ISSN: 2455-2224 Contents lists available at http://www.albertscience.com ASIO Journal of Humanities, Management & Social Sciences Invention (ASIO-JHMSSI) Volume 1, Issue 1, 2015: 15-17 THE REVOLT OF 1857: AN IMPACT & UPHEAVAL AGAINST THE BRITISH RULE N. Sanchita† Department of Arts, Jadavpur University, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Since 1803, the Mughal emperors had been living under the British protection. Short Review Article History His claims to honour and precedence were recognized. The two laws of 1832 Received: 28 August, 2015 and 1850, removing disabilities due to change of religion, particularly conferring Accepted: 25 October, 2015 the right of inheritance to change of religion, particularly conferring the right of inheritance to Christian converts, were quite unpopular among the Hindus. The Corresponding Author: economic policies of the British were the primary reason for the Revolt. The †N. Sanchita British economic policy destroyed the traditional economic fabric of country. There was a strong movement grew in England to spread Christianity in India Department of Arts, Jadavpur and convert its Hindus and Muslims subjects to that faith. By the Charter Act of University, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India. 1813, Christian missionaries were permitted to enter the Company's territories in India to propagate their religion and spread Western education. The Rebellion Email:[email protected] of 1857 (also known as the Indian Mutiny) was a watershed event in the history of British India. It was by far the largest, most widespread, and dangerous threat to British rule in India in the nineteenth century. Under the new administrative dispensation all higher posts were reserved for Englishmen. During Lord Cornwallis’ tenure he tried to ensure that all positions of authority were out of bounds for the Indians. The Indian middle and upper class, who served the native rulers, were the worst affected. The Ramoshi uprising, revolt of Sawantwadi and some sepoy's mutinies also challenged the British Government. But the big challenge, the British sustained was in the year 1857. There were several causes responsible for the Revolt of 1857. They were political, administrative, economic, socio-religious and military causes. The greased cartridges of the Enfield rifle became the immediate cause. The Revolt broke due to the incident of Mangal Pandey The Revolt spread throughout North India. Keywords: Revolt, Mughal emperors, British economic policy, Indian Mutiny. © www.albertscience.com, All Right Reserved. INTRODUCTION The small island-Kingdom of British created one of the disaffected with the alien rule. Lord Dalhousie annexed the largest empires in India. The adventure that the mercantile Punjab and added humiliation to the ruling family. Dalip enterprises, the East India Company, had started in the Singh, the minor son of Ranjit Singh, the founder of the beginning of the seventeenth century culminated in the Sikh Kingdom of the Punjab, was deposed, and exiled to extensive political domination and economic power by the England [1-3]. middle of the nineteenth century. The rise of the purely mercantile Company to be a permanent political entity in Since 1803, the Mughal emperors had been living under India had three phases. In the First phase the activities of the British protection. His claims to honour and the East India Company were confined to trade; in the precedence were recognized. The seal of Governors second phase the company eliminated the European rivals General bore the inscription humble servant. However, through armed conflict and succeeded in establishing its there was a gradual change in the relationship between the trade monopoly and political influences in India; and in the Mughal emperor and the governors-general. Amherst third phase, the company combined commerce with made it clear to the emperor, that his Kingship was conquest and achieved unparalleled success in building up nominal; it was merely out of courtesy that he was a vast empire in the sub-continent. The East India addressed as King. Moreover, the emperor was forced to Company created a lot of discontent and disaffection give up residence in the Red Fort, and abandon his prerogative of naming his successor. The treatment meted among the dispossessed ruling families and their successors by her conquest a large number of dependents out by the governors-general to the Mughal emperor greatly alienated the Muslims who felt that the British on the ruling families who lost their means of livelihood 15 and other common people were disillusioned and wanted to humble their emperor [4-6]. Page dids no.: 12.2015-81145222, dids Link: http://dids.info/didslink/12.2015-53137723/ N. Sanchita / ASIO Journal of Humanities, Management & Social Sciences Invention (ASIO-JHMSSI), 2015, 1(1): 15-17 Lord William Bentinck abolished the practice of sati in Cornwallis’ tenure he tried to ensure that all positions of 1829, with the support of educated and enlightened authority were out of bounds for the Indians. The Indian Indians