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The Uprising of 1857 began from

1. Meerut
2. Plassey
3. Buxar
4. Delhi

Answer

Meerut

Question 9

An effect of the Uprising of 1857 was that —

1. the spirit of rebellion in India was crushed

2. the British became totally demoralised
3. the British abandoned their repressive policies
4. unity was forged between the Hindus and Muslims

Answer

the British abandoned their repressive policies

Explanation— Queen Victoria's Proclamation promised that the Government of India would
follow a policy of non-intervention in social and religious matters of Indians. The Policy of
Annexation and the Doctrine of Lapse were abandoned.

Question 10

Who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance in India?

1. Lord Hastings
2. Lord Amherst
3. Lord Wellesley
4. Lord Cornwallis

Answer

Lord Wellesley

Question 11

After the initial success of the Uprising of 1857, the objective of the leaders of the Uprising
included

1. restoring the former glory to the Mughal empire.

2. forming a Federation of Indian States under the aegis of Bahadur Shah II.
3. eliminating foreign rule and return of the old order.
4. establishing his own power in his respective region by each leader.

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Answer

eliminating foreign rule and return of the old order.

Question 12

Under the Government of India Act 1858, who gave up the direct administration of India?

1. The East India Company

2. The British Crown
3. Lord Mountbatten
4. The Mughal Emperor

Answer

The East India Company

Select Correct Relationship

Question 1

(A) From mid-18th century till 1857, one part of the country or the other rose in revolt against
the British policies which harmed the interests of the Indians belonging to all the segments of
Indian society.

(B) Although these revolts were local, scattered and isolated, they established a local tradition
of struggle against the foreign rule.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other

Answer

(B) contradicts (A)

Explanation : Statement (A) talks about the widespread revolts against British policies across
different parts of India from the mid-18th century till 1857 but statement (B) discusses the
nature of these revolts, stating that they were local, scattered, and isolated, but they
established a tradition of struggle against foreign rule.

Question 2

(A) Lord Dalhousie justified the annexation of Awadh on the pretext of “the good of the
governed.”

(B) The people of Awadh had to pay higher land revenue and additional taxes on food, houses
and ferries.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)

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3. (A) is true but (B) is false

4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other

Answer

(B) contradicts (A)

Explanation : Statement (A) suggests that Lord Dalhousie justified the annexation of Awadh
for the benefit of the people being governed. However, statement (B) indicates that the people
of Awadh had to pay higher land revenue and additional taxes on food, houses, and ferries
after the annexation. This suggests that the annexation of Awadh was not in the best interest
of the people.

Question 3

(A) The British introduced modern innovations like railways and telegraph in India in the mid -
19th century.

(B) The orthodox Indians believed that the British had introduced these innovations for their
personal use.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other

Answer

(A) is true but (B) is false

Explanation : Statement (A) talks about the introduction of modern innovations like railways
and telegraph in India by the British in the mid-19th century. Statement (B) is false as orthodox
people were against the idea that lower and higher class people will sit side by side in train
compartments.

Question 4

(A) The Indian soldiers, who helped East India Company to establish the British Empire in
India, were poorly paid, ill-fed and badly housed.

(B) A large proportion of British Army consisted of Indian Soldiers.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other

Answer

(A) and (B) are independent of each other

Explanation : Statement (A) talks about the poor conditions of the Indian soldiers who helped
the East India Company establish the British Empire in India. Statement (B) states that a large

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proportion of the British Army consisted of Indian Soldiers. Both statements are true but are
independent of each other.

Question 5

(A) The Uprising of 1857 paved the way for the rise of the national movement.

(B) Although the Uprising failed to achieve its objectives, it inspired the Indians to resist the
British rule.

1. (B) contradicts (A)

2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other

Answer

(B) is the reason for (A)

Explanation : Statement (B) provides a reason for Statement (A), stating that although the
Uprising failed to achieve its objectives, it inspired the Indians to resist the British rule. The
sacrifices made by Rani Laxmi Bai, Nana Saheb and Mangal Pandey served as a source of
inspiration for the future freedom fighters.

Short Answer Questions

Question 1

What was the nature of revolts against the British before the First War of Independence?

