Question

Explain the causes of the Freedom struggle of 1857.

Answer 1

The Great Rebellion of 1857 is a unique example of resistance to the British authorities, in India. There were several reasons that triggered the Revolt:

1. Political Cause:- The annexation policy of British India: Two major policies were followed to bring more territories under British rule.

1. Doctrine of Paramountcy:-

1. New territories were annexed on the grounds that the native rulers were corrupt and inefficient.
2. British claimed themselves as paramount, supreme authority.

1. Doctrine of Lapse:-

1. If a native ruler does not have a biological male heir of their own to the throne after his death the territory would ‘lapse’ into British India.
2. Sambalpur, Satara, Jhansi, parts of Punjab, and Nagpur were annexed by the British through Doctrine of Lapse.

2. Religious Cause:-

1. Indian Sepoys were prohibited from wearing religious marks on their forehead.
2. To render their services overseas. Crossing the sea meant the loss of their caste. So Sepoys at Barrackpore refused to go to Burma by sea.

3. Economic Cause:-

1. Discrimination in salary and promotion. They felt humiliated by racial abusement.
2. Indian agriculture was ruined completely as a result of the British administration.

4. Immediate Cause:-

1. Introduction of cartridges to the new Enfield Rifles.
2. There was a strong suspicion that the new cartridge was greased with cow and pig fat
3. The cartridge had to be bitten off before loading (pork is forbidden to the Muslims and cow is sacred to the Hindus) so the Sepoys refused to use it.
4. On 29th March a Sepoy named Mangal Pandey assaulted his European officer Along with some other Sepoys and Mangal Pandey was court-martialled and hanged.

This fuelled the anger among the Sepoys and started the revolt.