Causes of the Revolt of 1857- In Detail

A number of factors, both immediate and long-term, contributed to the 1857 revolt. Some of the most important causes of the revolt are as follows:

Social Policies

The British Government passed various Acts that disturbed the already established social structure viz. Abolition of Sati Act, Widow Remarriage Act, Support Women Education, Religious Disability Act. Moreover, they imposed a Tax on Temples/Mosques that created outrage among the masses. Western education and the establishment of missionaries directly challenged the traditional education system and attacked orthodoxy. The introduction of the Lex Loci Act to inherit the ancestral property of the Hindus who had converted to Muslim was a major threat and alarmed the British for all Hindus to convert to Christianity.

Economic Policies

• Heavy Taxation on the Industry: Britishers laid taxes and introduced policies like Ryotwari, Mahalwari, and the Permanent Revenue system. Many peasants and Zamindars were unable to pay the dues and eventually lost the lands they had been earning for generations. Some became landless whereas others had hefty loans to repay.
• Skewed Tariff Policy: Indian products were exported at a very cheap price to Britain while the raw materials were also made available at a negligible rate. Another hand, the import of British goods and their sale levied heavy taxes and duties on Indians.
• Traditional Industry Destroyed: Due to discriminative policies, tariffs, and rules, Indian artisans, Zamindar peasants, and traders, all suffered heavy losses. Local industries and handicrafts were completely destroyed while the traders have to bear the biased taxes on selling Indian goods and Foreign goods.

Political Policies

• The doctrine of Lapse: Dalhousie’s doctrine talks about the right to succession to the throne of the rulers who had their natural heir and not the adopted child. This waved great anger in rulers of Jhansi, Satara, Udaipur, Jaipur
• Absentee Sovereignship: India was ruled by the British thousands of miles away that creating a picture of the sovereignty of the Kingdom without physical presence.
• Subsidiary Alliance: It dissolved the armed force and brought the rulers under the direct control of the British. A huge army was maintained against the cost of Indian Rulers and they cannot do the alliance with other states without prior approval

Military Policies

• Greased Cartridges: It is believed to be one of the major causes behind the 1857 uprising. Indian soldiers had to blow the cartridge which was made of pork and beef. Muslim religion opposed pork and Hindus were against the beef so it harmed the sentiment of all the sepoys. They refused to use Enfield  Rifles and it became a flashpoint for the soldiers to revolt against the Britishers thus making it the Immediate Cause of the revolt. When Mangal Pandey refused to use the Rifles, he was hanged. Other soldiers who did so were imprisoned for 10 years.
• Discriminatory Rules: Sepoys were charged feed for the post and letters. They were asked to serve in any territory even across borders. 
• Religion v/s services: Sepoys were banned to wear Turbans having beards or any marks on their body, which was an essential religious practice of many 

Administrative Administrative Policies

• Corruption: Britishers were leveraging heavy policies and corruption flew in each layer of machinery including Law courts, petty officials, and even the police departments.
• Payment: Indian sepoys were a majority but their pay scale and rank were quite less compared to England soldiers. Sepoys were paid 70Rs and European 500Rs exposing  the prejudice and poor machinery of British

The revolt of 1857 was also known as the First War of Independence. It has several different incidents and backgrounds leading to an uprising as such revolt. The revolt began on 10th May 1857 at Meerut as a form of sepoy mutiny and it was initiated by sepoys in the Bengal Presidency against the British officers. Discriminative policies, violence, and economic exploitation affected all the sections and religions of the Indian Society which shook the foundation of the British Empire in India. All Indian Rulers, artisans, zamindars, peasants, traders, and craftsmen had severe discontent that burst in the form of the 1857 revolt. 

This war of independence marked the end of rule by the British East India Company and post which India came to be ruled directly by the British Government., through representatives of the Governor-General. The major cause emerged from all aspects – social, cultural, economic, and political of the Indian Population. Though revolt had its time in 1857 annoying policies and aggressive attitudes were the major reason. Besides the introduction of greased cartridges sparked the fire.