First War Of Independence Flashcards

1
Q

State the four Political Causes of the Rebellion of 1857:

A
  1. Policy of Expansion by
    - Outright Wars
    - Subsidiary Alliances
    - Annexation on Pretext of Misrule
    - Doctrine of Lapse
  2. Absentee Sovereignty
  3. Disrespect shown to Bahadur Shah II
  4. Treatment of Nana Sahib
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2
Q

Why did the British follow policy of expansion by Outright Wars?

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3
Q

What were The wars fought by the British to further their territory?

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4
Q

What places were conquered by the British between 1823-1856?

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5
Q

What was the subsidiary Alliance? Who introduced it?

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6
Q

What were the terms of the subsidiary Alliance?

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7
Q

What are the states under the subsidiary Alliance?

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8
Q

What was the doctrine of lapse? Who introduced it? What states were annexed by it?

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9
Q

How was Awadh annexed on Pretext of Misrule

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10
Q

What were the hardships faced by the people of Awadh?

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11
Q

How was disrespect shown to Bahadur Shah?

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12
Q

How did the British mistreat Nana Sahib?

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13
Q

What role did Nana Sahib play in the Uprising of 1857?

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14
Q

What does Absentee Sovereignty of the British mean?

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15
Q

Why was the Absentee Sovereignty of the British resented by Indians?

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16
Q

Mention the Socio-religious causes that lead to the rebellion.

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17
Q

What activities of the British did the Indians perceive as interference with social customs?

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18
Q

How did modern innovations lead to increase in tension between the British and Indians?

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19
Q

How did the British officials follow the policy of Racial discrimination?-

A
  • British officers displayed rudeness and arrogance towards Indians.
  • They believed in their racial superiority.
  • Mughals were depicted as cruel and unfaithful.
  • Some officers mistreated and insulted Indians.
  • These actions led to alienation from the Indian masses.
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20
Q

How do you know there was corruption in the administration of the British?

A

Rich got away with crime but common man was looted, oppressed and tortured.

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21
Q

Explain how Oppression of the Poor was a cause of the 1857 Rebellion.

A
  • The complex judicial system favored the rich and oppressed the poor.
  • Poor cultivators faced flogging, torture, and imprisonment for unpaid dues.
  • Growing poverty and desperation among the poor increased unrest.
  • This desperation contributed to their involvement in a general uprising seeking better conditions.
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22
Q

How did the activities of the missionaries turn Indians against the British?

A
  • Initially, the British showed respect towards Indian religions.
  • By the 19th century, they began interfering with local customs and denouncing idol worship.
  • The Charter Act of 1813 increased Christian missionary activities.
  • Indians perceived government support for missionaries as an attempt to convert them to Christianity.
  • This perception contributed to resentment and was a factor in the Rebellion of 1857.
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23
Q

Whb and what did Indians fear about the introduction of Western education?

A
  • Western education shifted focus from traditional Islamic and Hindu studies.
  • Pandits and Maulvis viewed this as an attempt to undermine their beliefs.
  • There was suspicion that Western education aimed to convert students to Christianity.
  • These fears fueled resentment and contributed to the opposition during the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny.
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24
Q

How did taxation of religious places hurt the sentiments of Indians?

A

Taxing lands of temples and mosques hurt Indian sentiments as it was seen as an attack on their religious practices and traditions as previous rulers exempted such land from taxation.

25
Q

How did the law of property incentivise Indians against the British?

A

The Law of Property (Religious Disabilities Act of 1850) allowed converts from Hinduism to inherit their family’s property, which Hindus viewed as a temptation to abandon their faith.

26
Q

State the economic causes of the rebellion.

A
27
Q

How did the British explore Indians economically?

A
  • India was forced to export raw materials and food grains at low rates.
  • British industries received cheap raw materials and duty-free British goods.
  • Indian products faced high import duties in Britain.
  • Indian handmade goods couldn’t compete with cheaper British goods.
  • This led to the ruin of Indian industry, loss of artisan income, and reduced employment of labour.
  • Export of resources deprived India of surplus and raised local prices.
28
Q

What is the Drain of Wealth?

A

The drain of wealth is the transfer of wealth from India to England for which India got no proportionate economic return.

29
Q

How did the British drain India’s wealth?

A
  • After the Battle of Plassey, the British stopped bringing gold into India.
  • They used surplus revenues from Bengal and profits from duty-free trade to buy raw materials for England.
  • British expenditures included salaries, incomes, and savings of Englishmen.
  • Funds were spent on military goods, office establishment, interest on debts, and excessive army costs.
  • This process led to the systematic draining of India’s wealth and resources.
30
Q

How did the economic exploitation of India lead to decay of cottage industries and handicrafts?

A
  • Heavy duties on Indian textiles in Britain destroyed local industries.
  • British goods were imported into India at low or no duty.
  • Indian exports of cotton and silk goods nearly stopped by the mid-19th century.
  • Traditional spinning and weaving, crucial for artisans’ employment, declined.
  • The disappearance of patrons like princes and zamindars worsened artisans’ plight.
  • This led to the decay of cottage industries and handicrafts in India.
31
Q

How was the decline of peasantry one of the reasons for the rise of the rebellion?

