Great Revolt of 1857

Learn about the Great Revolt of 1857, including its causes, important leaders, major centres, key events and consequences for TNPSC exams.

Great Revolt of 1857

• The Great Revolt of 1857, also known as India’s First War of Independence or the Sepoy Mutiny, was a watershed moment in modern Indian history that brought an end to the British East India Company’s rule and established direct British Crown governance.

The Great Indian Revolt of 1857 – Introduction

• The Revolt of 1857 was the first major organised uprising against British rule in India.
• It began on 10 May 1857 at Meerut.
• The revolt spread to several parts of North and Central India.
• It was primarily a military uprising by Indian sepoys, but later involved rulers, peasants, landlords and ordinary people.
• It is popularly known as:

1. 1. 1. 1. Great Revolt of 1857.
         2. The Sepoy Mutiny.
         3. The Indian Rebellion of 1857.
         4. The First War of Indian Independence.

• The term First War of Indian Independence was popularised by V.D. Savarkar through his book published in 1909.

Causes of the Revolt of 1857

• The causes can be classified into five major categories.

Political Causes

• Doctrine of Lapse = Introduced and extensively implemented by Lord Dalhousie.
• Indian rulers who adopted heirs were denied recognition in certain cases.
• Annexation of Indian kingdoms created resentment among rulers.
• The British annexed Awadh in 1856 on the grounds of alleged misgovernment.
• The Mughal emperor’s position and privileges were gradually reduced.
• Great Revolt of 1857

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Important annexations under Lord Dalhousie

• Satara = 1848
• Sambalpur = 1849
• Baghat = 1850
• Udaipur = 1852
• Jhansi = 1853
• Nagpur = 1854
• Awadh (Oudh) = 1856
• Exam point = Awadh was annexed on the grounds of misgovernment, not under the Doctrine of Lapse.

Economic Causes

• Heavy land revenue policies affected peasants.
• Traditional Indian handicrafts and industries declined.
• British economic policies encouraged the import of British manufactured goods.
• Indian artisans and weavers lost their livelihood.
• Zamindars and landlords were affected by British revenue policies.
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Military Causes

• Indian sepoys received lower salaries than European soldiers.
• Discrimination existed in promotions and allowances.
• Indian soldiers were denied equal status.
• The General Service Enlistment Act was passed in 1856.
• Indian soldiers feared that overseas service would violate their religious customs.

Religious and Social Causes

• Indians feared interference in their religious practices.
• Christian missionary activities created suspicion.
• Social reform measures were misunderstood by some sections of society as attempts at religious conversion.
• The abolition of Sati (1829) and the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act (1856) contributed to existing anxieties among conservative groups.

Immediate Cause

• The introduction of the Enfield P-53 rifle became the immediate cause.
• Its cartridges were believed to be greased with cow and pig fat.
• Soldiers had to bite the cartridges before loading the rifles.
• This offended both Hindu and Muslim religious sentiments.
• It triggered the outbreak of the revolt.
• Great Revolt of 1857

Beginning of the Revolt

• 29 March 1857 = Mangal Pandey attacked British officers at Barrackpore
• 8 April 1857 = Mangal Pandey was executed
• 24 April 1857 = Indian soldiers at Meerut refused to use the cartridges
• 9 May 1857 = 85 Indian soldiers were court-martialled and imprisoned at Meerut
• 10 May 1857 = Revolt broke out at Meerut
• 11 May 1857 = Rebels reached Delhi and proclaimed Bahadur Shah II as their leader
• Great Revolt of 1857

Important personalities

• Mangal Pandey = Associated with the uprising at Barrackpore.
• Bahadur Shah II (Bahadur Shah Zafar) = Symbolic leader of the revolt.

Important Centres and Leaders of the Revolt of 1857

• Delhi = Bahadur Shah II
• Kanpur = Nana Sahib
• Lucknow = Begum Hazrat Mahal
• Jhansi = Rani Lakshmibai
• Bareilly = Khan Bahadur Khan
• Bihar (Jagdishpur) = Kunwar Singh
• Faizabad = Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah
• Allahabad = Maulvi Liaquat Ali
• Gwalior = Rani Lakshmibai and Tantia Tope
• Mandla (Madhya Pradesh) = Rani Avantibai Lodhi

Important Leaders

Bahadur Shah II

• Also known as Bahadur Shah Zafar.
• Last Mughal emperor of India.
• Declared the symbolic leader of the revolt in 1857.
• Captured by the British and exiled to Rangoon (Yangon).
• Died in Rangoon in 1862.
• Great Revolt of 1857

Rani Lakshmibai

• Queen of Jhansi.
• Fought against the British during the Revolt of 1857.
• Famous for her courage and bravery.
• Died fighting near Gwalior on 18 June 1858.
• “Here lay the woman who was the only man among the rebels.” — Sir Hugh Rose, paying tribute to Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi after the Battle of Gwalior (June 1858).