Answer

The rebellions against the British before the First War of Independence were local, scattered
and isolated. They did not pose a serious threat to the British.

Question 2

Why was the "War of 1857" hailed as the First War of Independence?

Answer

Revolt of 1857 was known as the first war of independence because it was for the first time
that our entire nation irrespective of the caste, creed, race, and religion had come together and
staged an armed protest against the Britishers to gain independence from their colonial rule.

Question 3

Mention two political causes of the First War of Independence.

Answer

Two political causes of the First War of Independence were —

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1. Policy of Expansion — The British policy of territorial expansion and gradual

annexation of the native Indian states was one of the major grievances of the Indian
rulers.
2. Absentee Sovereignty of the British — Indians felt they were being ruled from
England and India's wealth was drained to England and not utilised for their welfare.

Question 4

Name two ways in which the British expanded their territorial power in India.

Answer

Two ways in which the British expanded their territorial power in India were-

1. Subsidiary alliance
2. Doctrine of Lapse

Question 5

What was the Subsidiary Alliance? Name two Indian States brought under the British control
using the Subsidiary Alliance.

Answer

Subsidiary alliance was an agreement between the British East India Company and the Indian
Princely States by virtue of which these states lost their sovereignty to the British.

Two Indian States brought under the British control using the Subsidiary Alliance are Awadh
and Hyderabad.

Question 6

Explain the term: Doctrine of Lapse. Name the two States annexed by the British using the
Doctrine of Lapse.

Answer

According to Doctrine of Lapse, if an Indian ruler died without a male heir his kingdom would
come under the Company's territory in India.

The two States annexed by the British using the Doctrine of Lapse are Jhansi and Nagpur.

Question 7

Which policy was used by Lord Dalhousie against Rani Laxmi Bai? Why did Rani Laxmi Bai
become a bitter enemy of the British?

Answer

The policy of Doctrine of Lapse was used by Lord Dalhousie against Rani Laxmi Bai.

Rani Laxmi Bai became a bitter enemy of the British because when the ruler of Jhansi died in
1853, leaving no natural heir, the widowed Rani was pensioned and their adopted son, Anand
Rao, was not recognised as a lawful successor to the throne.

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Question 8

State two announcements which adversely affected the Mughal dynasty in India.

Answer

Two announcements which adversely affected the Mughal dynasty in India are-

1. In 1849, Lord Dalhousie announced that successors of Bahadur Shah Zafar would not
be permitted to use the Red Fort as their palace. They were required to shift to a place
near the Qutub Minar.
2. 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 princes.

Question 9

Mention any two consequences of the annexation of Awadh.

Answer

Two consequences of the annexation of Awadh are-

1. People had to pay higher land revenue and additional taxes on food, houses and
ferries.
2. The dissolution of the Nawab of Awadh's army and administration threw thousands of
nobles, officials and soldiers out of jobs.

Question 10

State any two consequences of the disbanding of the armies of the annexed States by the
British.

Answer

Two consequences of the disbanding of the armies of the annexed States by the British are-

1. The dissolution of the Nawab of Awadh's army and administration threw thousands of
nobles, officials and soldiers out of jobs.
2. It also affected the soldier's financial position. They had to pay higher taxes on the land
their families held in Awadh.

Question 11

Give the meaning of Absentee Sovereignty. Why was it resented by the Indians?

Answer

Absentee Sovereignty of the British 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 because they felt that they were being ruled from England
and India's wealth was being drained to England and not utilised for their welfare.

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Question 12

What were the apprehensions of Indians about the introduction of the railways?

Answer

The apprehensions of Indians about the introduction of the railways were that in the railway
compartments, the higher castes and the lower castes were made to sit side by side. They
believed that the British had introduced such practices to defy their caste and religion.

Question 13

Mention any two social reforms advocated by the British which affected the religious traditions
of the Indian people.

Answer

Two social reforms advocated by the British which affected the religious traditions of the Indian
people are-

1. Abolition of Sati in 1829

2. Widow Remarriage Act of 1856

Question 14

Mention any two measures which point to the policy of social discrimination followed by the
British in India.

