These DAV Class 8 SST Solutions and DAV Class 8 SST Chapter 11 Question Answer – The First War of Independence 1857 are thoughtfully prepared by experienced teachers.
DAV Class 8 SST Ch 11 Question Answer – The First War of Independence 1857
DAV Class 8 SST Ch 11 Solutions – The First War of Independence 1857
Something to Know
A. Tick (✓) the correct option.
Question 1.
The Revolt of 1857 started on-
(a) May 10, 1857
(b) May 11, 1857
(c) May 12, 1857
(d) May 13, 1857
Answer:
(a) May 10, 1857
Question 2.
Mangal Pandey belonged to which one of the following places?
(a) Jhansi
(b) Hyderabad
(c) Barrackpore
(d) Gwalior
Answer:
(c) Barrackpore
Question 3.
Who took over the governance of India from the East India Company after his 1857 revolt?
(a) The British Parliament
(b) The Queen
(c) The Viceroy
(d) The Governor-General
Answer:
(a) The British Parliament
Question 4.
The British army was reogranised after the Revolt of 1857 to
(a) annex the Indian states.
(b) ruthlessly conquer Indian rulers.
(c) give more powers to East India Company.
(d) prevent future revolts.
Answer:
(d) prevent future revolts.
Question 5.
The practice for looking down upon the Blacks is known as-
(a) religions
(b) racial law
(c) racial discrimination
(d) imperialism
Answer:
(c) racial discrimination
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. The First War of Independence is also known as the Mutiny of 1857.
Answer:
Sepoy
2. The British considered themselves
Answer:
superiors
3. Bhadur Shah Zafar was exiled to
Answer:
Rangoon
4. Rani Laxmi Bai wanted her lost
Answer:
kingdom
5. The Doctrine of created resentment among Indian rulers.
Answer:
Lapse
C. Write True or False for the following statements.
1. Bahadur Shah Zafar was proclaimed the Shahanshah-e-Hindustan.
Answer:
True
2. At Kanpur, the revolt was led by Begum Hazrat Mahal.
Answer:
False
3. The British followed a policy of racial discrimination.
Answer:
True
4. The regiment in Meerut recalled on May 10, 1857.
Answer:
True
5. A secretary of State was appointed to look after the governance of England.
Answer:
False
D. Answer the following briefly.
Question 1.
The Revolt of 1857 was the landmark in the history of India’s struggle for independence. Justify the statement with any three arguments.
Answer:
The Revolt of 1857 was the landmark in the history of India’s struggle for freedom.
- The revolt soon spread to different parts of countiy after many sepoy started it against the East India Company.
- Many sections of the society like peasants, artisans, soldiers, educated Indians and many Indian rulers joined hands to fight against the Britishers.
- Hindus and Muslims also came together to oppose British rulers.
Question 2.
What was the doctrine of Lapse and how did it affect the rulers of India?
Answer:
The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy of annexation introduced by Lord Dalhousie in 1848 and continued till 1856. The doctrine declared that if any Indian ruler died without leaving behind a natural heir to the throne, his kingdom automatically became a part of the British territory. Several kingdoms like Satara, Sambalpur, Udaipur, Nagpur, Jhansi and Awadh were annexed by applying this doctrine. This doctrine created fear and resentment among the Indian kings.
Question 3.
Explain subsidiary alliances with the help of examples.
Answer:
Subsidiary Alliance was a treaty signed by the British with Awardh in 1801. The Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was compelled to accept the permanent British army within the territory and to pay a subsidy for its maintenance, he could not recruit any other European in his service without prior approval. He had to station a Resident in his court, which reduced the power of the Nawab. Gradually, the Indians lost all trust in the British. Awadh had been an ally of the East Indian Company for nearly a century. Still it was annexed on the plea that the government was not functioning properly. The Nawab was exiled to Calcutta. Begum Hazrat Mahal took over the reign of Awadh. This shocked the other rulers.
Question 4.
How did the economic policies of the British adversely affect the Indian economy?
Answer:
Indian economy was greatly affected by the economic policy of the British.
- The Zamindari system exploited the peasants.
- The peasants were forced to grow only those crops which were required by the British industries.
- British goods like textiles overtook the Indian markets. These things made artisans and peasants unemployed.
Question 5.
Why is Revolt of 1857 called the First War of Independence? What were its immediate causes?
