Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about The First War of Indian Independence (1857) from Class 10 Social Science. In this chapter, we will learn the causes for the First War of Independence, the immediate cause for the revolt, the spread of the revolt and its nature, and the failure of the revolt along with its effects. With the objective of expanding their rule in India, the British had brought into force the Doctrine of Subsidiary Alliance and the Doctrine of Lapse. Many native rulers rose in rebellion for their existence. The Arms Act and the appointment of the Inam Commission created dissatisfaction among Indians about the British. As a result, Indians were upset. They were dissatisfied with the British administration too. This dissatisfaction surfaced as a major revolt in 1857. While some Indians called this the First War of Independence, British historians called it the Sepoy Mutiny. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us begin with the causes for the First War of Independence. First, we will look at the political causes. Many kingdoms lost their rights due to the promulgation of the Doctrine of Lapse brought about by the British. Satara, Jaipur, Jhansi, Udaipur, and other kingdoms came under British control. Dalhousie cancelled the princely titles of the Nawabs of Tanjore and Carnatic kingdoms. The Mughal sultans, the Nawab of Oudh and other kings were dethroned. Consequently, lakhs of soldiers who were dependent on these kings, became unemployed. This became a strong cause for the protest of 1857 against the British. [CHECKPOINT]
Next, we examine the economic causes. Due to the industrial revolution in England, Indian handicrafts and cottage industries suffered heavily. England, instead of being a trading country, became a hub of industries. The Indian craftsmen became unemployed. Primarily, the textile and wool industries became sick and people lost their jobs. The cottage industries too suffered a death blow. The British imposed a heavy tax on sale of Indian goods in England. Because of the zamindari system, the landlords, acting as commission agents between the Government and the farmers, exploited the farmers. The right given to the taluks to collect tax was withdrawn. An Inam Commission was appointed and all the gifted lands without documents, known as Inam lands, were taken back. Due to this, the farmers felt insulted and experienced many financial problems. This too led to the revolt of farmers against the government. [CHECKPOINT]
Moving on to the administrative causes, the British brought into force new civil and criminal laws. These were applicable only to Indians. English became the language of the courts. Most of the time the British judges favoured the British. The aspirations of new rules were not understood by the common people. Now let us look at the military causes. The condition of the Indian soldiers in the British army was pathetic. The status, salary, and opportunities for promotion that British soldiers enjoyed were not given to Indian soldiers. The religious sentiments of the Indian soldiers were disturbed when they were forced to cross the oceans to serve on a foreign land. [CHECKPOINT]
Please note this important definition from your textbook. Know this: Inam Commission means that the Inam lands without documents were confiscated. Keep this exact definition in mind for your exams. Now let us move on to the eruption of the revolt and its spread. Most of the Indian soldiers in the British army believed that if they fought together, they could drive away the British from India. In this situation, the soldiers were being given new rifles called Royal Enfield. A rumour spread among the soldiers that the cartridges used in these rifles were greased with the fat of cow and pigs. While cows were sacred to the Hindus, pigs were blasphemous for Muslims. This incident became the immediate cause for the revolt. [CHECKPOINT]
The rumour that spread in the army troops at Barrackpur led to severe dissatisfaction. When the British officers ordered the Indian soldiers to pull the safety catch with the help of their teeth, the soldiers rejected the command and revolted against their superiors. At this juncture, an Indian soldier named Mangal Pandey killed a British official. Subsequently, he was arrested, tried and hanged. Meerut was a strong military base of the British. When the British ordered the Indian soldiers to use the greased cartridges, the soldiers refused to carry out the order. The soldiers were imprisoned. As a result, there was a revolt in Meerut. Indian soldiers rushed into the prison and released the soldiers jailed there. This initiated seedling for the war of independence. [CHECKPOINT]
Later, the group of soldiers went to Delhi from Meerut. They laid siege on the Red Fort and declared the aged Moghul king, Bahadur Shah the Second, as the Emperor of India. Protesting soldiers from different parts of India reached Delhi. Consequently, the protest became serious. It spread like wild fire to Kanpur and Jhansi. In Kanpur, Nana Saheb rose in protest. Tatya Tope was his assistant. In Jhansi, a revolt took place under the leadership of Queen Laxmibai. When Kanpur fell into the hands of the British, Tatya Tope came to Jhansi to help the Queen. The heat of the revolt was felt in Lucknow too. Ultimately, Lucknow was taken over by the British. The war spread to the south of river Yamuna. As a result, the soldiers in Jhansi felt encouraged. Jhansi Rani Laxmibai who was enraged by the Doctrine of Lapse, declared war against the British. She took Gwalior under her control. When the battle took place again with the British, the Queen laid down her life. Even today, the queen occupies a proud position in the history of the independence struggle. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, let us analyze the reasons for the failure of the revolt. The First War of Independence of 1857 failed due to various reasons. The movement did not spread to the whole country. This struggle was intended to protect the interests of a few rather than getting freedom for the country. Instead of being an organized struggle, it erupted due to certain unexpected reasons. The unity among the British forces and lack of it among the Indian soldiers also led to the failure. There was no proper direction or proper leadership. In addition, there was a lack of strategy, expertise among soldiers, effective leadership, discipline and direction. Many provincial kings, on account of their loyalty to the British, did not support the struggle. The people lost confidence in the soldiers due to their arson and looting. [CHECKPOINT]