such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy Lord canning middle and upper class, who served the native rulers, were enacted the widow Remarriage Act, drafted by Lord the worst affected. They lost their only source of Dalhousie in 1856. These legislation were viewed by the livelihood. Furthermore the administrations at lower orthodox sections in the society as interference by the levels were corrupt. Judicial and police administration British in their social and religious practice The two laws seemed to favour the landlords than the poor farmer. of 1832 and 1850, removing disabilities due to change of Another aspect of British administration was its religion, particularly conferring the right of inheritance to foreignness. Unlike earlier invaders, the British never tried change of religion, particularly conferring the right of to became a part of the Indian society. They remained aloof inheritance to Christian converts, were quite unpopular and were more interested in exploitation rather than among the Hindus [1-3]. development of India [3-6]. The economic policies of the British were the primary On 29th March, 34th Native Infantry sepoys, Mangal Pandey reason for the Revolt. The British economic policy broke the lines and fired at Lieutenant Baugh. Mangal destroyed the traditional economic fabric of country. It Pandey was arrested and executed. At Behrampur, which impoverished the vast mass of peasants, artisans and also had disobeyed the authorities were disbanded. The handicraftsmen. The land revenue policies like the First major outbreak that finally led to the Revolt of 1857 Permanent Settlement exorbitantly raised the land occurred at Meerut. Following the court martial of eighty- revenue demand. It led to the replacement of traditional five sepoys of the Cavalry Regiment for refusing to use the zamindars by a new class of zamindars. The new greased cartridges, on 1Oth May 1857, the sepoys broke zamindars, mostly merchants, were merely interested in out in open rebellion, shot their officers, released their raising more money than improving agriculture. Artisans fellow sepoys and marched towards Delhi. On I2 May, the and handicraftsmen were affected by import of cheap sepoys captured the city of Delhi and occupied the palace machine made clothes from England. The mercantalist Bahadur Shah II was proclaimed as the emperor of India. policies followed also destroyed India’s external trade [3- Within a short period, the revolt spread to Lucknow, 4]. Kanpur, Agra, Jhansi, Central India, Bihar, Orissa, and many other places. However, the Indian rulers remained loyal to There was a strong movement grew in England to spread the British and rendered valuable service in the Christianity in India and convert its Hindus and Muslims suppression of the revolt. The British were on the subjects to that faith. By the Charter Act of 1813, Christian defensive during the early part of the revolt. First of all, missionaries were permitted to enter the Company's they made a sustained effort to recapture Delhi from the territories in India to propagate their religion and spread sepoys. In September 1857, Delhi was recaptured by the Western education. The Christian missionaries took every British. Emperor Bahadur Shah II was arrested and exiled opportunity to expose the abuses in the Hindu as well as to Mandalay, Burma, where he died a few years later. Two the Islamic religion. They denounced idolatry, ridiculed the of his sons and a grandson were shot dead Thus, The Hindu gods and goddesses and criticized the philosophy British ended the Mughal dynasty from the Indian and principals of Hinduism and Islam. The teaching of scenario. The sepoys besieged the Residency at Lucnow. Christian doctrines was made compulsory in educational Sir Henry Lawrence and some loyal sepoys lost their Lives institutes run by the missionaries. Thus, the interference of while defending the Residency. In March 1858, British the British authorities in social customs and practices forces captured Lucknow with the help of the Gurkha through social legislation and the encouragement given by Regiments. Nana sahib, the adopted son of the ex-Peshwa the government to Christian missionaries in their Baji Rao II led the sepoys at Kanpur. Nana Sahib was joined proselytizing activities created a sense of apprehension by Tantia Tope. After the recapture of Lucknow, General and hatred in the minds Indians [4]. Campbell occupied Kanpur on 6th December 1857 Tantia The Rebellion of 1857 (also known as the Indian Mutiny) Tope joined Rani Lakshmi Bai the widow of Raja was a watershed event in the history of British India. It Gangadhar Rao fought against the British. The British was by far the largest, most widespread, and dangerous under Sir Hugh Rose occupied Jhansi. Rani Lakshmi Bal threat to British rule in India in the nineteenth century [1]. and Tantia proceeded to Gwalior where the Indian soldiers One of its most obvious repercussions was the elimination joined them. The British recaptured Gwalior in June 1858, of the ruling East India Company and the transfer of and the Rani of Jhansi died fighting heroically.