British India: Causes of the Mutiny (Army)

Question 1

What happened between 1847 to 1857?

Answer 1

East India Company decided to equip its Indian sepoys with the new Enfield rifle.

Question 2

When did the East India Company decided to equip its Indian sepoys with the new Enfield rifle?

Answer 2

1847 to 1857

Question 3

Between 1847-57, what kind of rifles did the East India Company give the Indian Sepoys?

Answer 3

Enfield rifles

Question 4

What did the new rifled barrel require?

Answer 4

Greasing of Cartidges in order to ram home easily the bullet that was placed in the base off each cartridge

Question 5

What did the loading process of the new “bored” rifles mean?

Answer 5

Top of cartridge had to be ripped off and in the heat of the moment, ripped off.

Question 6

After the cartridge was torn off, what had to be done to the Enfield rifle?

Answer 6

Empty container with its bullet inside it rammed down the barrel

Question 7

When did rumours circulate that the great arsenal at Dum-Dum, near Calcutta was coating the new issue cartridges with cow and pig fat?

Answer 7

January 1857

Question 8

What happened in January 1857?

Answer 8

rumours circulate that the great arsenal at Dum-Dum, near Calcutta was coating the new issue cartridges with cow and pig fat

Question 9

How did Hindus view the cow?

Answer 9

Sacred animal

Question 10

Who saw the cow as a sacred animal?

Answer 10

Hindus

Question 11

Who saw the pig as unclean and that contact would defile him?

Answer 11

Muslims

Question 12

How did Muslims view the pig?

Answer 12

Unclean and contact would defile him

Question 13

What was the impact of coating the cartridges with pig and cow fat?

Answer 13

Strike at the heart of Indian tradition

Question 14

How many armies did the company maintain?

Answer 14

Bombay
Madras
Bengal

Question 15

Out of the 3 armies the company maintained, who was the largest?

Answer 15

Army of Bengal which had 150, 000 Indian Sepoys

Question 16

Which army had 150,000 Indian Sepoys?

Answer 16

Army of Bengal

Question 17

How many Sepoys were with the Army of Bengal?

Answer 17

150,000 Indian Sepoys

Question 18

How many Sepoys were recruited after the 1857 annexation of Awadh?

Answer 18

40,000 Sepoys

Question 19

In what cities annexation in 1857, enabled the British to gain 40,000 Sepoys?

Answer 19

Annexation of Awadh

Question 20

In what year did the British gain 40,000 soldiers?

Answer 20

1857 Annexation of Awadh

Question 21

What classes did the Indian sepoys from the Bengal army come from?

Answer 21

High status of Indian society (e.g. Brahmins and Rajputs)

Question 22

When Sepoys joined what was their relations with their families?

Answer 22

Didn’t become mere tools of the company
Maintained religion and caste
Maintained family connections

Question 23

What was the impact of Sepoys maintaining their relationships with their families?

Answer 23

Sensitive to resentment that affected their families
Important status to uphold in the eyes of their relatives
Any slight insult to their religion, caste or standing would result in rejection from family and friends

Question 24

By the mid 1850’s what were the sepoys subjected to?

Answer 24

Process of military modernisation and adjustment

Question 25

By what years were the sepoys subject to military modernisation and adjustment?

Answer 25

Mid 1850’s

Question 26

What happened in 1856

Answer 26

General Service Enlistment Act, which said that all recruits should in future swear to cross the sea for military service and undertake no extra pay

Question 27

When was the General service enlistment act?

Answer 27

1856

Question 28

What did the General Service Enlistment act make sepoys do?

Answer 28

It said that all recruits should in future swear to cross the sea for military service and undertake no extra pay

Question 29

Who did the 1856, General Service Enlistment act offend?

Answer 29

High Caste Hindus who were not supposed to travel overseas

Question 30

What groups were not allowed to travel overseas?

Answer 30

High Caste Hindus

Question 31

How did the General Service Enlistment act offend high Caste Hindus?

Answer 31

It made sepoys swear to travel overseas even though there religion and culture said they were not supposed to travel overseas

Question 32

What were the promotion aspects like for Indian Soldiers?

Answer 32

Poor and there was a lack of

Question 33

What was the highest post Indians could obtain?

Answer 33

Subedar on a limited salary

Question 34

What was Subedar?

Answer 34

The highest post Indians could obtain and they even had to take this role on a limited salary

Question 35

Who were all the high status military posts reserved for?

Answer 35

Europeans