The great rising of 1857 was an important event which produced far reaching results. Explain the following with reference to the great uprising the changes introduced in the administrative set-up of the British territories in India.
Solution
The British realised that the ratio of Europeans and Indian sepoys in the army was a major factor in the Revolt of 1857. Number of European troops was increased and artillery and other weapons were placed under the Europeans only. To curb the unity among Indian troops, the new army was organised on division and counter poise.
(i) A Royal Indian Army was created by merging the armies of the Company and the Crown together under a Commander-in-Chief.
(ii) The ratio of Europeans and Indians in the army was fixed at 1 : 2 in Bengal and at 2 : 5 in Bombay and Madras.
(iii) Indian soldiers were excluded from the artillery and arsenal departments.