Nana Sahib

• Led the revolt at Kanpur.
• Adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II.
• Tantia Tope was his close associate.
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Tantia Tope

• Important military commander of the revolt.
• Supported Nana Sahib.
• Continued guerrilla warfare against the British.
• Captured and executed by the British in 1859.
• Great Revolt of 1857

Begum Hazrat Mahal

• Led the revolt in Lucknow.
• Wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
• Declared her son Birjis Qadr as ruler of Awadh.
• Opposed British rule.

Kunwar Singh

• Led the revolt in Bihar.
• Belonged to Jagdishpur in present-day Bihar.
• He was approximately 80 years old during the revolt.

Khan Bahadur Khan

• Led the uprising at Bareilly.
• Played an important role in the revolt in Rohilkhand.

Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah

• Also known as the Maulvi of Faizabad.
• Played an important role in the revolt in Awadh.

Important British Officers Who Suppressed the Revolt

• General John Nicholson = Recaptured Delhi
• Sir Colin Campbell = Suppressed the revolt in Lucknow
• Sir Hugh Rose = Captured Jhansi and defeated rebel forces
• Henry Havelock = Played a major role in the campaign at Kanpur and Lucknow
• Major William Hodson = Captured Bahadur Shah Zafar’s sons
• James Outram = Participated in the Lucknow campaign
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Suppression of the Revolt of 1857

• September 1857 = Delhi was recaptured by British forces.
• Bahadur Shah Zafar was arrested and tried.
• March 1858 = Lucknow was recaptured by the British.
• April 1858 = Jhansi was captured by British forces under Sir Hugh Rose.
• June 1858 = Rani Lakshmibai died fighting near Gwalior.
• April 1859 = Tantia Tope was captured and executed.
• Great Revolt of 1857

Causes of the Failure of the Revolt

• Lack of centralised leadership.
• Absence of a common political objective.
• Lack of coordination among rebel leaders.
• Limited geographical spread, mainly in North and Central India.
• Lack of modern weapons and military resources.
• Many Indian rulers and princely states supported the British.
• Superior military organisation and resources of the British.
• Lack of support from important sections of Indian society.
• Absence of a well-organised national movement.
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Consequences of the Revolt of 1857

• The revolt brought major changes in British administration in India.

End of East India Company Rule

• The British Parliament passed the Government of India Act, 1858.
• East India Company rule came to an end.
• India came directly under the British Crown.
• Great Revolt of 1857

Queen’s Proclamation – 1858

• Queen Victoria’s Proclamation was issued on 1 November 1858.
• Lord Canning became the first Viceroy of India.
• The British promised non-interference in religious matters.
• Indian princes were assured that their treaties and rights would be respected.
• The policy of territorial annexation was abandoned.

Changes in Administration

• The office of the Secretary of State for India was created.
• The Board of Control and Court of Directors were abolished.
• The Governor-General of India also became the Viceroy.
• The British Crown assumed direct control over Indian administration.
• Great Revolt of 1857

Military Reorganisation

• The proportion of European soldiers in the Indian army was increased.
• Artillery was largely kept under European control.
• The British followed a policy of recruiting soldiers from selected communities.
• The policy of divide and rule was strengthened.

Important Acts and Events Related to the Revolt

• Doctrine of Lapse = 1848 onwards = Annexation policy under Dalhousie
• General Service Enlistment Act = 1856 = Created resentment among sepoys
• Revolt of 1857 = 1857 = Major uprising against British rule
• Government of India Act = 1858 = Ended East India Company rule
• Queen’s Proclamation = 1858 = Direct Crown rule began
• Indian Councils Act = 1861 = Introduced changes in legislative administration

Important Books Related to the Revolt of 1857

• The Indian War of Independence, 1857 = V.D. Savarkar
• The Sepoy Mutiny and the Revolt of 1857 = R.C. Majumdar
• The Indian Mutiny of 1857 = G.B. Malleson
• The Indian Mutiny = Sir John Kaye
• History of the Indian Mutiny of 1857–58 = G.B. Malleson and John Kaye

Important exam points

• D. Savarkar published The Indian War of Independence, 1857 in 1909.
• British historians commonly described the uprising as the Sepoy Mutiny.
• C. Majumdar questioned the description of the revolt as the First War of Indian Independence.
• Great Revolt of 1857