A
  • Heavy land revenue taxes burdened peasants, worsening their economic conditions.
  • Revenue under the British was double that of the Mughal period and wasn’t used for agricultural development or peasant welfare.
  • Increased taxes led to peasant indebtedness and land sales.
  • Traditional zamindars were replaced by indifferent merchants and moneylenders.
  • New landowners imposed high rents and evicted tenants for non-payment.
  • Economic decline in peasantry reduced cultivation and contributed to famines, fueling discontent and rebellion.
32
Q

How did the problem of growing unemployment lead to the sepoy mutiny?

A
  • Decline of traditional rulers ended financial support for scholars, preachers, and artists.
  • The annexation of native states led to unemployment for soldiers and officials.
  • British policies excluded Indians from high administrative, military, and judicial posts.
  • Those affected by unemployment became discontented and antagonistic towards British rule.
33
Q

Describe the inhuman treatment of indigo cultivators by the British?

A
  • Peasants were forced to grow only indigo in fields chosen by the British.
  • Cultivation of other crops was punished by destroying their crops and confiscating cattle.
  • The treatment was harsh and exploitative, prioritizing British profit over peasant welfare.
34
Q

How did British rule aggravate people’s misery w.r.t poverty and famines?

A
  • British economic exploitation and high taxation worsened poverty.
  • Decay of indigenous industries and wealth drain reduced resources available to Indians.
  • Stagnation of agriculture and exploitation of poor peasants further deepened poverty.
  • Frequent famines in the late 19th century were exacerbated by droughts, natural calamities, and poor administration.
  • The famines were the result of drought other natural calamities as well as bad administration.
  • The British government failed to address or alleviate the suffering caused by these conditions.
35
Q

State the military causes of the Rebellion of 1857

A
  1. Ill- Treatment of Indian Soldiers
  2. General Service Enlistment Act
  3. Large Proportion of Indians in the British Army
  4. Bleak Prospect of Promotions to Higher Ranks
  5. Deprivation of Allowances to the Indian Soldiers
  6. Faulty Distribution of Troops
  7. Poor Performance of British Troops
  8. Lower Salaries of Indian Soldiers
36
Q

How did the British ill-treat the Indians in military?

A
  • Indian soldiers were poorly paid, ill-fed, and badly housed.
  • British authorities forbade wearing caste or sectarian marks, beards, and turbans.
  • British military showed disregard for the soldiers’ sentiments and cultural practices.
37
Q

How did the general services enlistment act of 1856 lead to resentment towards the British.

A
  • The Act allowed Indian soldiers to be sent overseas, violating traditional beliefs.
  • Brahmin soldiers viewed overseas service as a threat to their caste and religious purity.
  • The Act disregarded Indian soldiers’ sentiments, leading to resentment and discontent.
38
Q

How did larger proportion of Indians in the British army aide the Uprising?

A
  • the proportion of British to Indian troops in the army was 1:4000
  • this made it easier for them Indians to take up arms against the British.
39
Q

Why were there bleak prospects of promotion in the Army for Indians?

A
  • Higher positions in the army were reserved for British soldiers, regardless of performance.
  • Indian soldiers, even those with prior high ranks, couldn’t rise above subedar.
  • hence the prospects of promotion were bleak
40
Q

Explain how the extension of British Dominion in India adversely affected the service conditions of sepoys.

A
  • Sepoys had to serve far from home without extra pay.
  • The additional bhatta (foreign service allowance) was cut.
  • The Post Office Act of 1854 removed their free postage privilege.
41
Q

Explain how the faulty distribution of Troops in the British Indian Army enable the Uprising of 1857

A
  • Strategic locations like Delhi and Allahabad had no British troops, only Indian soldiers.
  • British involvement in external wars (Persian, Crimean, Chinese) stretched their resources.
  • Indian soldiers felt crucial to the British Empire’s safety and saw an opportunity to strike.
  • This mismanagement emboldened Indian soldiers to initiate the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.
42
Q

How did the poor performance of British troops lead to rebellion?

A
  • British troops suffered defeats in the First Afghan War, Punjab Wars, and Crimean War.
  • The Santhal uprising in 1855-56 showed that British rule could be challenged.
  • These failures shattered the myth of British invincibility.
  • Indian soldiers realized that the British Army could be defeated, encouraging them to rebel.
43
Q

How did lower salaries affect the sepoys?

A
  • Indian soldiers’ wages were insufficient to support their families.
  • British soldiers earned over 8 times more than Indian soldiers.
  • This significant pay disparity fueled resentment and contributed to the rebellion.
44
Q

Explain the immediate cause of the rebellion

A
  • In 1856, the British introduced the Enfield rifle, requiring biting greased cartridges.
  • Rumors spread that the cartridges used cow or pig fat.
  • Hindu and Muslim soldiers saw this as an attack on their religious beliefs.
  • Both groups refused to use the cartridges and rebelled when forced to do so.
45
Q

Why was Mangal Pandey hanged?

