When People Rebel - Class 8 History - Extra Questions

(a) The ruin of trade and handicrafts: Heavy duties on Indians silk and cotton textile in Britain destroyed Indian industries. On the other hand, British goods were imported into India at a nominal duty. By the middle of the 19th century, export of cotton and silk goods from India practically ceased. The art of spinning and weaving, which for ages had given employment to thousands of artisans, became extinct.


(b) The impoverishment of the 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 field chosen by the British planters.If they planted anything else, their crops were destroyed and their cattle were carried off as punishment.


(c) Subordination of Indian economy to British interests (Making India an Agricultural Colony of British capitalism): 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 and food grains which were in short in Britain.

• British introduced Rule of Law. 
  
• It totally disregarded the status, position and money power. 
  
• The costly and difficult procedures of the new legal system disillusioned the people 
  
• It was not applicable to Europeans 
  
• Replacement of Persian language by English as court language 
  
• Abolition of sati, permission for widow remarriage caused unrest. 
  

Introduction of telegraph and railway lines were clear signs of westernization.

Military Causes;

• Low salary and poor prospects of promotion.
• Disproportion between Indian and British troops.
• Social distance between officers and Indian soldiers.
• Loss of British prestige in Afghan War.
• General Service Enlistment Act by which Indians enlisted in British Army could be sent overseas.

Economic Causes:

• The British Government restrictions on the import of Indian textiles besides imposing heavy import duties on such goods.
• India was forced to export raw materials like raw cotton and raw silk at cheaper rates that the British industries needed urgently; plantation products; and food grains which were in short supply in Braitain.
• The British Company confiscated the jagirs of many landlords and taluqars.
• The British traders, after the conquest of Bengal, began to purchase raw material for their industries in England from the surplus revenues of Bengal causing drain of wealth from India to England.

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. Also, the rulers of Kashmir, Gwalior, and Hyderabad helped the British against the revolt. 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.

The General Service Enlistment Act of 1856 required all recruits to serve overseas. The Act did not take into account the sentiment of the Indian soldiers. The Brahmin soldiers saw this as a danger to their caste.

British refused to accept Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Baji Rao II as the ruler of the Marathas.

Racial discrimination refers to any discrimination against individuals on the basis of their race. This social evil denies racial minorities their deserved rights in many fields, including education, public services and employment. This will gradually affect the social and cultural imbalance of the country and will culminate in clashes between different ethnic groups and bloodshed.

1. Rani Laxmibai : Rani Laxmibai was the queen of the princely state of Jhansi in North India. She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and became a symbol of resistance to the British Raj for Indian nationalists.  

India was forced to export, at cheaper rates, raw materials like cotton and raw silk that the british industries needed. materials like 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. Thus cottage industries affected by British Policy of Economic Exploitation.

The British policy of territorial annexations led to the displacement of a large number of rulers and chiefs. The vigorous application of the policies of Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse angered the ruling sections of the society. Rani Lakshmi Bai and Nana Sahib became bitter enemies of the British and led the revolt in their respective territories. The annexation of Awadh, on grounds of misgovernment, was greatly resented. It deeply hurt the sentiments of the Company’s sepoys because most of them came from Awadh. Moreover, even under the new regime, the people of Awadh got no relief from oppression. Peasants had to pay even higher revenue and additional taxes were imposed. The British provided no alternative source of employment to the people who lost their jobs due to the dissolution of the Nawab’s administration. All these political and administrative factors led to the First War of Independence.

The economic changes responsible for the revolt of 1857 were as follows;

• Due to the development of industrialization in England, the Indian handicrafts and industries diminished. England apart from being an industrialized country became a workshop of industries. The artisans of India became unemployed. The weavers became the first victims as wool and cloth making industries suffered a lot. The Indian handicrafts became financially infeasible.
• The British levied high customs on Indian goods entering the market of England. Due to Zamindari system, the farmers were exploited by Zamindars. Land tax collection rights awarded to Talukadars were withdrawn. 
• By forming Inam Commissions, Inam lands were also withdrawn. As result, the farmers had to undergo lot of economic hardships and felt insulted. Hence, the farmers also protested all these.
  

The condition of Indian soldiers on the British army was very pathetic. They get lower wages as compared to the British Soldiers. Indian Soldiers were not allowed to web any religious marks. which was against their religion. They also get crude punishments by the British.

Introduction of railways was regarded as an attempt to interfere with the caste rules because Brahmins and untouchables had to sit in the same compartment. There was a rumour that the telegraph poles would be used for hanging people.

