1. The First War of Independence (Great Revolt of 1857)

1.

The First War of Independence (Great Revolt of 1857)

Political cause

: The British policy of territorial annexations led to the displacement of a large number of rulers and chiefs. The forceful application of the Doctrine of Lapse by Lord Dalhousie angered the ruling sections of the society. Satara, Jhansi, Sambalpur, Nagpur, etc. came under British rule. His ill-treatment towards the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah-II hurt the sentiment of the Muslim community. Discontinuation of the pension of the Peshwa Nana Sahib shocked the Marathas. The annexation of Awadh, on grounds of misgovernment, was greatly resented. The Nawabs of Awadh had always been loyal to the British. The annexation was widely seen as a deliberate act of back-stabbing by the British. It deeply hurt the sentiments of the Company’s sepoys because most of them came from Awadh.

Economic cause

: The Great Revolt of 1857 was also an outburst of grievances due to the economic exploitation of the company. India’s traditional economy collapsed as a result of the British ‘investment’ policies and revenue administration. The company’s trade policy destroyed Indian handicrafts. Artisans and craftsmen were ruined by the large-scale entry of cheap British manufactured goods into India which, in turn, made their hand-made goods uneconomical to produce. Huge numbers of Indians were thrown out of employment. The British opened a new way of exploitation on the peasants by introducing permanent settlement. Exploitation of the Zamindars gave rise to landless laborers who became restless eventually. Thus out of discontent the artisans and peasantry joined hands with the sepoys in the mutiny.

Social Causes

: The social reforms introduced by the British were looked upon with suspicion by the conservative sections of the Indian society. Reforms such as abolition of ‘sati’, legalization of widow remarriage and extension of western education to women were looked upon as examples of interference in the social customs of the country. The social discrimination faced by the Indians due to the British attitude of racial superiority also led to much resentment. Educated Indians were denied promotions and appointments to high office. This turned them against the British.

Religious Causes

: A major cause of the outbreak of the revolt was the fear among the people that the British government was determined to destroy their religion and convert Indians to Christianity. The increasing activities of the Christian missionaries and the actual conversions made by them were taken as a proof of this fear. The policy of taxing lands belonging to temples and mosques lent further support to this idea. The belief that their religion was under threat, united all sections of society against a common enemy.

Military cause

: The sepoys of the company regiment had been feeling dissatisfied with the English for various reasons. 2. There was a great difference in salaries between the Indian and European soldiers. 3. The Indian sepoys were treated with disrespect by their European officers. 4. The sepoys were sent to distant parts of the empire, but were not paid any extra allowance. 5. Indian sepoys were refused promotion in service as like their European counterparts. 6. They were not allowed to wear caste or sectarian marks, beards or turbans. 7. They could hardly rich up to the post of Subedar. 8. The General Service Enlistment Act disregarded the feelings of the Indian troops, especially of the Brahmins because: i) the provisions of the Act stipulated that they could be sent overseas on duty; ii) Crossing the sea was against the Hindu belief and was a forbidden. Out of such discon-tent the Indian sepoys led to a mutiny.