Answer

Two measures which point to the policy of social discrimination followed by the British in India
are-

1. The Indian soldiers were poorly paid, ill-fed and badly housed.
2. All higher positions in employment were reserved for the British, irrespective of their
performance.

Question 15

Give any two grievances of the peasantry against the British.

Answer

Two grievances of the peasantry against the British are-

1. Increase in the land revenue forced many peasants into indebtedness or into selling
their lands.
2. The traditional zamindars were replaced by merchants and moneylenders. These new
land owners had no concern for the peasants. They pushed rents to exorbitant levels
and evicted their tenants in case of non-payment.

Question 16

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What did the British do to reduce the landed aristocracy to poverty?

Answer

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 held the land.
These confiscated lands were sold by public auction to the highest bidders. This drove the
landed aristocracy to poverty.

Question 17

What was the provision of the General Service Enlistment Act which was resented by the
Indian soldiers? Why was it resented?

Answer

According to the traditional belief, it was a taboo for a Brahmin to cross the seas. As per the
General Service Enlistment Act of 1856, Indian soldiers could be sent overseas on duty. The
Act did not take into account the sentiment of the Indian soldiers. The Brahmin soldiers saw in
this a danger to their caste. This led to the feeling of resentment among them.

Question 18

Mention any two grievances harboured by the Indian soldiers which created an atmosphere
favourable to the First War of Independence.

Answer

Two grievances harboured by the Indian soldiers which created an atmosphere favourable to
the First War of Independence are-

1. All higher positions in employment were reserved for the British, irrespective of their
performance.
2. The wages of the Indian soldiers were inadequate to support their families. On the
other hand, the British soldiers received more than eight times the salary of the Indian
soldiers.

Question 19

State two effects of the defeat of the British in the first Afghan War and the Punjab Wars on the
Indian soldiers.

Answer

Two effects of the defeat of the British in the first Afghan War and the Punjab Wars on the
Indian soldiers are-

1. The defeat of the British broke the myth that the British were invincible.
2. It revealed to the Indian soldiers that the British army could be defeated by the
determined Indian army.

Question 20

What was the immediate cause of the First War of Independence?

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Answer

The immediate cause of the First War of Independence was the introduction of the Enfield rifle.
The loading process of the Enfield rifle involved bringing the cartridge to the mouth and biting
off the top greased paper with the teeth.

In January 1857, there was a rumour in the Bengal regiments that the greased cartridge had
the fat of cow or pig. The sepoys were now convinced that the introduction of greased
cartridges was a deliberate move to defile Hindu and Muslim religions. So, the soldiers refused
to use these cartridges and staged an uprising when they were forced to use them.

Question 21

Who was Mangal Pandey? What did he do?

Answer

Mangal Pandey was a Brahmin sepoy, who refused to use the Enfield rifles.

He led an attack on the Adjutant of the 34th Native Infantry at Barrackpore on March 29, 1857.
He was executed after a court martial.

Question 22

State two consequences of the First War of Indian Independence on the East India Company.

Answer

Two consequences of the First War of Indian Independence on the East India Company are-

1. End of the Company's rule in India

2. The British rulers declared emphatically their policy of non-interference in the religious
affairs, customs and traditions of the Indians.

Question 23

Mention any two drawbacks of the First War of Independence.

Answer

Two drawbacks of the First War of Independence are-

1. The movement had no common goal before it except for the anti-foreign sentiments.
2. Some of the rulers of the Indian states and the big zamindars refused to join the
movement.

Structured Questions

Question 1

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Economic exploitation of the country produced discontent, resentment and resistance among
the people that culminated in the Great Uprising of 1857. In this context discuss:

(a) The ruin of trade and handicrafts

(b) Impoverishment of the cultivators

(c) Subordination of Indian economy to British interests (making India an agricultural colony of
British capitalism)

Answer

(a) The British crippled the Indian trade and handicrafts in the following manner-

1. Heavy duties on Indian silk and cotton textiles in Britain destroyed Indian industries.
2. On the other hand, British goods were imported into India at a nominal duty.
3. By the middle of 19th century, export of cotton and silk goods from India practically
ceased.
4. The art of spinning and weaving, which for ages had given employment to thousands of
artisans, became extinct.
5. The misery of the artisans was further compounded by the disappearance of their
traditional patrons and buyers- the princes, chieftains and zamindars.

