Immediate causes of the Rebellion (1857) Flashcards
Between what years was Lord Dalhousie governor general of India?
How did communications improve during his time in power? Transportation?
Which province did he annex?
-Lord Dalhousie was the governor general of India from 1848 to 1856.
-Communications improved through the introduction of the penny post. Telegraphs were also laid.
-Many railways were constructed.
-The Sikh Empire was defeated and the province of Punjab annexed in 1849.
What was Dalhousie passionate about introducing in India regarding law, philosophy and societal development?
Who did he see no reason to keep alliances with? What were they seen as obstructing?
What did Dalhousie redifine them as being under?
What condition did he create which ensured British intervention that was in contradiction with Hindu law?
What other condition ensured British intervention?
If these conditions were not met what legal principle meant Britain could annex the state?
Why else did annexations occur? (Defintion of titles?)
-Dalhousie was an energetic moderniser and Utilitarian.
-He saw no reason to continue with alliances as the Company had got so strong it didn’t need the princes.
-The princes were seen as obstructing his modernisations.
-Dalhousie redefined the princely states as being ultimately under British authority (paramountcy).
-Britain would intervene if; a ruler had died without a legitimate heir(This was in contradiction to Hindu law which allowed for an adopted son.)
-The other condition ensuring British intervention can be seen in maladminstration.
-When these conditions were not met, the doctrine of lapse would mean that Britain annexed the state.
-Annexations may also occur if Britain defined titles and powers as non-hereditary so that they ended when the ruler died.
What year did Dalhousie annex Awadh?Why?
Why was Awadh an important province for the country to have under its control?
How did its inhabitants feel about the annexation?
Why did Britain announce that land would be taken from all Talukdars? Why was this legally possible?
How did this destabilise social order?
What was Awadh a centre for in 1857?
-Dalhousie annexed Awadh in 1856 under the doctrine of lapse for maladministration.
-Awadh was a prosperous province and recruiting ground for sepoys.
-The annexation was widely resented in Awadh.
-Determined to modernise the state’s feudal system, Britain announced that land would be taken from all talukdars (landowners)
-Talukars had no legal proof of ownership.
-This destabilised the social order as it affected tenants too.
-Awadh was a centre of rebellion in 1857.
What was the immediate cause for the rebellion in Meerut? (rumour?)
How did Sepoys interepret this?
What was the 1856 General Service Enlistenment act?
Why was this Act detested?
How many Sepoys were martialled in 1857 for refusing to load the new cartridges?
How many regiments rose in revolt? How did they do this?
-The immediate cause of the rebellion was a rumour that new cartridges were about to be issued lubricated with either cow or pig fat (Hindus and Muslims respectively did not touch them).
-The sepoys interpreted this as part of a sinister plan to Christianise India and existing resentments in religion (missionaries) and other societal changes boiled over.
-The Bengal army was already in a state of unrest following the 1856 General Service Enlistment Act which broke the tradition of Bengali soldiers only fighting where they could march.
-(Travel over water would lead to caste pollution).
-85 sepoys were court martialled in Meerut for refusing to load new cartridges in May 1857.
-Three regiments rose in revolt, killed all the local Europeans and freed the mutineers.
Did the mutiny within the army spread quickly? How many British regiments were there between Calcutta and Agra?
What did the army mutiny quickly become?
What provinces did Britain quickly lose control of?
What groups in particular rose up against the British? (Rani Jhansi?)
Who was reluctantly restored to their imperial position in Delhi? Was he ambitious to defeat the British? What did he not rally although capable of doing?
What happened to Sir Hugh Wheeler in Cawnpore?
-YES. There was only one British regiment between Calcutta and Agra.
-The army mutiny quickly became a more general revolt and Britain lost control of Awadh, Delhi and parts of Punjab.
-All the groups whom Britain had alienated rose up: talukdars, peasants(over land ownership and taxes) and local leaders like the Rani of Jhansi.
-Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughai, was reluctantly restored to his imperial position in Delhi.
-He was not ambitious and did not rally Mughal heartlands.
-In Cawnpore, Sir Hugh Wheeler had not prepared properly and the British surrendered. They were promised safe passage but fighting broke out and 400 were killed. The remaining Britons, mostly women and children, were taken hostage and then massacred.
Where did Sir Lawrence successfully shepeard Europeans into?
When was the residency besieged? Did Sir Lawrence survive?
What arrived in September to support the British involved in the seige? Were they evacuated?
Did this support continue?
Who led a successful evacuation?
-The residency of Lucknow.
-The residency was besieged from late May and Lawrence died in July having been hit by a shell.
-Successful relief reached Lucknow in September but the residency could not be evacuated.
-NO. Further supplies were now discovered, tiding over those inside for two months.
-Sir Colin Campbell led an evacuation in November.