Answer:
The Revolt of 1857 is known as the First War of Independence as it was the first time in Indian history that different sections of Indian society united and fought as one nation to throw off the foreign British rulers. The cartridges of the new Enfield rifle had a greased paper cover which had to be bitten off before the cartridge was loaded into the rifle. The grease was composed of beef and pig fat. Both the Hindus and Muslims refused to use them. Mangal Pandey, a young Indian Sepoy from Bengal Regiment, was the first to refuse it. He not only refused to use the greased cartridge but also shot down his sergeant. He was arrested, tried and executed. The revolt started at other places as soon as this news spread.
E. Answer the following questions:
Question 1.
Describe the course of the Revolt of 1857.
Answer:
The Revolt of 1857 was started by the Indian soldiers and it soon spread to different parts of the country. The regiments in Meerut marched to Delhi and there Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar supported the rebellion. It gave courage and confidence to act. Local leaders, zamindars and chiefs fought valiantly. Nana Saheb in Kanpur, Tantiya Tope in Bithul, Begum Hazrat Mahal in Awadh, Rani Laxmi Bai in Jhansi and many more took an active part in organising the uprising against the British. The Revolt also spread to Bareilly, Agra, Benaras and other places. Many groups were there who did not join the revolt like Sikhs in Punjab, Nizam of Hyderabad, Madras and Bombay Regiment.
Question 2.
Describe five main causes of the First War of Independence.
Answer:
The main causes of First War of Independence are:
(i) The Indian soldiers were dissatisfied with the treatment meted out to them. They were unhappy about their pay, allowances and conditions of service. Some of the new rules of the Company violated their religious sentiment and beliefs.
(ii) Lord Dalhousie’s policy of annexation created fear and resentment among Indian rulers. They were not allowed to adopt heir to the throne. The policy ensured that those kingdoms where the kings did not have natural heirs, would be taken over by the British after the demise of the king.
(iii) The zamandari system exploited the peasants who were forced to grow only those crops that the British industries required. This angered the peasants. British goods also flooded the market that made the artisans unemployed.
(iv) Many Indians opposed the introduction of western education and the conversion of Indians to Christianity. The Hindu law of property was changed to enable a Christian convert to receive Christanity.
(v) The immediate cause of the revolt was the cartridges of the new Enfield rifle. It had a greased paper cover which had to be bitten off before the cartridge was loaded into the rifle. It was suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs. Both Hindus and Muslims refused to use them. Mangal Pandey, an Indian Sepoy refused to use the greased cartridge but also shot down his sergeant. When this news spread, many sepoys started the revolt.
Question 3.
What steps did the British take to suppress the Revolt.
Answer:
Though the Revolt spread far and wide but the Britishers were able to supress the revolt by many ways.
(i) The British military officers freed Delhi, the epicentre of the Revolt, from the rebels. The Kashmiri Gate was blown up. Hundreds of people were killed.
(ii) Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried for treason and exiled to Rangoon.
(iii) Lucknow was recaptured in 1858. Rani Lakshmi Bai was killed in the battle and Tantiya Tope was captured, put on trial and exceuted. Thus, the British finally suppressed the massive force of popular rebellion.
Question 4.
Why did the First War of Independence fail inspite of the participation of different sections of Indian Society? Explain.
Answer:
The First War of Independence was a great event because people from different sections of the society took an active part in it. But it was effectively suppressed by the Britishers. There were several reasons behind its failure.
- The revolt had been planned for months but it broke out before the appointed date. It did not go according to the plan.
- There was no unity among the rebels. Their motives was not the nationalism but they fought for their own self-interest. The sepoys of Bengal wanted to revive the glory of the Mughals, while Nana Sahab and Tantiya Tope tried to re-establish the Maratha power and Rani Laxmi Bai fought for her lost Kingdom.
- The revolt was limited to North and Central India. In the North, the Sikhs, the Nizams and the Scindias were unaffected by the revolt and the Gurkhas still remained loyal to the Britishers.
- The rebels lacked the modern weapons and the disciplined army.
- The leadership of the Revolt was very weak. The Indian rulers fought to liberate their own territories and did not think about the freedom of the entire country.
Question 5.
What changes were made in the administration of India after the Revolt was suppressed?
Answer:
After the revolt, the British authority in India made some changes in their policies for the re-establishment.
- The rule of the East India Company ended. The British crown took over the administration.
- A secretary of State was appointed by the British Parliament to look after the governance of India with the help of a council.
- The Governor-General was given the title of Viceroy- which was the representative of the British Crown.
