1857 - The Great Indian Revolt

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising against the British East India Company’s rule in India. The rebellion began on May 10, 1857, when Indian troops (sepoys) in the Company’s army mutinied in Meerut.

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The causes of the revolt arise from all the aspects like social, cultural, economic and political.
The rule of company affected all the section of people. So Rulers, Zamindars, Peasants, Traders, artisans are participated against British Rule.
In other words the cumulative effect of British expansionist policies, economic exploitations and administrative innovations over the years had adversely affected the life of all the section of the society.

The Subsidiary Alliance Policy of British affected the sovereignty of the country and it led to administrative problem in the protected states and later these states annexed by British in the name of Misgovernment.
Doctrine of Lapse directly hit the Hindu succession Laws and many Hindu countries annexed by this laws.
The annexation of Awadh and announcement of Lord Canning to renounce the regal title and the ancestral palaces after death of Prince Faqruddin, Son Bahadur Shah – II was not liked by Muslims in India because they felt that they lost their political power.
21000 estates were confiscated by the authority on the recommendation of Inam Commission (1852). It mainly affected the interest of Talukdars particularly in Awadh.
Thousands of people who depended on the royal patronage and traders who were dealing in rich dresses and highly ornamented footwear and expensive jewelry lost their livelihood.

The highly corruptive British administration like police, courts and offices had seen as threat to Indian administrative culture.
The people did not like when the court language Persian replaced by English.
The Judicial system was expensive, mechanical & time eater so people insecure of their land and properties.
Indians were excluded from all high civil and military post so educated people disappointed.

The oppressive land revenue system of British affected not only the peasants but also the Zamindars.
British considered the land revenue as rent not a tax so they collected revenue whether the land was cultivated or not, but in the traditional system revenue collected only if there was a cultivation.
Many Zamindars were replaced by Moneylenders, merchants and officials when they unable to pay the revenue
Introduction of Permanent Settlement System made owner of the lands into tenants.
Peasants borrowed money due to heavy taxation from moneylenders when peasants unable to repay their loan the lands were confiscated by moneylenders.
The British policy discouraged Indian handicrafts so the Indian craftsmen were pushed to look for other employment.
The cotton textile industry was destroyed by British on heavy taxation for Indian product and by introducing cheap British product in the Indian Market.
New plantation system in 1833 introduced by William Bentinck affected peasants and cause many famines in Bengal & Bihar region between 1866 and 1943.

Hindus feared that the acts and reformation of British in India was to boost up the activities of Christian missionaries and conversion.
Sati abolition, female infanticide and legalizing widow remarriages were considered as interference in the customs and traditions of the Hindus.
1850 Lexi Loci Act and Religious Disabilities Act 1850 enabled a Christian convert to receive his share of Ancestral properties so this act severely opposed by Majority Hindus.
British imposed taxes on the lands belonging to Temples and Mosque so both Muslims and Hindus feared about the administration.
General Services Enlistment Act – 1856 providing for enrollment of high caste men as sepoys and made mandatory for all sepoys to serve in another country. Overseas travel was prohibited on those time, so the soldiers compelled to travel abroad.

Muslims depended largely on Public Services before British Rule.
But introduction of English language as official language and Western education pushed Muslim intelligentsia out of dignified posts.
Abolition of Persian language in the court and competitive examination for services reduced the official employment of Muslims so Muslim intelligentsia opposed this administration changes.

Indian Sepoys were not treated as equal as European Sepoys.
Indians were not allowed to the high post like Europeans and the highest office for an Indian was Subedar.
Restriction on wearing caste & Religious marks in Army considered as threat to their religions.
The endowments of Indian Sepoys were very less when compared to their European counterpart. The salary of Indian Subedar was lesser than European Sepoys.
The Foreign Service allowance known as Bhatta was abolished when they serving in Sindh and Punjab.
The annexation of Awadh inflamed Sepoys feelings because many soldiers were came from Awadh.
The racial discrimination of Indians in promotion, salary & privileges increased the chances of Rebellion.
Lord Canning’s General Services Enlistment Act – 1856 instructed the Bengal Army to be ready for service both within and outside India and Overseas.
The economic policy of British affected all the people irrespective of their caste and religion.
These activities offended Indian Sepoys because they were nothing but peasants in Uniform.
Even before 1857 there had been many revolts in British Indian Army like 1764 Bengal Revolt, 1806 Vellore revolt, 1825 Barackpore revolt.
The Vellore revolt 1806 was exact predecessor of 1857.

Immediate cause was introduction of New Enfield Riffles. In the cartridge of the riffle contains grease which is rumoured to be made up of Cow and Pig fat.
Both Hindus and Muslim sepoys refused to use the riffle because Cow is sacred to Hindus and Pig is detested for Muslims.
The revolt started by refusing the use of new riffle.

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1857 – The Great Indian Revolt – Causes