Class 8

History
Chapter 5
When People Rebel (1857 and After)
EXTRA QUESTIONS

1. What was the main character of the revolt prior to

1857?
Answer:
The main character of the revolt prior to 1857 was that
it was selfish. There was lack of the feeling of unity
and nationalism. Different people protested in different
parts of the country to safeguard their personal
interests.
A. Causes of First War of Independence
Short Questions
1. Why did the Doctrine of Lapse become a Political
Cause for the Revolt of 1857?

Answer:

● Lord Dalhousie who was the Governor-General from

1848 to 1856, devised a policy that came to be

known as the Doctrine of Lapse.

● The doctrine declared that if an Indian ruler died

without a male heir his kingdom would “lapse”, that

is, become part of Company territory.
 ● One kingdom after another was annexed simply by

applying this doctrine: Satara (1848), Sambalpur

(1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur (1853) and Jhansi
(1854).

● This was done by the company to establish political

control over these kingdoms. So it became a political

cause of the revolt of 1857.
2. Who was the Last Mughal Ruler and how was he
treated? What happened to him later?

Answer:

● The last Mughal Ruler was Bahadur Shah Zafar .

● He was tried in court and sentenced to life

imprisonment. His sons were shot dead before his

eyes.

● He and his wife Begum Zinat Mahal were sent to

prison in Rangoon in October 1858. Bahadur Shah

Zafar died in the Rangoon jail in November 1862.
3. Give any two reasons to explain why the Sepoys
were unhappy with British.

Answer:

The sepoys were unhappy with British because of the

following reasons:
● Discontentment about their pay, allowances and conditions
of service.

● Some of the new rules violated their religious sensibilities

and beliefs. They believed that if they crossed the sea they
would lose their religion and caste. So when in 1824 the
sepoys were told to go to Burma by the sea route to fight for
the Company, they refused to follow the order, though they
agreed to go by the land route.

● Sepoys also reacted to what was happening in the

countryside. Many of them were peasants and had families
living in the villages. So the anger of the peasants quickly
spread among the sepoys.

4. Where did the first incident of revolt take place?

Who was the first hero of this incident?
Answer:

The first incident of revolt took place in Meerut.

Mangal Pandey was the first hero of this incident.

5. With reference to the British rule in India, mention

two economic factors, which became the cause of
Revolt of 1857.

Answer:

● Peasants and Zamindars resented the high taxes and

rigid methods of revenue collection.

● Many failed to pay back their loans to the moneylenders

and gradually lost the land they had tilled for
generations.
 6. What were the Social causes of the Revolt of 1857?
Explain Briefly.

Answer:
● The British introduced railways, post and telegraph
in India. Such innovations were alien to the Indians,
who became fearful of the British intentions.
● The British followed a policy of RACIAL
DISCRIMINATION and looked down upon the
Indians. They did not interact with the Indians and
humiliated them.
● The reforms undertaken by the British were not

welcomed by the people.

Long Question
1. The Revolt of 1857 can be called the First national
uprising in British India. Discuss.

Answer:

● If we go through facts of this historical turn of events

carefully we will realize that it was indeed the first national
uprising. It was like awakening among mass of India that
they are being dominated, exploited by an alien force.
● For the first time a number of Indians came together for a
collective purpose of fighting the injustice of the Company.
● Though the revolt could not succeed, yet it made Indians
realize of their belongingness to one nation. And also the
need to come together to end foreign dominance.

● Military rebellion as a lot of practices involved in military

expeditions were bound to disrespect religion of both
Hindu - Muslim Community. Introduction
of Enfield rifles sparked this.
 ● Trade of India was totally monopolized and the Indian
craftsmanship was suppressed with decrease in exports.
● Food crops were replaced with cash crops like opium,
cotton, jute and indigo. Peasants were forced to grow
these crops despite a streak of famine or drought years.
Also, sometimes during drought years, farmers were
asked to pay for revenue much greater than original
amount.
● Provocative policies adopted by British like Lord
Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse, further fuelled the
already strong and unwavering discontent among Indian
people against foreign rule.
● These factors influenced the whole of the population of the

country. In response a large no. of people reacted.

