Causes Of the Revolt Of 1857
The revolt began as a military insurrection and looked to be the latest in a long line of mutinies, but its roots were deeply rooted in changing times. It received support from a variety of sources of dissent against British rule. Political, economic, military, and social factors all played a role in the uprising.
1. Political Causes: Lord Dalhousie implemented the Doctrine of Lapse in the late 1840s. This meant that no king was allowed to adopt a kid, and only the natural successor could govern. The spread of British policies such as the Doctrine of Lapse was the political reason. If the monarch died without a male successor and the East India Company controlled the state, the state would be annexed.
2. Economic Causes: The many British reforms hurt peasants and farmers, who were obliged to pay high taxes. Those who could not pay their taxes or debts were forced to cede their lands to the British. Indians are constantly competing with British industry with machine-made items with Indian handcrafted goods.
3. Military causes: Indian sepoys were paid less than their European counterparts. Indians were regarded as second-class citizens, while European sepoys received preferential treatment in pay, pension, and advancement.
4. Social Causes: Sati pratha, child marriage, and widow remarriage were outlawed by the East India Company, which was seen as a danger to Indian traditions. Hindus and Muslims were to be converted to Christianity by Britishers.
Of all the factors, the introduction of the ‘Enfield’ rifle enraged troops the most. Soldiers formerly had to carry gun powder and ammunition in addition to their guns. Because using a gun took time, the British created the Enfield rifle gun and ammunition. The cartridge had a cylindrical shape with a knot on top and was filled to the brim with just the correct quantity of gunpowder and bullet. Soldiers just had to rip the cartridge and then be ready to fire a rifle, which saved a significant amount of time. A rumor circulated that the cartridge was lubricated with pig and cow fat. Soldiers from India who refused to use the cartridge were condemned.
The Revolt Of 1857 (Part -I)
The East India Company had conquered large sections of India by the first half of the nineteenth century, but it still had two goals: maintaining its conquests and profit from commerce. There was no limit to the company’s treachery to achieve these goals. The mutiny of 1857 officially began the quest for independence from British colonial rule. On May 10, 1857, the revolt started as a sepoy mutiny at Meerut. During this war for freedom, the British East India Company lost power. The British government-controlled India directly through officials known as Governors-General. Lord Canning was the governor-general in 1857.
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