WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
India’s First War of Independence (1857-58), also
referred to as the Sepoy Mutiny, Uprising of 1857 or Great Rebellion, and was an uprising
against British rule in India, which had its roots in a variety of political,
social, economic and religious factors that had built up over time. A few
specific areas such as Meerut , Delhi ,
Kanpur , Lucknow
and Jhansi India
Causes
of War:
The War of
Independence broke out due to a variety of factors some longstanding and some
more immediate. One important cause was the Doctrine of Lapse introduced in
1852, under which the British could take over kingdoms that did not have a
direct male heir. The Governor General, Lord Dalhousie, was able to annex
several prominent states such as Awadh using this doctrine. Then there were
reforms such as replacement of Sanskrit and Persian with English as the language
of official use in 1834 and the abolishment of sati, which along with the work
of missionaries lead to fears that social and religious values were under
threat.
Disgruntlement
amongst the Bengal Army, which was recruited from Northern
India particularly Awadh, also formed a basis for the uprising. As
the East India Company expanded its territory, soldiers from the Bengal Army
were now expected to serve in far-away territories or overseas, something that
they were previously exempted from due to religious reasons. There were also
issues related to the basis for promotion and low salary that served as causes
for discontent in army. The immediate cause of the war was the introduction of
the infield rifle in January 1857 which used greased cartridges apparently
coated in cow and pig fat that lead to dissent amongst the Indian troops. The
British eventually sought to recall the cartridges but it was too late, as
troop uprisings had already begun.
In 1857,
British faced a serious challenge to their rule in India Independence
Political:
As British
extended their control they introduced many ways of grabbing land like the use
of Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by Lord Dalhousie was very unpopular. The
mistreatment of Mughal Emperor was also another cause and when Lord Dalhousie
moved the capital from Delhi
Religious
and Social:
As the rule of
British grew so did its culture. The British thought that they were Superior
Culture and Disrespected the Indian culture they also did not get mixed with
the Indians as they thought that Indians are uneducated and uncivilized people.
This arrogant attitude and the introduction of new ways of life with railways,
roads and telegraph were not accepted to many Indians. Indians thought that
their religion was threat by foreigners. Christian monks had started the
preaching of Christianity in the schools, offices in all over the sub-continent.
These monks insulted the religion of the Indians. This angered many Indians.
Economic:
We know better
that how British merchants traded with India Europe or any other country but
the goods of British could be imported, thus this made most of the Indians poor.
British also made the salary of their army (Infantry) low.
Military:
There were many
Indian soldiers in the British army but not even a single one of Indian was
made an officer. The British used their army to fight other countries and this
was not accepted to Indians who wanted to leave their mother land. They were
also rumors that The Indians were forced to convert into Christianity before they
could be made the Officers.
The
Events of 1857:
● In January 1857 the British announced
that they would introduce a new rifle with a paper cartridge covered with
grease to keep the powder dry and before the cartridge would be loaded the end
had to be bitten off. However a rumor spread that the grease was made up of Cow
and pigs fat. The Sepoys were so angry that they refused to use the new rifle.
● In March a Sepoy named Mangal Pandey
defied his British officer and was executed.
● In May Sepoys of Meerut refused to touch
the new cartridge so they were put to prison but their fellow Sepoys freed them
and killed all the British then the soldiers marched to Delhi and captured it.
The Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar won the support of Hindus and Muslims.
The War spread and British lost control of Mathura ,
Kanpur , Jhansi
and Allahabad as well as Delhi
and Lucknow
● In
September Delhi
Reasons for Failure
of War of Independence
1. Lack of Unity:
Although the whole
Indian nation faced resentment against the British but the aims were different.
The Muslim wanted to regain control and again set up the Mughal Empire. There
was no general plan or a Leader. The princes did not want the Imperial power
once again. There was no sense of patriotism and India India
2. British
Strength:
The most powerful
country of that time and because of Industrial Resolution they had High tech
weapons. The British army was well trained and was much disciplined and they
were provided with large weapons and Funds by the British government. The
Perhaps the major reason for the failure of this uprising was the strength of
the British. The Britain was Indians were still fighting with each other and in
the mean time the British use it clever techniques and weapons to crush the
rebellion furthermore it had the support of some loyal states like Kashmir who
sent 2000 troops to support the British win the war.
THE EFFECTS OF WAR
The failure of the
war conformed the British masters of India Britain Cawnpore
They also
introduced Viceroy who was known responsible for all the acts in the country.
He had over thousand civil servants to help him administer the country. These
ranged from highly paid judge to lowly paid junior administer. After the War
the British stopped funding Muslim schools and because Muslims still were not
ready to accept the British rule so they did not go in the British schools and
became uneducated. This was not the case with Sikhs and Hindus and they became
friendly with the British and very quickly learned to speak English. After 1857
British did not trust the Indians and thus they were not taken in the army and
the British did not allow Indians to have their own weapons and thus making the
further rebellions less effective. The Control of the British in India
The
scale of the punishments handed out by the British "Army of Retribution" were considered largely appropriate and
justified in a Britain
Bahadur
Shah was tried for treason by a military commission assembled at Delhi , and exiled to Rangoon
The
rebellion saw the end of the East India Company's rule in India India India , and its head, the Secretary of State for India Straits Settlements ,
became colonies in their own right. The British colonial administration
embarked on a program of reform, trying to integrate Indian higher castes and
rulers into the government and abolishing attempts at Westernisation. The
Viceroy stopped land grabs, decreed religious tolerance and admitted Indians
into civil service, albeit mainly as subordinates.
Essentially
the old East India Company bureaucracy remained, though there was a major shift
in attitudes. In looking for the causes of the Mutiny the authorities alighted
on two things: religion and the economy. On religion it was felt that
there had been too much interference with indigenous traditions, both Hindu and
Muslim. On the economy it was now believed that the previous attempts by the
Company to introduce free market competition had undermined traditional power
structures and bonds of loyalty placing the peasantry at the mercy of merchants
and money-lenders. In consequence the new British Raj was constructed in part
around a conservative agenda, based on a preservation of tradition and
hierarchy.
On a
political level it was also felt that the previous lack of consultation between
rulers and ruled had been yet another significant factor in contributing to the
uprising. In consequence, Indians were drawn into government at a local level.
Though this was on a limited scale, a crucial precedent had been set, with the
creation of a new 'white collar'
Indian elite, further stimulated by the opening of universities at Calcutta , Bombay and Madras India