(b) The official land revenue policy was the main cause of the impoverishment of the
cultivators.

1. It was the peasantry that 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.
2. The land revenue was double the amount collected under the Mughals.
3. Not even a part of this revenue was spent on the development of agriculture or on the
welfare of the cultivator.
4. Increase in the land revenue forced many peasants into indebtedness or into selling
their lands.
5. The traditional zamindars were replaced by merchants and money lenders, who had no
concern for the peasants.
6. They pushed rents to exorbitant levels and evicted their tenants in case of non-
payment. Thus, British economic exploitation, decay of indigenous industries, high
taxation, the drain of wealth, stagnation of agriculture and exploitation of the poor
peasants reduced the Indians to extreme poverty.

(c) The British exploited the Indian resources for their own benefits in the following manner-

1. They made agricultural India an economic colony to serve the interests of industrial
England.
2. India was forced to export, at cheaper rates, raw material, raw cotton and raw silk that
the British industries needed urgently.
3. India also exported plantation products and food grains which were in short supply in
Britain.
4. India was made to accept ready-made British goods either duty-free or at nominal duty
rates, while Indian products were subjected to high import duties in England.
5. This ruined the Indian industry, deprived the artisans of their income and reduced the
avenues of employment for labour.

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6. Export of raw materials and food grains deprived India of her agricultural surplus and
raised the prices of raw materials.

Question 2

Although the First War of Independence of 1857 failed, it had important consequences for
India. In this context, answer the following questions:

(a) How did the uprising give rise to nationalism in India?

(b) How did the end of the East India Company's rule bring in grave economic perils in India?

(c) State how the British Government tried to pacify the feelings of Indians with regard to: (i)
their religious practices (ii) the Princely States.

Answer

(a) The uprising of 1857 was the first struggle of the Indian people for freedom from British
imperialism. It paved the way for the rise of the national movement. The sacrifices made by
Rani Laxmi Bai, Nana Saheb and Mangal Pandey served as a source of inspiration for the
future freedom fighters. The heroic struggle also established valuable traditions of resistance to
the British rule.

(b) The uprising of 1857 ushered in the era of economic exploitation in the following manner-

1. India was turned into a typical colonial economy, exporting raw material and importing
finished goods.
2. The salary and allowances of the Secretary of State and members of the India Council,
the civil servants and military officers were a large drain on the country's resources.
3. Peasants were impoverished under the British rule. The indigo peasants of Bihar
revolted on a large scale in 1866-68.
4. Rural artisan industries such as handicrafts, spinning and weaving collapsed.
5. Indians had to pay heavy interests and dividends on the British capital invested in India.
The British invested their surplus capital in India in railways, plantations, coalmines,
jute mills, shipping etc.

(c) The British Government tried to pacify the feelings of Indians in the following ways:

(i) Religious Practices:

1. The British rulers declared emphatically their policy of non-interference in the religious
affairs, customs and traditions of the Indians.
2. Queen Victoria's Proclamation promised to follow a policy of non-intervention in social
and religious matters of Indians.
3. The proclamation promised to treat all subjects- Indians and Europeans- as equals.

(ii) Princely States:

1. The Policy of Annexation and the Doctrine of Lapse were abandoned.

2. Some of the Indian princes had remained loyal to the British and had helped them in
suppressing the uprising.
3. Their loyalty was rewarded with the announcement that their right to adopt heirs would
be respected and the integrity of their territories guaranteed against future annexation.

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4. In 1876, Queen Victoria assumed the title of the "Empress of India". The Indian princes
willingly became junior partners or agents of the British Crown because they were
promised that they would continue as rulers of their States.

Question 3

Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow

"A telegraphic dispatch received at Bombay (now Mumbai) from Meerut states that the 3rd
Bengal Cavalry were in open mutiny and that several officers and men had been killed and
wounded. It was reported that at Calcutta (now Kolkata) a correspondence had been
discovered in possession of a native officer of the 34th Bengal Infantry, proving the existence
of a conspiracy for organizing a general rising of the entire army. The 34th is to be disbanded."
— An article in the Illustrated London News, dated June 13, 1857.