2. Why were the peasants in the countryside unhappy
with the British rule?

Answer:

● The economic policies of the British adversely affected the

Indian peasants under the British government, protecting

the landlords and money lenders while they exploited the
peasants.

● The peasants underwent injustice. The peasants longed for

better prices for agricultural produce, better wages and

working conditions. But the British, Zamindars and
moneylenders had made the lives of peasants miserable.
They never received the fruit of their labour.

● Food crops were replaced with cash crops like opium,

cotton, jute and indigo. Peasants were forced to grow
 these crops despite a streak of famine or drought years.
Also, sometimes during drought years, farmers were
asked to pay for revenue much greater than original
amount.

3. Describe the march of Meerut sepoys to Delhi.

Answer:

● The soldiers were determined to bring an end to the British

rule in the country. They needed a leader. So they decided
to approach Bahadur Shah Jafar in Delhi.
● The sepoys of Meerut rode all night of 10 May to reach Delhi
in the early hours next morning.
● As news of their arrival spread, the regiments stationed in
Delhi also rose up in rebellion. British officers were killed,
arms and ammunition seized, buildings set on fire.
● Triumphant soldiers gathered around the walls of the Red
Fort where the Badshah lived, demanding to meet him.
● The emperor was not quite willing to challenge the mighty
British power but the soldiers persisted. They forced their
way into the palace and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as
their leader.
4. What was the immediate cause of Revolt?

Answer:

On 29 March 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey, was

hanged to death for attacking his officers in Barrackpore.
Some days later, some sepoys of the regiment at Meerut
refused to do the army drill using the new cartridges, which
were suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and
pigs. Eighty-five sepoys were dismissed from service and
sentenced to ten years in jail for disobeying their officers.
This happened on 9 May 1857.
The response of the other Indian soldiers in Meerut was
quite extraordinary. On 10 May, the soldiers marched to the
jail in Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys. They
attacked and killed British officers. They captured guns and
ammunition and set fire to the buildings and properties of the
British and declared war on the firangis. The soldiers were
determined to bring an end to their rule in the country.
5. In what way can the Revolt be said to have a broad
social base?
Answer:
● The revolt of 1857 had a broad social base. It was not only a
mutiny by the sepoys. Social, religious, economic and
political reasons were also behind this revolt.
● People from different backgrounds were influenced
negatively by the policies of the British. There were a
number of factors which strengthened the foundation of
revolt.
● When a very large number of people begin to believe that
they have a common enemy and rise up against the enemy
at the same time.
● For such a situation to develop people from different
backgrounds have to organise, communicate, take initiative
and display the confidence to turn the situation around.
● Such a situation developed in the northern parts of India in
1857. After a hundred years of conquest and
administration, the English East India Company faced a
massive rebellion that started in May 1857 and threatened
the Company’s very presence in India.
● Sepoys mutinied in several places beginning from Meerut
and a large number of people from different sections of
society like peasants, zamindars, priests, socialists, kings
and queens rose up in rebellion.

C. Spurt of Mutinies
Short Question
1. Who was the commander of Nana Sahib’s army?
 Answer:

Tantia Tope

Long Questions
1. Name the leaders of the Revolt of 1857 and
mention the areas in which they were active?
Answer:
a. Nana sahib ( Kanpur)
b. Birjis Qadr ( Lucknow)
c. Begum Hazrat Mahal( Lucknow)
d. Rani lakshmi Bai (Jhansi)
e. Tantya Tope (Kanpur)
f. Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi (Ramgarh)
g. Bakhat Khan (Bareilly)
h. Vir Kunwar Singh (Bihar)

2. Do you agree with the view that the Revolt of 1857

was only a mutiny by the sepoys? Give reasons for
your answers.

