Class VIII

History
Chapter-5
Condition of Indian Nawabs and Kings
Causes of the Revolt of 1857
Political Causes
Declaration of Bahadur Shah Zafar as
the last Mughal Emperor
 Economic Causes
The Peasants:
In the countryside, peasants and zamindars
resented the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue
collection.Many failed to pay back their loans to the
moneylenders and gradually lost the lands they had tilled for
generations.

The Artisans:
The artisans and craftsman lost their means of
livelihood due to large influx of cheap British
manufactured goods which in turn made hand made
goods very expensive.
1856
Belief of Hindu Soldiers against Sea
Voyage
Social and Religious Causes
• The British believed that Indian society had to be reformed.

• Laws were passed to stop Sati practice and to encourage

remarriage of widows ,ban on female infanticide and caste
discrimination were deeply resented by Indian masses.

• English education was widely promoted.

• After 1830, Christian missionaries were allowed to function

freely in its domain and own land and property. A new law
was passed in 1850, to convert into Christianity easier. The
law allowed Indian Christians to inherit the property of their
ancestors.

• Many Indians began to feel that the British were destroying

their religion ,their social customs and their traditional way
of life.
Introduction :
The rebellion gradually spread to other parts of the country. Various regiments
mutinied and marched to join other troops at nodal points like Delhi, Kanpur
and Lucknow. The people in the towns and villages also revolted and rallied
around local leaders, zamindars and chiefs. For the local leaders, zamindars and
chiefs it was an opportunity to assert their authority.
 Nana Saheb gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the
city of Kanpur. He declared himself as a governor under the Mughal
Emperor.
 Birjis Qadr proclaimed himself the new Nawab in Lucknow. He was the son
of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. He also acknowledged the suzerainty of
Bahadur Shah. His mother Begum Hazrat Mahal actively organized the
uprising against the British.
 Rani Laxmi Bai joined the rebel sepoys in Jhansi. She fought the British
along with Tantia Tope who was the general of Nana Saheb.
 Ahmadullah was a maulvi from Faizabad.He prophesied that the end of the
British rule was imminent.He came to Lucknow to fight the British.
 Bhakt Khan ,a soldier from Bareilly ,took charge of a large force of fighters
who came to Delhi.
 In Bihar,Kunwar Singh battled with the British for many months.
The Company Fights Back
Important Centres Of The Revolt
 Causes For The Failure Of Revolt
•The rebels lacked modern weapons for war.
•The rebels had no able leader who could have kept
them united . They were disorganized in their
pursuit.
•The struggle remained restricted only to north India
people of South India did not take part in it
•By having control over the means of transport and
communication the British were able to suppress the
rebellion.
Aftermath(Changes brought in 1858
after the revolt)