- The British reorganised the army to prevent any future revolts.
- The policy of annexations of Indian territories was given up. The Indian princes were granted the right of adoption.
- Full religious freedom was guaranteed to the Indians.
- Indians were also given the assurance that high posts would be given to them without any discrimination.
Value Based Question
Question 1.
After the 1857 revolt Bahadur Shah Zafar II, the Mughal Emperor, was tried for reason for treason and exiled to Rangoon. His sons were cruelly shot down as they were held guilty of the murder of the English men, women and children. It led to the end of Mughal rule in India. According to you, was the action taken by the British against Bahadur Shah Zafar’s family morally correct? Discuss.
Answer:
The action taken by the British against Bahadur Shah Zafar’s family was absolutely incorrect morally though Bahadur Shah Zafar also committed a serious crime by killing the English women and children, yet the British should not have killed his sons as they were not involved in the revolt and did not harm the English. To take a revenge of a murder we should not also become a murderer. If we do so, there would be no difference between a murderer and a noble person.
Map Skill
On an outline political map of India, locate and name the places to which the following leaders of the Revolt of 1857 belong. Collect their pictures and paste them at the appropriate places.
(a) Bahadur Shah Zafar
(b) Rani Lakshmi Bai
(c) Begum Hazat Mahal
(d) Nana Saheb
(e) Mangal Pandey
(J) Kunwar Saheb
(g) Tantiya Tope
Answer:
Something to Do
Question 1.
In your opinion what preparations should have been made to make the First War of Independence a complete success?
Answer:
(i) There should be nationalism behind the revolt. All the leaders and their followers should have the one aim, i.e., make free India from Britishers.
(ii) The First War of Independence should be planned and the people involved in it should go accordingly to that plan.
(iii) There should be unity in all different states of India.
(iv) The War should be widespread all around India so that more and more people would involved in it.
(v) The rebels should have modern weapons and disciplined army to fight against the British army.
(vi) Some of the Indian people involved in war cheated their own comrades and joined hands with the Britishers and help them.
Question 2.
Find out the names of films on India’s freedom struggle and freedom fighters.
Answer:
Do yourself.
Question 3.
Make a scrapbook or a Powerpoint presentation on ‘Heroes of the Revolt of 1857’.
Answer:
Do yourself.
Question 4.
Organise a poetry recitation competition based on the patriotic poems like ‘खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी’ written by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan.
सिंहासन हिल उठे राजवंशों ने भृकुटी तानी थी,
बूढ़े भारत में आई फिर ये नयी जवानी थी,
मी हुई आज़ादी की कीमत सबने पहचानी थी,
दूर फिरंगी को करने को सबने मन में ठानी थी।
चमक उठी सन सत्तावन में, वह तलवार पुरानी थी,
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,
तो भी रानी मार काट कर चलती बनी सैन्य के पार,
किन्तु सामने नाला आया था वह संकट विषम अपार,
घोड़ा अड़ा, नया घोड़ा था, इतने में आ गये अवार,
रानी एक, शत्रु बहुतेरे होने लगे वार-पर-वार ।
घायल होकर गिरी सिंहनी उसे वीर गति पानी थी,
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।
Answer:
Do yourself.
DAV Class 8 Social Science Chapter 11 Question Answer – The First War of Independence 1857
A. Tick (✓) the correct option.
Question 1.
Which was not the cause of the revolt of 1857?
(a) Doctrine of Lapse
(b) Conversions of Indians to Christianity
(c) high post given to Indians
(d) Subsidiary Alliance
Answer:
(c) high post given to Indians
Question 2.
Which Mughal Emperor ruled Delhi at the time of the Revolt?
(a) Bahudar Shah Zafar I
(b) Bhadur Shah Zafar II
(c) Shah Alam I
(b) Shah Alam II
Answer:
(b) Bhadur Shah Zafar II
Question 3.
Name the city from where Begum Hazrat Mahal led the Revolt of 1857. (DAV Board)
(a) Meerut
(b) Kanpur
(c) Awadh
(d) Jhansi
Answer:
(c) Awadh
Question 4.
Who amongst the following was given the title of ‘Empress of India’ in 1858? (DAV Board)
(a) Queen Elizabeth
(b) Queen Annie
(c) Queen Mary
(d) Queen Victoria
Answer:
(d) Queen Victoria
Question 5.
Which of the following Kingdoms was annexed on the plea that the government was not functioning properly?