Answer: No, the revolt of 1857 was not only a mutiny by the
sepoys according to me.

Yes, it is true that the immediate cause of the revolt was military.
But there were a number of other factors which strengthened the
foundation of revolt. When a very large number of people begin to
believe that they have a common enemy and rise up against the
enemy at the same time. For such a situation to develop people
from different backgrounds have to organise, communicate, take
initiative and display the confidence to turn the situation around.
Such a situation developed in the northern parts of India in
1857. After a hundred years of conquest and administration, the
English East India Company faced a massive rebellion that
started in May 1857 and threatened the Company’s very presence
in India. Sepoys mutinied in several places beginning from
Meerut and a large number of people from different sections of
society like peasants, zamindars, priests, socialists, kings and
queens rose up in rebellion.

D. Company Suppress the Rebellion.

Long Questions
1. How did the company suppress the revolt?

Answer:

● Unnerved by the scale of the upheaval, the Company

decided to repress the revolt with all its might. It brought
reinforcements from England, passed new laws so that the
rebels could be convicted with ease, and then moved into
the storm centres of the revolt.
● Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces in September
1857. The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was
tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment.
● The recapture of Delhi, however, did not mean that the
rebellion died down after that. People continued to resist
and battle the British.
● The British had to fight for two years to suppress the
massive forces of popular rebellion.
● Lucknow was taken in March 1858. Rani Lakshmibai
was defeated and killed in June 1858. Tantia Tope
escaped to the jungles of central India and continued
to fight a guerrilla war with the support of many tribal
and peasant leaders. He was captured, tried and killed
in April 1859.
 E. Consequences of the Revolt.
1. In what ways the British change their policies as a
result of the rebellion of 1857?

Answer:

● The British tried their best to win back the loyalty of the
people.
● They announced rewards for loyal landholders would be
allowed to continue to enjoy traditional rights over their
lands.
● Those who had rebelled were told that if they submitted to
the British, and if they had not killed any white people, they
would remain safe and their rights and claims to land would
not be denied.

2. Describe the factors that led to the failure of the

Revolt of 1857?

Answer:

Following factors led to the failure of the Revolt:

● The revolt of 1857 suffered from a weak leadership. It was

not planned and organized.
● There was a clear lack of unity among the rebels and there
was no common purpose among them during the revolt of
1857.
● The revolt did not spread to all the parts of India instead it
was confined to the Northern and Central India.
● The lack of resources both in trained men and modern
weapons made the rebels to give up the fight on many
occasions.
 ● Also, many communities like Rajputs, Gurkhas, Holkars
supported the British rather than taking part in the
mutiny.

3. What administrative changes took place after1858?

Answer:

Given below are the important changes that were introduced by

the British:
● The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and
transferred the powers of the East India Company to the
British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible
management of Indian affairs. A member of the British
Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India and
made responsible for all matters related to the governance of
India. He was given a council to advise him, called the India
Council. The Governor-General of India was given the title of
Viceroy, that is, a personal representative of the Crown.
Through these measures the British government accepted
direct responsibility for ruling India.
● All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their
territory would never be annexed in future. They were
allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including
adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge the
British Queen as their Sovereign Paramount. Thus the
Indian rulers were to hold their kingdoms as subordinates
of the British Crown.
● It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the
army would be reduced and the number of European
soldiers would be increased. It was also decided that instead
of recruiting soldiers from Awadh, Bihar, central India and
south India, more soldiers would be recruited from among
the Gurkhas, Sikhs and Pathans.
● The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a
large scale and they were treated with suspicion and
 hostility. The British believed that they were responsible for
the rebellion in a big way.
● The British decided to respect the customary religious and
social practices of the people in India.
● Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and
give them security of rights over their lands. Thus a new
phase of history began after 1857.

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