Question

‘A chain of grievances in Awadh linked the prince, taluqdars, peasants, and sepoy to join hands in the revolt of 1857 against the British.” Examine the statement by giving three points.

Answer 1

Since the 18th century, Awadh faced a number of grievances that linked the princes, taluqdars, peasants, and sepoys to join hands in the revolt of 1857 against the British. The following were such factors that were responsible for creating grievances:

1. The Subsidiary Alliance had been imposed on Awadh in 1801, which confined the power of the Nawab over his territory as his military force disbanded; the British troops took position in the kingdom, and he could not make any decision without the advice of the British resident who was attached to the court of Awadh. He could no longer assert control over the rebellious chiefs and taluqdars. The British became increasingly interested in acquiring the territory of Awadh as it was economically and geographically important for them.
2. This annexation also dispossessed the taluqdars of the region. Before the advent of the British, they were powerful and maintained armed retainers, built forts, and enjoyed a degree of autonomy. The British were unwilling to tolerate the power of taluqdars. Immediately after the annexation, the taluqdars were disarmed and their forts destroyed. The first revenue settlement, known as the ‘Summary Settlement’, further undermined the position and authority of the taluqdars. This settlement proceeded to remove the taluqdars wherever possible.
3. By removing the taluqdars, the British wanted to reduce the level of exploitation and increase the revenue demand. But now, Peasants were in a more difficult situation. Under British rule, there was no guarantee that in times of hardship or crop failure, the revenue demand of the state would be reduced or collection postponed, or that in times of need, they would get any loan or support that the taluqdar had earlier provided. Thus, with this suppression, neither taluqdars nor peasants had any reason to be happy with the annexation.
4. There was also a rage in sepoys towards the British. Before 1820, the British were very gentle with the sepoys, but in 1840, this began to change. The officers developed a sense of superiority and started treating the sepoys as their inferiors. Abuse and physical violence became common. Trust was replaced by suspicion. The episode of the greased cartridges was a classic example of this.
5. In Awadh, more than anywhere else, the revolt became an expression of popular resistance to an alien order.