Important One-Liners for TNPSC Examinations

• The Revolt of 1857 began at – Meerut.
• Date of the outbreak of the revolt – 10 May 1857.
• Immediate cause of the revolt – Greased cartridges of the Enfield rifle.
• The revolt first started among soldiers at – Meerut.
• Mangal Pandey revolted at – Barrackpore.
• Mangal Pandey was executed on – 8 April 1857.
• Symbolic leader of the revolt – Bahadur Shah II.
• Last Mughal emperor – Bahadur Shah Zafar.
• Revolt at Kanpur was led by – Nana Sahib.
• Revolt at Jhansi was led by – Rani Lakshmibai.
• Revolt at Lucknow was led by – Begum Hazrat Mahal.
• Revolt at Bareilly was led by – Khan Bahadur Khan.
• Revolt in Bihar was led by – Kunwar Singh.
• Close associate of Nana Sahib – Tantia Tope.
• British officer who recaptured Delhi – John Nicholson.
• British commander associated with the capture of Jhansi – Sir Hugh Rose.
• British commander who recaptured Lucknow – Sir Colin Campbell.
• Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by – Lord Dalhousie.
• Awadh was annexed in – 1856.
• The Revolt of 1857 ended the rule of – East India Company.
• Government of India Act was passed in – 1858.
• First Viceroy of India – Lord Canning.
• Queen Victoria’s Proclamation was issued on – 1 November 1858.
• Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled to – Rangoon (Yangon).
• Tantia Tope was executed in – 1859.
• Rani Lakshmibai died on – 18 June 1858.
• Book The Indian War of Independence, 1857 was written by – V.D. Savarkar.
• The revolt was also known as – Sepoy Mutiny.
• The first major uprising against British rule in India – The Revolt of 1857.
• The Revolt of 1857 resulted in direct rule by – The British Crown.
• The book The Indian War of Independence, 1857 was written by – V.D. Savarkar.
• Who described the Revolt of 1857 as the First War of Indian Independence? – V.D. Savarkar.
• Who rejected the description of 1857 as the First War of Indian Independence? – R.C. Majumdar.
• Who wrote Eighteen Fifty-Seven? – S.N. Sen.
• Who wrote The Sepoy Mutiny and the Revolt of 1857? – R.C. Majumdar.
• Who wrote The Indian Mutiny of 1857? – G.B. Malleson.
• Who emphasised the importance of rural society in understanding the revolt? – Eric Stokes.
• Who viewed the revolt in the context of British colonial exploitation? – Karl Marx.
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Important Special Names and Titles

• Mangal Pandey = Forerunner of the Revolt of 1857
• Rani Lakshmibai = Heroine of the Revolt of 1857
• Bahadur Shah Zafar = Last Mughal Emperor
• Tantia Tope = Great military commander of the revolt
• Nana Sahib = Leader of the Kanpur revolt
• Kunwar Singh = Hero of the Bihar revolt
• Begum Hazrat Mahal = Heroine of the Lucknow revolt

Revolt of 1857 – Timeline

• 29 March 1857 = Mangal Pandey’s uprising at Barrackpore.
• 8 April 1857 = Execution of Mangal Pandey.
• 10 May 1857 = Revolt began at Meerut.
• 11 May 1857 = Rebels entered Delhi.
• September 1857 = British recaptured Delhi.
• March 1858 = British recaptured Lucknow.
• April 1858 = British captured Jhansi.
• 18 June 1858 = Death of Rani Lakshmibai.
• 1 November 1858 = Queen Victoria’s Proclamation.
• 1859 = Execution of Tantia Tope.
• Great Revolt of 1857

Important Historians and Their Views

• D. Savarkar = Described it as the First War of Indian Independence.
• C. Majumdar = Rejected the description of the revolt as the First War of Indian Independence; considered it neither the first, nor national, nor a war of independence.
• S.N. Sen (Official Historian) = “What began as a fight for religion ended as a war of independence.”
• S.N. Sen (Official Historian) = Considered it a military revolt that developed into a civil rebellion in several areas.
• Sir John Seeley = “A wholly unpatriotic and selfish Sepoy Mutiny with no native leadership and no popular support.”
• Benjamin Disraeli = Described it as a national revolt rather than merely a military mutiny.
• Benjamin Disraeli = “A national rising, not a military mutiny.”
• John William Kaye = Interpreted it primarily as a military mutiny.
• R. Holmes = Described it as a conflict between civilisation and barbarism, reflecting a colonial interpretation.
• Karl Marx = Viewed the uprising as a revolt against British colonial oppression and exploitation.
• Karl Marx = Described it as “the first Indian revolution” against foreign colonial dominance.
• Eric Stokes = Emphasised the role of rural society, peasants and local social structures in the rebellion.
• Christopher Hibbert = Examined it as a complex military and popular uprising.
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