A
  • 1856: Introduction of the Enfield rifle with greased cartridges.
  • January 1857: Rumors about cartridges containing cow and pig fat spread.
  • February 1857: 19th Native Infantry at Barhampur refused to accept the cartridges and was disbanded.
  • March 29, 1857: Mangal Pandey attacked the adjutant of the 34th Native Infantry at Barhampur.
  • After March 29, 1857: Mangal Pandey was court-martialed and executed.
  • Pandey’s actions and execution made him a martyr for his fellow sepoys.
46
Q

List the consequences of the rebellion of 1857

A
  1. End of the Company’s Rule
  2. Queen Victoria’s Proclamation
  3. End of the Mughals and Peshwas
  4. Change in Relationship with Princely States
  5. Policy of Divide and Rule
  6. Racial Antagonism
  7. Foreign Policy
  8. Religious Changes
  9. Changes in the Army
  10. Increased Racial Bitterness
  11. Economic Exploitation
  12. Rise of Nationalism
47
Q

What was the most significant result of the 1857 rebellion? What were its provisions?

A

The most significant result of the 1857 Rebellion was the end of the East India Company’s rule and the direct governance of India by the British Crown.

Provisions of the Government of India Act of 1858:
- Transferred governance from the East India Company to the British Crown.
- Abolished the Company’s Board of Control and Court of Directors.
- Appointed a British Cabinet member as Secretary of State for India, responsible for governance, advised by the India Council.
- Retained ultimate power over India with the British Parliament.
- Governance carried out by the Governor-General, also titled Viceroy, representing the Crown.
- Civil Service appointments made by open competition under rules set by the Secretary of State.

48
Q

What did the queen’s proclamation promise? When was it made public?

A
  1. The Queen’s Proclamation promised:
    • Non-intervention in social and religious matters.
    • Equality between Indians and Europeans.
    • Appointments based on education and ability.
    • General pardon for most participants in the rebellion.
    • Advancement of industries in India.
    • Promotion of public utility works for progress.
  2. It was made public on November 1, 1858.
49
Q

How did the uprising lead to the end of Mughals and Peshwas?

A
  • Bahadur Shah died after being deported to Rangoon and the Mughal dynasty came to an end.
  • Nana Sahib, the last Peshwa, had fled to Nepal after the failure of the uprising so office of Peshwa also came to an end.
50
Q

How did relations with princely states change after the end of the Uprising

A
  • Indian princes who supported the British during the uprising were rewarded with assurances that their right to adopt heirs and the integrity of their territories would be respected.
  • The policy of annexation and the Doctrine of Lapse were abandoned.
  • In 1876, Queen Victoria took the title of Empress of India, reinforcing the British relationship with princely states.
  • Princes willingly became junior partners or agents of the British Crown, on promise of continuing as rulers of their states.
51
Q

How was the policy of divide and rule implemented?

A
  • British turned princes against the general populace and provinces against each other.
  • They created divisions along caste and group lines, and especially between Hindus and Muslims.
  • The British offered special protections and concessions to alienate people from their rulers.
  • Government services were used to foster religious divisions among educated Indians.
  • Encouraged Hindu-Muslim animosity to prevent a unified challenge to British rule.
52
Q

How did the British promote racial antagonism

A
  • The British promoted racial superiority and kept social distance.
  • They reserved public spaces like railway compartments, parks, and clubs for Europeans only.
  • This segregation reinforced racial discrimination.
53
Q

Write a short note on British foreign policy after the 1857 mutiny

A
  • British foreign policy prioritized protecting the Indian Empire and expanding economic interests in Asia and Africa.
  • India bore the cost of these policies, including financial expenses and military sacrifices.
  • Indian soldiers fought wars with neighboring countries like Nepal and Burma.
  • Indian taxpayers funded the heavy costs of these wars.
54
Q

Comment on increased racial bitterness after 1857 war

A
  • Racial bitterness increased after the 1857 uprising.
  • The British viewed all Indians as untrustworthy and subjected them to insults.
  • The Indian government was restructured on the basis of racial superiority.
55
Q

What religious change took place after 1857 rebellion?

A

The British empathetically declared their policy of non-interference in the religious affairs, customs and traditions of the Indians.

56
Q

What changes were made in the military after the 1857 rebellion?

A
57
Q

How did British economically exploit India after the revolt of 1857?

A
  1. India was turned into a colony, exporting raw materials and importing finished goods.
  2. British officials and military officers drew substantial salaries and allowances from Indian resources.
  3. Peasants were impoverished, exemplified by the indigo revolt in Bihar (1866-68).
  4. Rural industries and crafts, like handicrafts and weaving, collapsed.
  5. India paid heavy interest on British capital invested in infrastructure and industries.
58
Q

Howe did Uprising lead to rise of nationalism?

A
  • The 1857 uprising marked the beginning of India’s struggle for freedom from British rule.
  • It inspired future freedom fighters through the sacrifices of leaders like Rani Lakshmi Bai, Nana Sahib, and Mangal Pandey.
  • The uprising established traditions of resistance to British rule.
  • It laid the foundation for the rise of the Indian National Movement.