Policies and the People: The policies of the East India Company affected
different people like kings, queens, peasants, landlords, tribals and soldiers
in different ways.
Nawabs Lose their Power:
1.
Since the
mid-eighteenth century. Nawabs and rajas had seen their power erode. They
lost their authority and honour.
2.
In 1801, a subsidiary
alliance was imposed on Awadh and i8 was annexed in 1856 on
the basis of misadministration.
3.
Along with this direct
conquest and Doctorine of Lapse were imposed and symbols of authority were
destroyed.
4.
The company began to
plan to bring an end to the Mughal dynasty and Bahadur Shah Zafar was declared
as the last King of Mughals.
The Peasants and the Sepoys:
1.
In the countryside
peasants and zamindars resented the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue
collection.
2.
The Indian sepoys in the
employement of the company were unhappy about their pay, allowances and
conditions of service.
3.
Moreover, some new rules
violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs. But british made it
compulsory for everyone in service to follow all the terms.
4.
Sepoys also had
the agriculture background, so they were directly affected with
revenue policies of British.
Responses to Reforms:
1.
The British believed
that Indian society had to be reformed.
2.
Laws were passed to stop
Sati practice & to encourage remarriage of windows.
3.
The literature and the
culture of India was also made to feel by Britishers as obsalate and unworthy.
one of the British writer said that the entire literature of India and
Arab is equal to the one shelf of the books of english litrature
4.
Indian took these
reforms as offense to their culture and heritage ans considered them as
subordination of religious practices and opposed them.
Through the Eyes of the People: People
concived that the English
were determined to wipe out the religions of Hindu and the Muslims and wanted
the whole population to be converted in christianity.
A Mutiny Becomes a Popular Rebellion
1.
In May 1857, a massive
rebellion started against the company’s very presence in India.
2.
The instant reason
of mutiny was the use of cartirdges greased with cow and pig fat. sepoys
took it as blot on their religious sentiments and newa spread in all the
regiments.
3.
Sepoys multinied in
several places beginning from Meerut and a large number of people from
different sections of society rose up in rebellion.
4.
Anger against high
taxes, disruption of crafts and trade, dissatisfaction of nobles and rumour in
sepoys finally lead to the mutiny of 1857.
From Meerut to Delhi:
1.
On 29 March 1857, Mangal
Pandey, a yound soldier was hanged to death for attacking his officers in
Barrackpore and soldiers also rebelled against the use of greased cartridges.
2.
In response to this
revolt soldiers were captured and were put in jail.
3.
The response of the
other Indian soldiers in Meerut was quite extraordinary, they marched to the
jail to Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys.
4.
The sepoys rode all
night of 10 May to reach Delhi.
5.
The regiments stationed
in Delhi also rose up in rebellion and many British officers were killed, arms
and ammunition seized, buildings set on fire.
6.
The soldiers forcibly
met Bahadur Shah Zafar and proclaimed him as their leader.
7.
Bahadur Shah accepted
the rebellion's plea & called regional rulers to fight against
british.
The Rebellion Spreads:
1.
After the British were
routed from Delhi there was no uprising for almost a week. Then a spurt
of mutinies began.
2.
Regiment after Regiment
mutinied and took off to join other troops at nodal points like Delhi, Kanpur
and Lucknow.
3.
One by one the rebel
spread to entire northern India lead be different leaders such
as Nana Saheb of Kanpur, Birjis Qadr of Lucknow and his mother Begum
Hazrat Mahal, Rani Lakshmibai took as active part in organizing the uprising
against the British.
4.
The whole scene
frightened the british & they started changing notes of fear.
5.
The regional rulers
allied with Mughal ruler as they thought that this way they can restore their
authority to rule which was not possible under British administation.
The company Fights Back:
1.
Unnerved by the scale of
the upheaval, they decided to repress the revolt with all its might. New laws
were made, best generals were called & better ammunitions were used.
2.
Delhi was recaptured
from the rebel forces in September 1857.
3.
The last Mughal emperor,
Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment. He
along his wife was spent to prison in Rangoon and his two sons were killed
infront of his eyes.
4.
People continued to
resist and battle the British. The British had to fight for two years to
suppress the massive forces of popular rebellion and it was in 1859 that they
were successful in getting the all rebel suppressed.
5.
British fought back hard
and on there hand tried to win the people's faith again by giving the
rights to landlords who supported them and to those who did not kill any
white.
Aftermath:
1.
Some important changes
were introduced by the British after they regained control by the end of 1859.
The British Parliament passed a new Act 1858 and transferred the power of the
East India Company to the British crown in order to ensure a more responsible
management of Indian affairs.
2.
All ruling chiefs of the
country were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including the
adopted sons.
3.
Ratio of Indian soldiers
was reduced in army and european soldiers were incresed.
4.
British started the
policy of non interference in social and religious sphere and just constrated
only the political sphere.
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