For administrative purposes, the British divided colonial India into three Presidencies, which in turn led to the rise in the importance of the Presidency cities of Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. These cities became the centres of  British power in power in the different regions of India. New factories came up, trade developed.
At the same time that these cities were expanding, the towns and cities that manufactured specialised goods declined due to a drop in the demand for what they produced. Old trading centres and ports could not survive when the flow of trade moved to new centres. Similarly, earlier centres of regional power collapsed when local rulers were defeated by the British and new centres of administration emerged. This process is described as de-urbanisation.

As per this Act, Indian soldiers could be sent overseas on duty. The Act did not take into account the sentiment of the Indian soldiers. This led to a feeling of resentment among them.

1. All higher positions in employment were kept reserved for the British irrespective of their performance. The future of the Indian soldiers was bleak without chances of promotions.

2. Indian soldiers were required to serve in areas away from their homes without payment and additional bhatta.

Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the East India Company to recognise her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband. This demand was refused by the British.

1. Abolition of Sati in 1829

2. Introduction of widow Remarriage Act in 1856.

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 Indians masses.

India was forced to accept readymade British goods either duty free or at normal duty rates while Indian products were subjected to high import duties in England. The Indian handmade goods were unable to compete the cheaper British products.

The British economic policies ruined the Indian artisans and craftsmen.

Below is the list of causes for the decline in the demand for handmade goods.

1. The machine-made goods were cheap and durable.
2. In the absence of Nawabs and kings during British rule, no one was there to protect Indian handicrafts.
3. Heavy-tax was placed on handmade goods by Britishers. 

Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi played a vital role in the revolt of 1857. She fought bravely with the British force. She challenged the British law which had debarred her adopted son from being the ruler. She was one of the great forces behind the revolt against the British. The matchless courage that she showed is rare.

The transfer of wealth from India to England for which Indian got no proportionate economic return, is called the Drain of Wealth.
Till the Battle of Plassey, the European traders used to bring gold into India to buy Indian cotton and silk. However, 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. Thus, began the process of plundering India's raw materials, resources and wealth to England.

The political reasons which antagonised the Indians rulers were the following:

• Policy of Expansion-  The British policy of control and gradual extinction of the native Indian States was one of the major grievances of the Indians rulers. Ever since the Battle of Plassey, the East India Company's territorial power increased rapidly. the British tried to expand their political power in India 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.

• Disrespect shown to Bahadur Shah-  Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Mughal ruler, was under the protection of the Company and received a pension from the British. 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 Qutab Minar.

The political causes of the revolt may be traced to the British policy of expansion through the Doctrine of Lapse and direct annexation. A large number of Indian rulers and chiefs were dislodged, thus arousing fear in the minds of other ruling families who apprehended a similar fate. Rani Lakshmi Bai’s adopted son was not permitted to sit on the throne of Jhansi. and Jhansi was annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse. This was the main reason due to which Rani Laxmi Bai became a bitter enemy of British.

 

The last Mughal emperor spent the last years of his life in a jail in Rangoon along with his wife.

Rani Lakshmi Bai was well known as the Rani of Jhansi. She led her troops into battle heroically. When she was driven out of Jhansi, she captured Gawalior with the help of Tantya Tope. She fought bravely with the British troops. However, she was killed in fighting at Kalpi (near Gwalior). She was an illustrious example of women power and courage. Her name is taken with utmost respect. Though not alive, she is in the heart of all Indians. The path she has shown to us is the path of selfless services and sacrifices.  

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.

In 1856 Lord Canning announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah his successors would not be allowed to use the imperial titles and dignities with their names, this announcement affected adversely the Mughal Dynasty in India.

In 1850, a new law allowed an Indian who had converted to Christianity to inherit property of his ancestors. This law made it easier to convert to Christianity.

Absentee Sovereignty means that India was being ruled by the British government from England, at a distance of thousands of miles. Absentee Sovereignty of the British rule was resented by the Indians. the earlier rulers like the Mughals, who had conquered India, and in course of time, settled in India. The revenues they collected from the Indians were spent in India only but in the case of British, the Indians felt that they were being ruled from England and India's wealth was being drained to England and not utilized for their welfare.

The peasants were discontent with the official land revenue policy and the consequent loss of their land. In fact, 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.

