The revolt of 1857 of India was also called as the
first war of independence. Read about Indian revolt of 1857.
Revolt of 1857
One
of the primary and severe outbursts of resentment against the British
rule came in the form of the Indian revolt of 1857. This revolt followed
the battles of Plassey and Buxar and the main cause was resentment
against setting up of British rule in Bengal. It is called the first war
of independence by many historians though it is a debatable topic. The
British historians termed it Sepoy Mutiny and Jawaharlal Nehru called it
a feudal revolt which was much more than just a Sepoy Mutiny. Read
further about the causes of revolt of 1857 in India.
The revolt was basically started by the soldiers who worked for the
East India Company and later was spread across the country by peasants,
artisans and soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the sake of others.
Different religions of India came together and fought united for one
cause. There were many different reasons for the outbreak of the revolt
of 1857. Exploitation by the British, imposing of their faith forcefully
on Indians, etc. were just some causes. Some of the other causes are
discussed below.
Thousands of soldiers were rendered jobless when the northern
states were annexed. The able soldiers of kingdoms like Oudh were
very frustrated by this move and were waiting to seek revenge. - The Indian soldiers employed under the British were made to use a
special type of cartridge that was to be bitten off before being
loaded in a rifle. It was rumored that the cartridges were greased
with cow and pig fat. This angered the Hindus and Muslims as it hurt
their religious sentiments.
- The policy of annexation introduced by Lord Dalhousie was
received with much discontent among Indians. Due to the introduction
of the new policy, Baji Rao's adopted son Nana Sahib was
dispossessed of the pension his father was receiving. It was
announced that Bahadur Shah Zafar will not be allowed to stay in the
Red Fort anymore and they would have to move to a place near Qutub
Minar. It was also announced that the successors of Bahadur Shah
would not be given the title of king.
- The British started to impose Christianity to provoke people
further. Taxes were collected form temples and mosques and Hindu and
Muslim soldiers were asked to accept the faith of Christianity.
These were some of the main causes for the upsurge of
the revolt of 1857.