(a) Which alleged conspiracy is being talked about in the news given above? Where did it take
place? Who was the sepoy who led this uprising?

(b) Briefly explain any two political causes of the uprising.

(c) What happened to the sepoy who led the uprising? State three consequences of the
uprising.

Answer

(a) The conspiracy being talked about is the sepoy mutiny of 1857 that took place at Kolkata
and Meerut.

The sepoy who led to this uprising was Mangal Pandey of 34th Native Infantry at Barrackpore
on March 29, 1857.

(b) The Two political causes of the uprising were:

1. The policy of expansion — The british policy of territorial expansion and gradual
annexation of native Indian states was one of the major causes of unrest among the
Indian rulers. The British tried to expand their political power in India by four ways, i.e.,
by outright wars, by the system of Subsidiary Alliance, by adopting the Doctrine of
Lapse and on the pretext of alleged misrule.
2. Disrespect shown to Bahadur Shah — The Mughal ruler was under the protection of
the Company and received a pension from the British. The name of the Mughal King
was removed from the coins minted by the Company. Also, successors of Bahadur
Shah Zafar were not permitted to use the red fort as their palace. These decisions of
the British hurt the feelings of the Mughals. Consequently, Zeenat Mahal, the wife of
Bahadur Shah, began plotting against them.

(c) Mangal Pandey, the sepoy who led the uprising, was arrested and executed after a court-
martial by the British on April 8, 1857.

Three major consequences of the uprising were:

1. End of the East India Company’s Rule— The immediate result of the uprising was
the abolition of the East India Company in favour of direct rule of India by the British
government.
2. End of Mughals and Peshwas — With the death of Bahadur Shah II, who was
deported to Yangon, the Mughal dynasty came to an end. Nana Saheb had to flee to
Nepal after the failure of the uprising leading to an end to the office of the Peshwa.

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3. Rise of Nationalism — The uprising of 1857 was the first struggle of the Indian people
for freedom from British imperialism. It paved the way for the rise of the national
movement. The sacrifices made by Rani Laxmi Bai, Nana Saheb and Mangal Pandey
served as a source of inspiration for the future freedom fighters.

Picture Study

Question 1

Study the picture and answer the following questions:

(a) Who are the persons in the picture? How were they treated by their British counterparts?

(b) State any three grievances they had against the British.

(c) What changes were brought in their status after the Uprising of 1857?

Answer

(a) The people in the picture are Indian Sepoys in the British army. The Indian Sepoys were ill-
treated by their British counterparts even though they were equally efficient. They were poorly
paid, ill-fed and badly housed. British military authorities forbade the sepoys from wearing
caste and sectarian marks, beards or turbans and they showed disregard for the sentiments of
the sepoys.

(b) Three grievances the Indian soldiers had against the British were —

1. Bleak prospects of promotion — All higher positions in employment were reserved

for the British, irrespective of their performance. Indian Sepoys could not rise above the
rank of a Subedar.
2. Lower Salaries — The wages of the Indian Sepoys were inadequate to support their
families. On the other hand, the British soldiers received more than eight times the
salary of the Indian soldiers.
3. Deprivation of Allowances — The Indian Sepoys were required to serve in areas
away from their homes without extra payment and additional Bhatta. The Post Office
Act of 1854 withdrew the privilege of free postage enjoyed by the sepoys.

(c) The Indian army was reorganised after 1858, to prevent the reoccurrence of another
uprising and the status of Indian Sepoys was affected in the following ways:

1. The strength of the European troops in India was increased. The ratio of European to
Indian troops was fixed at 1:2 (Bengal army) and 2:5 (Madras and Bombay armies).

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The general principle was that the number of Indian sepoys should not exceed twice
that of the European troops.
2. The sophisticated weapons and ammunition were never placed under the charge of the
Indians. All Indian artillery units, with the exceptions of a few mountain units, were
disbanded.
3. Discrimination on the basis of caste and religion was practised in the recruitment of the
army.
4. Newspapers, journals and nationalist publications were prevented from reaching the
soldiers.
5. In order to discourage nationalism, measures such as introduction of caste and
community in most regiments were taken.

