QUESTION BANK - HD HISTORY GRADE: VIII CHAPTER 6: The Revolt of 1857 NOTE: ANSWERS ARE MARKED IN RED Q I. Choose the correct alternative: (1 mark each) 1. The Revolt of 1857 was a direct _______ to the British rule. (a) acceptance (b) boon (c) threat (d) shock 2. The greased paper on the new ________ Rifle was made of pork or beef fat. (a) British (b) Hunting (c) Assault (d) Enfield 3. The Revolt of 1857 began in ________. (a) Meerut (b) Delhi (c) Punjab (d) the Deccan 4. The Revolt was led by Nana Sahib Peshwa in __________. (a) Bengal (b) Surat (c) Pune (d) Kanpur 5. Bahadur Shah took shelter with his family in the tomb of _______. (a) Babbar (b) Aurangzeb (c) Humayun (d) Shahjahan Q.II Fill in the blanks: (1 Mark each) 1. The Jhansi revolt was led by __________. (Rani Lakshmibai) 2. _______ was exiled to Rangoon (Bahadur Shah) 3. Kabuli gate was renamed _________. (Khooni Darwaza) 4. _______ led the uprising in Bareilly. (Khan Bahadur Khan) 5. ________ is known as the founder of the revolutionary movement. (Vasudev Balwant Phadke) Q.III Answer the following questions in one sentence: (1 Mark each) 1. What title was given to the Governor-General by the end of the Revolt of 1857? Ans: title of Viceroy 1 2. What did the commander of the British army call Rani Lakshmibai? Ans: The best and the bravest military leader of the rebels. 3. Name the main centres of the Revolot of 1857. Ans: Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Jhansi, Gwalior and Arrah in Bihar. 4. Give two examples of peasant uprisings. Ans: Moplah peasants of Malabar and the Chuars of Bihar and Bengal. Q.IV Answer the following questions: (2 Marks each) 1. What causes people to get together and revolt? Ans: When situations become unbearable and exploitation becomes unacceptable, people get together and revolt to overthrow the ruler. 2. State the military causes of the Revolt of 1857. Ans: The sepoys felt disturbed by the /Christian propaganda carried on among them. They were forbidden to wear caste and sectarian marks such as tilak or beard. The recruits were to serve overseas. They believed that overseas travel would lead to loss of caste. The sepoys were humiliated by their British seniors. They were paid less and could not rise above the rank of subedar. 3. Write a short note on the outbreak of the Revolt in Merrut? Ans: 85 soldiers of the Third Cavalry at Meerut refused to touch the cartridges and were sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment, on 9 May 1857. On 10 May the other soldiers stormed the prisons to free their colleagues and other inmates. They began killing European officers, men and women. Q.V. Answer the following questions: (3 Marks each) 1. Was the uprising of 1857 a sudden occurrence? Justify your answer. Ans: No, the uprising was not a sudden occurrence. Rebellion had begun from the time the British conquered Bengal in 1763. The British never adopted India as their home and treated Indians with total contempt and disdain. Their economic, social and political policies had alienated them from the Indian people. All this produced discontent, resentment and resistance at every stage. 2. What was the cause of tribal and peasant uprisings? Ans: Peasants revolted frequently because of the excessive tax demand under the new land revenue systems. Overcrowding of land because of ruination of handicrafts, exploitation by moneylenders and rural poverty also forced peasants and tribals to revolt. The Munda tribals of Chota Nagpur also rose in rebellion. They were led by Birsa Munda. 2 3. State the political causes of the Revolt of 1857. Ans: The Subsidiary Alliance, the Doctrine of Lapse, pensioning off of rulers and the abolition of titles reduced the powers to subordinate positions. The annexation of Awadh in spite of the loyalty of the Nawab created panic. Nana Sahib was denied his pension and forced to live away from his family. The Mughals felt humbled as Bahadur Shah’s successors were denied their titles and would have to abandon their historic home at Red Fort. Q.VI Answer the following questions in brief: (4 Marks each) 1. What were the social and religious causes of the sepoy revolt? Ans: The British remained perpetual foreigners which led to hatred for foreign rule. The people were angered by their subordinate position in all the services and the racial discrimination practised by the British. People felt threatened by the activities of the Christian missionaries who tried to convert people. Land belonging to temples and mosques were taxed. Legislation against sati, support for widow remarriage and other measures were looked upon as interference in the lives of the people. 2. How was the sepoy revolt finally suppressed? Ans: All the forces were mobilised. Villages were burned down and people massacred The British resorted to public hangings and had to blow people off at the mouth of cannons. Bahadur Shah was captured, kept as prisoner and put on trial. He was later exiled to Rangoon where he died. Bahadur Shah’s sons and a grandson were murdered in cold blood at Kabuli gate. This place was then called Khooni Darwaza. Nana Sahib was defeated in Kanpur. Tatya Tope was hanged after a brief trial. Many major leaders lost their lives. 3 .