(a) The Indian soldiers were unhappy because of their low salary and poor prospects of promotion. All the high ranks in the army were reserved for the British only. The troops were not properly distributed. The key lace like Delhi and Allahabad had no British armies.
(b) The last Mughal Emperor was Bahadur Shah. Lord Canning announced that Bahadur Shah's successor would not be allowed to use the imperial title. Such a discourtesy to the Mughal Emperor hurt Muslim sentiments considerably. Dalhousie's refusal of pension to Nana Saheb, that adopted son of the ex-Peshwa was resented by the Hindus in general and Nana Saheb in particular.
(c) The British rulers deliberately crippled Indians art and crafts by imposing duties on Indian silk and cotton textile in Britain. On the other hand, British goods were imported into India at a nominal duty. Millions of artisans and craftsmen lost their jobs and had no alternative source of income.

The most important cause of popular discontent was the British policy of economically exploiting India. This hurt all sections of society. The peasants suffered due to high revenue demands and the strict revenue collection policy. Artisans and craftsmen were ruined by the large-scale influx of cheap British manufactured goods into India which, in turn, made their hand-made goods uneconomical to produce. People who made a living by following religious and cultural pursuits lost their source of livelihood due to the withdrawal of royal patronage caused by the displacement of the old ruling classes. A corrupt and unresponsive administration added to the misery of the people.

The peasants were discontent with the official land revenue policy and the consequent loss of their land. In fact, 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.  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. the economic decline of the peasants affected cultivation and led to many famines.

The British had annexed large tribal land for growing cash crops like indigo and jute, the tribal of the area were rendered landless. Their peaceful life was disturbed and they were forced to work at very mearge wages. soon the tribals went up in arms. This was the main reason behind tribal revolts. 

(a) Religious sentiments of the Indians were hurt by the official policy of taxing lands belonging to temples and mosques. Such lands had been exempted from taxation by previous Indians rulers, The families dependent on these lands, began to propagate that the British were trying to undermine the religions of Indians.

(b) Several factors contributed to the change in the attitude of the Indians soldiers towards the Company. These included the following:
Ill-treatment of Indian soldiers
General Service Enlistment Act
Larger Proportion of Indians in the British Army
Bleak Prospects of Promotions
Deprivation of Allowances
Faulty Distribution of Troops
Poor Performance of British Troops

(c) The land aristocracy which included the taluqdars and the hereditary landlords were deprived of their estates. 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. Such estates were usually purchased by merchants and moneylenders who did not understand the needs of the tenants and exploited them.

(a) The introduction of Railways and Telegraphs- The introduction  of modern innovation such as railways and telegraphs was misunderstood by the people. There were rumours that the telegraph poles were erected to hang people who were against the British rule. Similarly, the orthodox Indians noted 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.


(b) The introduction of Enfield Rifles- In 1856, the British decided to replace the old-fashioned musket, by the new Enfield Rifles. The loading process of the Enfield rifles involved bringing the cartridge to the mouth and biting off the top greased paper with the mouth.


(c) The laws that inherited with the religious customs of the people.- Religious sentiments of the Indians were hurt by the official policy of taxing lands belonging to temples and mosques. Such lands had been exempted from taxation by previous Indians rulers. The families dependent on these lands, began to propagate that the British were trying to undermine the religions of India.

Military Causes:

1. Low salary and poor prospects of promotion.
2. The disproportion between Indian and British troops.
3. The social distance between officers and Indian soldiers.
4. Loss of British prestige in Afghan War.
5. General Service Enlistment Act by which Indians enlisted in British Army could be sent overseas.

 

Economic Causes:

1. The British Government restrictions on the import of Indian textiles besides imposing heavy import duties on such goods.
2. India was forced to export raw materials like raw cotton and raw silk at cheaper rates that the British industries needed urgently; plantation products (like indigo, tea); and food grains which were in short supply in Britain.
3. The British Company confiscated the jagirs of many landlords and taluqdars.

Political Causes:

1. The British policy of territorial annexations led to the displacement of a large number of rulers and chiefs. The vigorous application of the policies of Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse angered the ruling sections of the society. Rani Lakshmi Bai and Nana Sahib became bitter enemies of the British and led to the revolt in their respective territories.
2. The annexation of Awadh, on grounds of misgovernment, was greatly resented. The Nawabs of Awadh had always been loyal to the British. The annexation was widely seen as a blatant act of back-stabbing by the British. It deeply hurt the sentiments of the Company’s sepoys because most of them came from Awadh.
3. Moreover, even under the new regime, the people of Awadh got no relief from oppression. Peasants had to pay even higher revenue and additional taxes were imposed.
4. The British provided no alternative source of employment to the people who lost their jobs due to the dissolution of the Nawab’s administration.