Short essay on the causes of the Revolt of 1857

The revolt of 1857 is an important event in the History of India. After this revolt the rule of the East India Company ended in India. The following were the causes of revolt of 1857.

(i) Political cause (ii) Economic cause (iii) Socio-religious and (iv) The Military cause.

(i) Political Cause:

The East India Company came to India for trade and commerce. Robert Clive defeated Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey and laid the foundation of British power in Bengal.

The Governor General of the company like Lord Wellesley and Lord Dalhousie followed the policy of annexations. Dalhousie followed the policy of Doctrine of lapse and annexed the native states like Satra, Jhansi, Sambalpur, Nagpur and Bhagat etc.

His policy of annexation caused the feeling uneasiness and uncertainty in the minds of the native rulers. Nana Saheb the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II lost his title and pension. So he became an enemy of the English. Rani Laxmi Bai could not save the state of Jhansi for Ananda Rao the adopted son of her deceased husband.

So she became an enemy of the English. Nana Saheb, his follower Tantia Tope, Rani Laxmi Bai and Raja Kanwar Singh became the opponent of the British government. The took up the leadership of the Sepoys after the outbreak of the revolt.

(ii) Economic Cause:

The British annexed many Native states. The officers and the soldiers of the ex-rulers were dismissed. There was growing problem of unemployment and poverty among the retainers of the native rulers Dalhousie confiscated 20.000 landed estates in the Deccan.

This caused acute economic problem among the people. The British government also followed the policy of economic exploration with regard to India. Industrial products were brought from England to India. So Indian cottage industries declined. There was acute economic discontentment among the people.

(iii) Socio-Religious Cause:

After the introduction of Western Education in India conservative Hindus thought that Hindu culture would be seriously affected. Bentinck abolished the practices like Sati and infanticide. Lord Dalhousie passed the Religious Disability Act. Widow Remarriage was legalised and Christian converts were allowed to inherit ancestral property.

The conservative Hindus criticised the intervention of the government in their social and religious affairs. The government also encouraged the Christian missionaries to establish Christianity. The missionaries bitterly criticised the Hindu religion and religious practices.

(iv) Military Cause:

There was also discontentment among the sepoys. The Indian sepoys were unhappy because of the rude behaviour of the British Officers. There was absence of fellow feeling between an Indian sepoy and English army officer. The sepoys were sent to distant places across the sea against their wishes.

They believed that they would lose their caste. But the general service enlightenment act provided that no sepoys were to be recruited who would refuse to go abroad.

The Indian Sepoys had no prospects of promotion. Their salary was low. European officers ill-treated the Indian sepoys. Sepoys of higher castes were not allowed to use Tika in their forehead.

This caused acute discontentment within the Bengal army. The Indian Sepoys were also encouraged by their numerical strength. The strength of Indian Sepoys was 233,000 where as the British troops numbered 45,000.

The immediate cause of the revolt was the introduction of the new Enfield rifle. A rumour spread among the sepoy’s that the cartridges of the new Rifle contain the fats of cows and pigs.

So both the Hindu and Muslim sepoy us were agitated against the English. The sepoys first revolted at Barrakpore in Bengal on 10th May 1857 the sepoys revolted at Meerut and soon it spread to Agra. Kanpur, Delhi and Lucknow.

Effects:

The rule of the East India Company in India ended. The administration of Indian empire came under the direct control of crown of England. The Government of India act of 1858 was passed and it was declared that India shall be governed by and in the name of the crown of England.

Henceforth the Governor General was to be known as the Viceroy. Queen Victoria gave her famous proclamation in 1858 which the first Viceroy Lord Canning announced before the people arranging a Durbar at Allahabad.

The Government assured the people that it would not interfere in their social and religious affairs. After the revolt the Government re-organised the army and the strength of the European soldiers was increased.