The rebellion of 1857 was the conscious morning of the Independence struggle against the social despotism of the British. There are colorful names for the rebellion of 1857 – India’s First War of Independence, Sepoy Mutiny, etc.
The rebellion began on May 10, 1857, at Meerut as a sepoy insurgency. It was initiated by sepoys in the Bengal Presidency against the British officers. This war of Independence marked the end of rule by the British East India company. Post this, India was directly ruled by the British government through representatives known as Governor-General.
Immediate Reason for the rebellion of 1857
The immediate factor was the preface of the ‘ Enfield ’ rifle. The cartridge had to be stunk off before loading it into the gun. Indian sepoys believed that the cartridge was greased with either gormandizer fat or made from cow fat. This was against the Hindu and Muslim sentiments.
Therefore they were reticent to use the ‘Enfield rifle. This was a flashpoint to outrage the dogfaces against the British. This was believed to be the immediate factor for the rebellion of 1857.
Causes of the rebellion of 1857
The rebellion of 1857 was initiated due to colorful factors which are stated below:
Religious & Social Causes – Racism or ethnical demarcation was believed to be a major reason for the rebellion of 1857 wherein Indians were exploited and were kept down from mixing with Europeans. The whites also started snooping into the religious and artistic affairs of Indians and tortured them as well.
Political Causes – The British expansion had led to the propagation of unjust programs that led to the loss of power of the Nawabs and Zamindars abiding in colorful places of India.
The preface of illegal programs like the policy of Trade and Commerce, the policy of circular submission( attachment alliance), the policy of war and annexation, and the policy of direct submission( doctrine of lapse).
The policy of misgovernance( through which Awadh was adjoined) greatly hampered the interests of the autocrats of the native countries, and they one by one came victims of British expansionism.
Thus, those autocrats, who lost their countries to the British, were naturally against the British and took sides against them during the rebellion.
Profitable Factors- There were colorful reforms in the taxation and profit system that affected the peasants heavily. British Government had assessed and introduced colorful executive programs to expand their home.
The major programs are listed below endless agreement in Bengal Mahalwari agreement in Central India & Ryotwari agreement in southern India These three agreements were largely exploitative, and in particular, the endless agreement had created a ruinous impact.
Therefore the peasants were greatly encouraged to erect the British Government from India which led to their active participation in the rebellion of 1857.
Military Factors – The Indian dogfaces faced a lot of demarcation from the British officers with respect to their hires, pensions, and elevations. Indians were pacified in the service while their European counterparts faced no similar demarcation. This led to disgruntlement and was a major military factor that redounded in the rebellion of 1857.
The Vellore Mutiny took place indeed before the rebellion of 1857( 50 times ahead). It erupted on 10th July 1806 in Vellore, present-day Tamil Nadu, and lasted only for a day, but it was brutal and it was the first major insurgency by the Indian sepoys in the East India Company.
Impact of the rebellion of 1857
The rebellion of 1857 shook the foundation of the British East India Company and bared their inefficiency in handling the Indian administration.
The major impact was the preface of the Government of India Act, 1858 which abolished the rule of the British East India Company and marked the morning of the British raj that bestowed powers in the hands of the British government to rule India directly through representatives.
Causes of Failure of the revolt
The rebellion was ultimately not successful in ousting the British from the country because of several factors. The sepoys demanded one clear leader; there were several. They also did not have a coherent plan by which the nonnatives would be routed. Indian autocrats who backed the rebellion did not fantasize about any plan for the country after the British were defeated.
Majorly northern India was affected by this rebellion. The three regulations of Bengal, Bombay, and Madras remained substantially innocent.
Written By- Saurav Sharma
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