Question 2

Study the picture and answer the following questions:

(a) Identify the person in the picture. Name the Proclamation made by her in 1858.

(b) Where and by whom was this proclamation made public?

(c) What assurance did this proclamation give to the Indian people regarding (i) religious
freedom and (ii) appointment to public offices?

Answer

(a) This picture shows Queen Victoria.

The proclamation was called Queen Victoria's Proclamation.

(b) Queen Victoria's Proclamation was made public at Allahabad, on November 1, 1858, by
Lord Canning, the first Viceroy of India.

(c) Below assurances were given to the Indian people by this Proclamation:

(i) Queen Victoria's Proclamation promised to follow the policy of non-intervention in social and
religious matters of Indians and to treat all subjects - Indians and Europeans - as equal.

(ii) Queen Victoria's Proclamation included a provision in which appointments to the civil
service were to be made by open competition under rules made by the Secretary of State.
Education and ability would be the basis of all appointments.

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Thinking Skills

Question 1

Imagine you were present when the rulers of Indian states met at a common place before the
Uprising of 1857. Each ruler voiced his grievance against the British. Make a list of the
grievances of each of the rulers.

Answer

The grievances of each of the rulers are listed below:

1. The Nawab of Awadh was enraged due to the humiliating manner in which he was
deposed and Awadh annexed on the pretext of alleged misrule even though he was the
first to enter into subsidiary alliance paying the British to defend the kingdom of Awadh.
2. Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and his wife Zeenat Mahal were furious with the
British over the announcement that his successors cannot use the Red Fort as their
palace and cannot use the imperial titles with their names.
3. The rulers of Jhansi, Satara, Jaitpur, Sambalpur, Udaipur and Nagpur were discontent
because their kingdoms were annexed by the British using Doctrine of Lapse.
4. Nana Saheb the adopted son of Baji Rao II was refused the pension that the British
were paying to Baji Rao II. He was forced to live at Kanpur, far away from his family
seat at Poona.
5. Nawabs of Carnatic and Tanjore were unhappy as their regal titles were taken away.
6. The Nizam of Hyderabad, the ruler of Mysore, the Raja of Tanjore, the Sindhia and the
Rajput states of Jodhpur, Jaipur, Macheri, Bundi and ruler of Bharatpur have entered
into Subsidiary alliance with the British. They were now suspicious of the British and
discontent on losing their independence.

Question 2

Imagine you were a Subedar in the army hailing from a landed family from Awadh. State the
grievances your father had against the British.

Answer

After annexation of Awadh, the grievances my father had against the British are as follows:

1. His son had helped the British to conquer the rest of India and as a result, his
homeland had come under foreign rule.
2. The annexation of Awadh affected his financial position.
3. He had to pay higher taxes on the land his family held in Awadh.

Question 3

There were uprisings against the British in every corner of the country in the nineteenth
century. Make a list of the uprisings in your locality and manner in which the imperialists dealt
with them.

Answer

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Chapter 1 First war of independence 1857

In 1856, the British began to annex many cities on the pretext of alleged misrule. My locality
was annexed too after which we had to pay higher taxes, the nobles, officials and soldiers
were thrown out of jobs. The resentment of the people lead to various uprisings in my locality.
Some of them are as follows:

1. In March 1857, the introduction of greased cartridges began the revolt against the
British. Various regiments were disbanded and sent to their villages. Sepoys who
refused to use greased cartridges were sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour.
2. The Indian soldiers broke into the jail and freed their fellow comrades. They captured
the city and tried to unite all the chiefs but their success was short-lived. Soon the city
was recaptured by the British forces and their enemies were punished severely.
3. In May 1857, there was another uprising where the Indian soldiers beseiged the
residence of Sir Henry Lawrence, where all the Europeans resided. Although the Indian
forces were motivated and showed great valor, they could not fight off the British forces
and in March 1858, the British regained control of the city.

Thus, although there were many uprisings, they were not organised well and ultimately, could
not succeed.

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