The Revolt of 1857 was the first organized mass movement against the misrule of the British in India. The revolt was generated out of the discontent that prevailed among all sections of Indians due to the policies of the British. The rebellion was started by the Sepoys of Meerut. The following were the main causes for the revolt.
Miseries of the Sepoys : Poor salary and abuse by the British officers were the major reasons for the Sepoy’s resentment. The rumour that the cartridge in the newly supplied Enfield rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs provoked them. It wounded the religious sentiments of Hindus and Muslim soldiers. The soldiers who were unwilling to use the new cartridges were punished by the officers.
Dissatisfaction of Kings :
The British rule had adversely affected the kings also. In addition to the Doctrine of Lapse, the princely states were convicted of inefficient rule and were annexed by the British. Lord Dalhousie, the British Governor General annexed the princely states of Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur and Sambalpur using the policy of Doctrine of Lapse. This made them to lead the revolt.
Miseries of farmers :
The land revenue policies of the British in India namely the Permanent settlement, Ryotwari system and Mahalwari system impoverished the peasants. When the farmers were unable to pay tax in cash before the deadline, they had to take loan from moneylenders at a high rate of interest by mortgaging their land.
The moneylenders seized the agricultural land of farmers who could not pay back loan and interest. The farmers who cultivated commercial crops as a result of the commercialization of agriculture also had to suffer losses.
Poverty of the craftsmen : The British policies completely ruined not only the agricultural sector, but also the handicrafts in India. Large scale import of machine-made British textiles was the major reason for the ruin of Indian textile industry. Weavers gave up their work massively due to the exploitation and torture of the British officers. They searched for other jobs. The village industries like pottery, tanning and carpentry also declined.
The ruins of agricultural sector and handicrafts industry led India to famine and deaths due to starvation.
Immediate cause :
In Barrackpore in Bengal, Mangal Pandey, an Indian soldier shot a British officer who forced him to use the cartridge. He was arrested an hanged to death. The revolt began at Meerut. The rioters moved to Delhi, captured it and declared Bahadur Shah II as the emperor of India. The rioters could not compete with the superior military power of the British and the rebellion was completely suppressed.
Results of the revolt :
- The first and the foremost massive resistance of the Indians against the British.
- Brought about several changes in the policies and administration of the British.
- The British Parliament took over the administration of India from the English East India Company.
- Paved the way for the emergence national movement.
