Towards Freedom GetGet Set! in the table. between India and the countries listed Trade flourished to fill in the table. Use your atlas *******************************************************************'******** England The Netherlands France ** **** Country ***********************************f*******************************************Portugal .. Capital A port Anearby water body ************************ ********************************************************************************************* ** www.rwww.owwwwwwwwo established control over the famous for Company Tndia has always been of the whole of India. Taking advantage textiles, jewellery and pearls. spices, of the Indians, the the first lack unity among The Arabs were among India British conquered large parts of India for trade. The to come to their rule. French and and established Portuguese, the Dutch, the the British followed. DISCONTENT AMONG INDIANS The British emerged as the most British were established traded Once the firmly powerful among them. They in India, they exploited the farmers, through the English East India *****************************'******************** traders, craftsmen and ***********'****** Company. The Company **** GOLD CINNAMON the rulers of local bought goods cheaply kingdoms. The farmers from India and sold them were made to pay very abroad at high prices. BLACK PEPPER high taxes. Even during This resulted in CLOVES huge floods and droughts, the profits for the Company. farmers had to pay their ******* ****** ******************************* Little by litle, the 101 English East India India's trade items share of taxes. They were For detailed instructions, see inside front cover. torced their choice. to grow indigo (a plant which items of is a source of Indian rulers and princes indigo dye) and cotton. were also These were with the British. A bought at very low rates unhappy law was and passed by the British which stated sold at very high rates in England that if a ruler did not have a male and other countries. Thus, farmers in child, then upon the death of that India became poorer. Many died due to starvation. ruler, his kingdom would be taken Cheaper mill-made cloth was over by the British. By using unjust imported into India from England. and unfair means, the British sought As a result the handloom industry of to expand their hold over India. The India suffered. Lakhs of weavers became dissatisfaction and anger of most unemployed. They suffered the same Indians led them to revolt. fate as the farmers. The British did not allow the Indians REVOLT AGAINST THE BRITISH to open mills and factories. Indian Ever since the coming of the British, traders were not allowed to trade in people in different parts of India had been protesting against their unfair policies. However, there was no INDIA Centres of Revolt 1857 unity in their protests. It was only 00 50 0 100 200 300 400 500 Kn in 1857 that a major revolt broke out. This was the First War of Meerut Delhi Independence (also called the Bareilly LuckndW Revot Kanpur Sepoy Mutiny or the Great Gwalior Jhansi of 1857). It was an important event in our struggle for freedom. The ar Jabalpur Barrackpore Revolt was started by the Indian soldiers serving in the British ARABIAN army in India. A new rifle, SEA BAY OF BENGAL Kittoor called the Enfield, had been Vellore introduced in India. A rumour spread that the grease used in the bullets was made from the fat of cows NO AN oCEA N and pigs. Soldiers had to Map 15.1 Main centres oft Revolt in 1857 bite off the 102 greased wrappeEnfield rifle of the bullet before TANTIA TOPE RANI LAKSHMI BAI BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR BEGUM HAZRAT MAHAL loading it in the rifle. Ihis was against responsible for the failure of the Revolt. the religious sentiments of both Hindu It did not spread to all parts of India. and Muslim soldiers. They refused to Indian soldiers did not have rifles and revolted. sufficient money and good weapons. use these The Revolt started at Meerut and The Revolt was not organized On the other hand, the sOon spread to large parts of northern properly. British soldiers were well-equipped and central India. Farmers, craftsmen and other sections of the society joined with modern weapons and were very the Revolt. The soldiers declared the well-organized. After the Revolt was suppressed, last Emperor, Bahadur Shah Mughal or Indians were either killed their leader. The Revolt was many Zafar, East into The rule of the Nana Sahib and Tantia Tope at put prison. led by 1858. The and India ended in Rani Lakshmi Bai at Jhansi Company Kanpur, administration of India was taken Hazrat Mahal at Awadh. Begum over by the Government ot England. However, the Indian princes were FactWise allowed to rule over their territories. the After defeating the mutineers, to British exiled Bahadur Shah Zafar Checkpoint the Burma (now Myanmar). He spent Write True or False. last five years of his life in Rangoon The farmers had to pay high