Revolt of 1857

In1600 AD Akbar was ruling the India, then during his reign British
Company came to India for business but later they started to rule the
India. Indian people were not aware that they are going to be the
slave of the Britishers. They started to occupy many parts of India
and Indians latterly felt that they want independence from Britishers.
Indians try many ways to get free and some causes behind the
independence of India are as follows which let to the first war of
Independence held -

Causes –

1- Military cause –
◼ Britishers while ruling the India was also giving jobs to Indian
people and one of them was of the Army. There were two
Groups of Army, one was European Army and second was
Indian Army.
◼ Overseas posting -To protect British Army, Britishers
started to send Indian army to overseas country. And some
Hindu people don’t want to cross the sea for the job as they
do not want to leave their family.
◼ Discrimination in salary - There was a big difference in
the salaries of the Britisher soldier and Indian Soldier which
was of the same rank. Example, British soldier will get rupees
10000 and on the other hand, with the same post Indian
soldier get rupees 1000 for the job. This also led a problem
for British Empire.
 ◼ No promotion of Indian soldier after Subedar- Indian
soldier was not promoted after they reach subedar level
while British soldier can reach more up to subedar level. This
also led a violation.
◼ Double Batta was not given to Indian Soldiers-
Double Batta was a special agreement to those Soldiers who
participates in war. In Double Batta, the soldiers were given
some special prize, extra money, money allowance and
many more such things. But this Double Batta was only for
the British Soldiers not for Indian Soldiers. Indian people
think’s that Indians were also going to war then why they
were not getting credited with Double Batta. This also led a
conflict.

2- Political Cause –
◼ Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by Lord Dalhousie in
1848.Doctrine of Lapse was an act which states that if the
last ruler of the particular empire has a adopted son, then
after the death of king all his empire, all his administration,
all his money and wealth will be taken by British Empire and
that adopted son will get pension monthly. This was not
accepted by some of the rulers.
◼ Pension was stopped to Nana sahib - Nana Sahib was
the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao, Nana Sahib was getting
his pension monthly but after some time Britishers stopped
giving pension to Nana Sahib and Nana Sahib revolts against
them.
◼ Awadh was annexed due to fake reason- In 1856,
Awadh was in the control of Begum Hazrat Mahal. As she
was a female ruler, Britihers want to conquer Awadh to
extend their territory and in 1856, Britishers take control
 over Awadh by giving the reason that the administration is
very weak.
◼ The Policy of Subsidiary Alliance.
◼ Area Captured Doctrine of Lapse act were Satara, Jhansi,
Nagpur, Sambhalpur.
3- Economic Cause –

◼ Increase in high Taxes in each administration- From

1855, Taxes were increasing day by day. And by the end of
the 1856, the Taxes were on its peak. Britishers divided taxes
in India into three categories- Zamindari,(zamindari system
was adopted on 1798 in Bengal first. And Zamindari system
is also known as Permanent Settlement of Bengal). Second
was Ryotwari and third was Mahalwari (In Mahalwari
system, whole village has to give Tax together). And the
increase in the Taxes led these three taxes collecting
administration to face a problem because due to high tax
Indian people were taking some actions.
◼ High tax on Indian Product and low tax on British
Product- Britishers were taking high tax on the Indian
products. As the British products were facing low tax. This
was a discrimination that Britishers were offering less tax to
their own products and high tax on the Indian products. This
also led a conflict.
◼ Decreasing in the Jobs(unemployment) - Before
1848, Britishers were giving raw material to Indian people
and Indians were manufacturing the raw material to final
product. Then Britishers give gold in the form of money to
buy the final product. Then a complain was registered in the
Queen office, London. Then Queen order them to not give
Gold to India, instead they can take raw material from
Indians and give final product to Indians so that Britishers
can take more and more gold. But this led in decrease in
 Jobs for Indians as Indian people were doing a job of
converting raw material to Final product. This also led a
conflict.
4- Socio Religious cause –

◼ Interfering Hindu religion by passing acts which

harm Hindu Culture - Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Lord
Willian Bentick were the main person who banned the Sati
System by passing a Anti Sati Act in 1829. As in Sati system,
the widow is burned after her husband death. And Lord
Dalhousie later passed an act named Widow remarriage act
in 1856 so that widow can marriage and live their life
happily. But this was not accepted by some of the Hindus,
they think that Christians were interfering in the Hindus
religion. This also led a conflict.
◼ Racial Discrimination - Britishers were discriminating
people on the basis of their color, look, etc.
◼ Conversion into Christianity - Britishers were
converting people to their religion by giving them money.
5- Religious Cause – Britishers introduced new type of gun
which uses cartridges made up of Pig and Cow fat (rumored).
This rumor led many Hindu and Muslims to question Britishers
as Cow is sacred for Hindus and Pig is forbidden in Muslim
religion. The soldiers had to open cartridges with the help of
their mouth so many of the people protested against the
Britishers.
6- Elite Muslims –
◼ Muslims were ruling before Britishers so they don’t want to
work under them.
◼ Persian language was replaced by English as an Official
Language.
Important – As South India was not suffering from such problems.
As they were busy in trading with Britishers at the seashores to gain
jobs and money. The whole revolt was fought in the north-east India.

Mangal Pandey was a sepoy in the British Empire as an Indian

Soldier. He also refused to use the new Enfield refile as the cartridges
contain fat od Cow and pig. He was the first person to attack
Britishers in Barrackpore. He killed two British officers namely
Hugeson and Baugh. On May 10,1857 he starts strike against
Britishers in Merrut and spread all over the UP and alter major parts
of India. And on may 11, he goes to Bahadur Shah Zafar for attacking
the Britishers and he did it and the Mughal Empire Collapsed with
many empires with them. Mangal Pandey later arrested by Britishers
and died as the court order hang till death.

Important rulers in Revolt of 1857 –

Written and Compiled by

Zahid Malik (mannu)