(a) Satara
(b) Jhansi
(c) Awadh
(d) Hyderabad
Answer:
(c) Awadh
Question 6.
The Hindus believed that overseas travel would lead to loss of
(a) religion
(b) ancestral property
(c) caste
(d) ancestral title
Answer:
(c) caste
Question 7.
Mangal Pandey was from the
(a) Bengal Regiment
(b) Bihar Regiment
(c) Assam Regiment
(d) Orissa Regiment
Answer:
(a) Bengal Regiment
Question 8.
From Meerut the soldiers marched to
(a) Kanpur
(b) Delhi
(c) Awadh
(d) Bareily
Answer:
(b) Delhi
Question 9.
Who led the Revolt in Kanpur?
(a) Tantya Tope
(b) Begam Hazrat Mahal
(c) Kunwar Singh
(d) Nana Saheb
Answer:
(d) Nana Saheb
Question 10.
Who was the Governor-General of India at the time of the Revolt?
(a) Lord Delhousie
(b) Warren Hastings
(c) Lord Canning
(d) Lord Mountbatten
Answer:
(c) Lord Canning
B. Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Name the place where the Revolt of 1857 stared.
Answer:
Meerut.
Question 2.
Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse?
Answer:
Lord Dolhousie introduced the Doctrine of Lapse.
Question 3.
Name any four centres of the revolt of 1857.
Answer:
Meerut, Delhi, Kanpur and Jhansi.
Question 4.
Who took over the governance of India from the East India Company?
Answer:
The British Crown took over the governance of India from the East India Company.
Question 5.
What did the revolutionary soldiers appeal to the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar?
Answer:
They appealed to the emperor to take over the leadership of the Revolt.
Question 6.
The revolutionary soldiers marched towards Delhi on May 11, 1857. What did they do there?
Answer:
They captured the city of Delhi, killed many Englishmen and ransacled many public offices.
Question 7.
Different sections of the society took an active part in the Revolt. Who were those people?
Answer:
Those people were peasants, artisans, soldiers, educated Indians and several Indian rulers.
Question 8.
What do the Indian historians call the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
The Indian historians call the Revolt of 1857 the First War of Independence.
Question 9.
Why do the Indian historians call the Revolt of 1857 the First War of Independence?
Answer:
They call it the First War of Indpendence as it was the first time that different sections of Indian society united and fought as one nation to uproot the foreign rule.
Question 10.
How did the British harm India? Give two points.
Answer:
(i) They exploited the resources of India.
(ii) They sent Indian wealth back home to England.
Question 11.
How can you say that Rani Laxmi Bai fought for her personal cause?
Answer:
She wanted the Company to recognise her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband. When her plea was ignored she revolted and fought valiantly.
Question 12.
Who did not join the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
The Sikhs, the Nizams the Scindias and the Gurkhas did not join the Revolt of 1857.
Question 13.
What happened to Rani Laxmi Bai and Tantiya Tope?
Answer:
Rani Laxmi Bai was killed in the battle and Tantiya Tope was captured and hanged to death.
Question 14.
What happened to Awadh when it was occupied by the British?
Answer:
When Awadh was occupied by the British, Nawab’s officials were dismissed and his army was disbanded. Thousands of professional soldiers lost their livelihood.
Question 15.
What was the Act of 1856 about? How did the soldiers view this Act?
Answer:
The Act of 1856 made it compulsory for new Indian recruit to serve overseas. It hurt the feelings of the soldiers as Hindus believed that overseas travel would lead to loss of caste.
Question 16.
Why did both the Hindus and the Muslims refuse to use the greased cartridge?
Answer:
It was suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs. Here it is worth mentioning that the cow is sacred to the Hindus and the pig is detestable to the Muslims. Hence, they together refused to use it.
Question 17.
Who remained loyal to the British during the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
The Afghans and the Gurkhas remained loyal to the British during the Revolt of 1857.
Question 18.
What was the title given to the Governor-General after the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
After the Revolt of 1857, the Governor-General was given the title of Viceroy- the representative of the British crown.
C. Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Why was Hindu law of property was changed?
Answer:
The Hindu law of property was changed to enable a Christian convert to receive his share of anestral property.
Question 2.
Mention the main reasons responsible for discontentment among the Indian rulers.
Answer:
Several reasons were responsible for discontentment among the Indian rulers. Some of the main reasons are given below:
- The policy of annexation of Lord Dalhousie, particularly the Doctrine of Lapse.
