Question

What happened in the cities during the months of the revolt? How did people live through those months of tumult? How was normal life affected? Reports from different cities tell us about the breakdown in routine activities. Read these reports from the Delhi Urdu Akhbar, 14 June 1857: The same thing is true for vegetables and saag (spinach). People have been found to complain that even kaddu (pumpkin) and baingan (brinjal) cannot be found in the bazaars. Potatoes and arvi (yam), when available, are of stale and rotten variety, stored from before by farsighted kunjras (vegetable growers). From the gardens inside the city, some produce does reach a few places, but the poor and the middle class can only lick their lips and watch them (as they are earmarked for the select). ... There is something else that needs attention which is causing a lot of damage to the people, which is that the water-carriers have stopped filling water. Poor Shurfas (gentility) are seen carrying water in pails on their shoulders, and only then the necessary household tasks such as cooking, etc. can take place. The halalkhors (righteous) have become haramkhors (corrupt); many mohallas have not been able to earn for several days, and if this situation continues, then decay, death and disease will combine together to spoil the city’s air, and an epidemic will spread all over the city and even to areas adjacent and around.

Read the two reports and the descriptions of what was happening in Delhi provided in “Rebels and the Raj: The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations. Remember that newspaper reports often express the prejudices of the reporter. How did Delhi Urdu Akhbar view the actions of the people?

Answer 1

1. The Delhi Urdu Akhbar described the situation in Delhi as very disturbed and disorderly.
2. It reported that normal daily life had broken down during the revolt.
3. The newspaper complained that basic goods such as vegetables and food items had become difficult to find.
4. It also mentioned that water-carriers had stopped supplying water, which created problems for ordinary people.
5. The report criticised some groups, such as the halalkhors, by calling them corrupt and saying that they had stopped doing their usual work.
6. The newspaper feared that if such conditions continued, there would be disease, decay and greater suffering in the city.
7. Overall, the Delhi Urdu Akhbar viewed the actions of many people critically and showed concern about the breakdown of order and everyday life.

However, we should remember that newspaper reports can reflect the opinions and prejudices of the writer, so they may not present every group fairly.