Next, we will study the effects of the revolt. The freedom struggle put an end to the administration of the British East India Company, and the administration was taken over by the Queen of England. The administrative responsibility was handed over to the Secretary of Indian Affairs in the British Parliament. In 1858, the Queen of England made a declaration. This declaration has been called India’s Magna Carta. Let me read out the exact points included in this declaration for you. The agreements made by the British East India Company with the kings were accepted. Ambitious expansion plans had to be given up. A stable government had to be provided to Indians. There would be equality before law. The government would exhibit religious tolerance and not to interfere in religious matters of the country. The British realized that peaceful rule was not possible without support, trust and confidence of the Indians. This gives new route to Indian freedom movement. Indians understood the inevitability of finding alternative routes to obtain freedom from the British. [CHECKPOINT]
Now let us move on to the exercises. I will read each question and provide the complete answer so you can prepare effectively for your exams. Exercise One asks you to fill in the blanks with suitable words. Question one: British historians refer to the 1857 revolt as the Sepoy Mutiny. Question two: During the 1857 revolt, at Barakpura, British officer was killed by Mangal Pandey. Question three: Jhansi Rani fought against British and took Gwalior under her control. Question four: The declaration passed by the British Queen in 1858 is called India’s Magna Carta. [CHECKPOINT]
Exercise Two asks you to discuss the following in groups and answer them. Question five: The political factors inspired the revolt of 1857. How? Answer: The political factors inspired the revolt because the British applied the Doctrine of Lapse, which caused many kingdoms like Satara, Jaipur, Jhansi, and Udaipur to lose their rights and come under British control. Dalhousie cancelled the princely titles of the Nawabs of Tanjore and Carnatic. The Mughal sultans, the Nawab of Oudh, and other kings were dethroned. This left lakhs of dependent soldiers unemployed, creating strong resentment against British rule. Question six: The economic changes of the time were responsible for the 1857 revolt. How? Answer: The industrial revolution in England turned it into an industrial hub, destroying Indian handicrafts and cottage industries. Indian craftsmen, especially in textile and wool, became unemployed. Heavy taxes were imposed on Indian goods in England. The zamindari system allowed landlords to exploit farmers as commission agents. The withdrawal of tax collection rights from taluks and the confiscation of Inam lands by the Inam Commission caused severe financial distress and insult to farmers, leading to their revolt. [CHECKPOINT]
Question seven: What were the factors that disturbed the religious sentiments of the soldiers during the 1857 revolt? Answer: The religious sentiments of Indian soldiers were disturbed because they were forced to cross the oceans to serve on foreign lands, which violated their religious customs. Additionally, the rumour that the new Royal Enfield rifle cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat deeply offended both Hindus and Muslims, as cows are sacred to Hindus and pigs are considered blasphemous by Muslims. Question eight: What was the immediate cause for the First War of Independence? Answer: The immediate cause was the introduction of the new Royal Enfield rifles and the rumour that their cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. When British officers ordered soldiers to bite the cartridges to pull the safety catch, the soldiers refused, leading to open rebellion. [CHECKPOINT]
Question nine: Make a list of the reasons for the failure of the revolt. Answer: The reasons for the failure of the revolt are as follows. The movement did not spread to the whole country. The struggle aimed to protect the interests of a few rather than securing national freedom. It was not an organized struggle but erupted due to unexpected reasons. There was unity among British forces but a lack of unity among Indian soldiers. There was no proper direction or leadership. There was a lack of strategy, expertise, effective leadership, discipline, and direction. Many provincial kings remained loyal to the British and did not support the struggle. The people lost confidence in the soldiers due to their arson and looting. Question ten: What were the features of the declaration of the British Queen in 1858? Answer: The features of the 1858 declaration, known as India’s Magna Carta, are that the agreements made by the British East India Company with the kings were accepted. Ambitious expansion plans had to be abandoned. A stable government was promised to Indians. Equality before the law was established. The government committed to religious tolerance and promised not to interfere in the religious matters of the country. [CHECKPOINT]
Exercise Three covers activities. Activity one instructs you to mark on the Indian map the kingdoms which were taken over by the British with the help of the Doctrine of Lapse. Since you are listening, please visualize the map of India. You should locate and mark the following regions: Satara in the western Deccan region, Jaipur in Rajasthan, Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, and Udaipur in Rajasthan. These territories were annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse. Activity two asks you to organize a speech from an expert on the topic, The 1857 revolt was the First War of Independence. For this activity, you should structure your speech by first explaining why Indian leaders and historians view it as a national struggle for independence rather than a mere mutiny. You should highlight the widespread participation of rulers, soldiers, peasants, and artisans across different regions, the shared goal of ending British exploitation, and the political, economic, and military causes that united diverse groups. Conclude by noting how this revolt laid the foundation for the organized national freedom movement that followed. [CHECKPOINT]
Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]