- The British signed many treaties with the kings and Nawabs but violated them, as per their convenience.
- Awadh had been an ally of the East India Company for nearly a century. But it was annexed on the plea that the government was not functioning properly.
Question 3.
How did the British policy of economic exploitation paved the way for the popular uprising of 1857?
Answer:
The British policy of economic exploitation destroyed the traditional Indian economic structure.
(i) The peasents were forced to grow only those crops that the British industries required. They were also tortured or jailed on failure to pay the revenue in time.
(ii) Industrial goods like textiles from Britian flooded the Indian markets with cheaper rate as a result of which Indian industries, artisans and peasants suffered a lot.
(iii) Whenever the British annexed princely states, they got rent-free land and huge amount of money. The common people faced unemployment and poverty.
All these causes gave birth to widespread resentment among the Indians. They jumped into the revolt as soon as it started.
Question 4.
What were social and religious causes of the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
- The rapid spread of western culture and English education in India alarmed the conservative Indians.
- The conversion of Indian to Christianity was also a cause of resentment among the native people.
- The Hindu law of property was changed to enable a Christian convert to receive his share of ancestral property.
- The spread of railways created fear among the poor and illitrate sections of the society that they would lose their caste.
- The British looked down upon Indians and followed a policy of racial discrimination. They considered themselves as ‘superiors’.
Question 5.
Mention the military causes of the great uprising of 1857.
Or
What were the reasons behind the widespread resentment among the Indian soldiers?
Answer:
- The Indian soldiers were constantly humiliated by the British. They were never given awards or promotions.
- There was discrimination between the Indian and the British soldiers. The highest pay given to an Indian sepoy as soldier was less than the minimum pay of a European recruit.
- The Act of 1856 made compulsory for new Indian recruit to serve overseas. It hurt the feelings of the soldiers as Hindus believed that overseas travel would lead loss of caste.
Question 6.
How did the British suppress the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
Though the Revolt spread far and wide but the Company decided to repress the revolt with all its might.
- The British military officers freed Delhi, the epicentre of the Revolt, from the rebels. The Kashmiri Gate was blown up. Hundreds of people were killed.
- Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried for treason and exiled to Rangoon.
- Lucknow was recaptured in 1858. Rani Lakshmi Bai was killed in the battle and Tantya Tope was captured, tried and exceuted.
Thus, the British finally suppressed the massive force of popular rebellion.
D. Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
In what ways was the revolt of 1857 unprecedented?
Answer:
(i) The revolt of 1857 was started by the Indian soldiers and it soon spread to different parts of the country.
(ii) A large number of people from different sections of society like peasants, artisans, soldiers, educated Indians and many Indian rulers joined hands to fight heroically against the foreign rule.
(iii) Hindus and Muslims also came together to oppose the foreign domination. Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar supported the rebellion. It gave courage and confidence to act.
(iv) Local leaders, zamindars and chiefs fought valiantly. Nana Saheb in Kanpur, Tantiya Tope in Bithul, Begum Hazrat Mahal in Awadh, Rani Laxmi Bai in Jhansi and many more took an active part in organising the uprising against the British.
Question 2.
Write short notes on any three heroes of the Revolt.
Answer:
Many great heroes like Nana Saheb, Tantiya Tope, Rani Laxmi bai, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Bakht Khan, Kunwar Singh took an active part in organising the revolt of 1857 against the British.
(i) Nana Saheb: He was the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao. He lived near Kanpur, gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the city. He proclaimed himself Peshwa. He declared that he was a
governor under the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
(ii) Rani Laxmi Bai: In Jhansi, Rani Laxmi Bai joined the rebel soldiers and fought against the British along with Tantiya Tope, the general of Nana Saheb . She wanted the Company to recognise her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband. When the Company ignored her plea, she became annoyed much so that she took arms to fight against the British. Unfortunately, she was defeated and killed in June 1858.
(iii) Tantiya Tope: He organised the uprising in Bithul. He was the general of Nana Saheb. In May 1857, he joined the political movement and established Nana Saheb’s authority. He was a terror for the English and shook the established niche of the British Empire in India. He escaped to the jungles of central India and continued to fight a guerrilla war with the support of many tribal and peasant leaders. He was captured, put on trial and killed in April 1859.
Question 3.
Discuss the course of the Revolt. What steps did the British take to suppress the Revolt?