taxes death in 1862, 1. (now Yangon). With his to the British. rule came three centuries of Mughal 2. The local rulers were very happy to an end. with the British. The Revolt was started by Indian craftsmen and traders. After the Revolt 4. The British were defeated he First War in the Revolt. British suppressed the 103 were O Independence. Many factors for political reasons exile: to force a person to leave his country in December of the indian National Congres5 182 Seventy-two delegates attended the first session in the formation of the Indian Nationa SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS Congress in 1885 REFORMERS The Indian National Congress was The British introduced modern education in India. Gradually, educated formed by an Englishman named Allan Octavian Hume. Its first session was Indians introduced many social and held at Bombay (now Mumbai). It was reforms*. Reformers such as religious attended by 72 delegates from all over Raja Rammohun Roy, Ishwar Chandra India. The president of this session was Vidyasagar and Debendranath Tagore were active during this period. They Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee Thereafter the met strongly protested against social Congress ever female in different cities. It became practices such as sati, killing year slowly It awakened the of babies, child marriage and the caste very strong. spirit widow the Indians. At the same system. They also encouraged unity among education of women. it to remarriage and time, requested the government introduce reforms to improve the living RISE OF NATIONALISM** conditions of the people. The growing tE Educated Indians realized that the Popularity of the Congress worried o British wanted to keep India poor and British. To suppress the rising spirit backward. This realization united the nationalism, the government passed of Indians. Slowly, the feeling unity many strict laws. They also used the the nationalism The or grew stronger. policy of divide and rule to prevent 104 growing feeling of nationalism resulted Hindus and the Muslims from uniting of something by faults reforms: the improvernent removing devotion country *nationalism: love and for ones wrds to know an Indian sepoy soldier serving in the British army custom of a widow burning herself on the funeral pyre of her husbana sati caste system division of people into groups based on birth Quick recap .The British exploited all sections of society. A revolt broke out in 1857. It spread to large parts of northern and central India. administration of India .The Revolt was suppressed. Thereafter, the was taken over by the Government of England. and reforms. Ishwar Chandra Many reformers worked for social religious the Vidyasagar was formed in 1885. It inspired The Indian National Congress people to fight against the British. Read and answer A Tick () the correct answers. the Indian weavers from England made 1. The cheaper cloth imported d. powerful. C.prosperous. b. rich. a. poor. Revolt of 1857 started at 2. The c. Meerut. d. Delhi. b. Awadh. a. Indore. ended in East India Company 3. The rule of the English d. 1885. c. 1877. b. 1858. a. 1857. the was introduced by 4, Modern education in India c. Portuguese. d. Dutch. a. British. b. French. and rule to introduced the policy of divide he British government c. encourage nationalism. a. educate the Indians d. suppress nationalism. b. bring about reforms. 8Fill in the blanks. and The British forced the farmers to grow. 105 Emperor. 2 was the last Mughal 3. The Revolt was led by. at Awadh. 4. The Indian National Congress was formed by- S. he president of the first session of the Indian National Congress was CAnswer these questions. 1. How was trade with India proftable for the English East India Company? 2. How did the British exploit the farmers? 3. Which factor sparked the First War of Independence 4. What helped the British to suppress the First War of Independence? 5. How did modern education lead to the rise of nationalism in India? D Think and answer. HOTS The British called the events of 1857 58 a 'Sepoy Mutiny. Do you think it was just a mutiny by some sepoys? Give reasons. Do and learn E ACTIVITY A large number of Indians are farmers. Has their situation improved after Independence? Fill in the following table. Then Now 1. Had to pay high taxes No tax on agriculture 2. No relief during natural calamities 3. Forced to grow certain crops 4. Got low prices for their crops ....... ********** ********************** ***** ********************* ********** F PROJECT Divide the class into five groups. Each group will select one of these personalities. Collect pictures and information on each. Raja Rammohun Roy .Tantia Tope Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Debendranath Tagore Rani Lakshmi Bai VoL Can find out about their childhood, important incidents in who influenced them. their life and the peopi G AMAP WORK Mark the main centres of the Revolt of 1857 on the page 142. map of India given 106 .