Answer:
(i) The Revolt started from Meerut in April, 1857 when the Indian sepoys refused to touch the greased cartridges. They were dismissed from service and sentenced to ten years in jail for disobeying their officers.
(ii) On May 10, 1857, the soldiers marched to the jail in Meerut, broke the prison and released the imprisoned soldiers. They marched to Delhi on May 11 and took over the control under Bahadur Shah Zafar.
(iii) The revolt then spread to other places. It was led by Nana Saheb in Kanpur, Tantiya Tope in Bithul and by Begum Hazrat Mahal in Awadh. Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi led the Revolt in Central India and fought valiantly.
(iv) The Revolt also spread to Bareilly, Agra, Benaras and other places. In Bihar, an old zamindar, Kunwar Singh, joined the rebel sepoys and battled with the British for many months.
Unfortunately, the Revolt was effectively suppressed by the – Britishers.
Question 4.
Why did the First War of Independence fail inspite of the participation of different sections of Indian society?
Answer:
The First War of Independence was a great event because people from different sections of the society took an active part in it. But it was effectively suppressed by the Britishers. There were several reasons behind its failure.
(i) The uprising had been planned for months but it broke out before the appointed date. It did not go according to the plan as the revolutionaries failed to spread it beyond Central India and Delhi.
(ii) There was no unity among the rebels. The ideas of nationalism had not yet developed. There was no common ideology among the rebels. The sepoys of Bengal wanted to revive the glory of the Mughals, while Nana Sahab and Tantya Tope tried to re-establish the Maratha power and Rani Laxmi Bai fought for her lost Kingdom.
(iii) The uprising was not widespread. It was limited to North and Central India. In the North, the Sikhs, the Nizams and the Scindias were unaffected by the revolt and the Gurkhas still remained loyal to the Britishers.
(iv) The rebels lacked the sophisticated and modern weapons and the disciplined army of the British.
(v) The leadership of the Revolt was very weak. The Indian rulers fought to liberate their own territories and did not think about the freedom of the entire country.
Question 5.
“The uprising of the First War of Independence had been planned for many month, yet it failed.” Support the statement. (DAV Board)
Answer:
The Revolt of 1857 is known as the First War of Independence as it was the first time in Indian history that different sections of Indian society united and fought as one nation to throw off the foreign British rulers. The cartridges of the new Enfield rifle had a greased paper cover which had to be bitten off before the cartridge was loaded into the rifle. The grease was composed of beef and pig fat. Both the Hindus and Muslims refused to use them. Mangal Pandey, a young Indian Sepoy from Bengal Regiment, was the first to refuse it. He not only refused to use the greased cartridge but also shot down his sergeant. He was arrested, tried and executed. The revolt started at other places as soon as this news spread.
Question 6.
What was the result of the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
- The rule of the East India Company ended. Queen Victoria assumed the title of the Empress of India. The British crown took over the administration of India.
- A Secretary of State was appointed by the British Parliament to look after the governance of India with the help of a council. The Governor-General was given the title of Viceroy, that is, the representative of the British crown.
- The British reorganised the army to prevent future revolts. The policy of ruthless conquests and annexations of Indian territories was given up. The Indian princes were given the assurance that their states would not be annexed and were granted the right of adoption.
- Religious freedom was guaranteed to the Indians. They were also given the assurance that high posts would be given to them without any discrimination.
- Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over their lands.
Question 7.
What were the political causes of the First War of Independence? Mention any five of them.
Answer:
- Lord Dalhousie introduced the Doctrine of Lapse and annexed many Indian kingdoms to the British territory. This policy created fear and resentment among Indian rulers. They were not allowed to adopt heir to the throne.
- The British signed many treaties with the kings and Nawabas but violated them, as per their convenience. Indians lost trust in the British.
- Awadh had been an ally of the East India Company for nearly a century. But it was annexed on the plea that the government was not functioning properly. This shocked the nawab and the other rulers.
- The Indian rulers such as Bahadur Shah Zafar, Tantiya Tope, Rani Lakhmi Bai and Nana Saheb had personal scores to settle with the British. They were more interested in their kingdoms, money and power.
- The common people of Delhi, Lucknow, Gwalior and other places had no narrow ambitions of power or money. They only wanted an end of the foreign exploitation.
Map Skill
On an outline map of India, mark the main centres of Revolt in north India.
Answer:
Something to Do
Question 1.
Do you think that the greased cartridges had cow and pig fat in them? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Answer:
Do yourself.