1857 War of Independence (India)

PPT consisting of India's war of Independence from the British Rule

1. 1857 War of independence Name: Roll No: MA Mass Communication – ASSIGNMENT

2. 10 May 1857, the Indian Mutiny also known as Sepoy Mutiny . It was a widespread but unsuccessful rebellion in 1857–58. Begun in Meerut by sepoys It spread to Delhi, Agra, Kanpur and Lucknow. In India it is often called the First War of Independence . INTRODUCTION The Indian Mutiny (Indian Rebellion) of 1857

3. The 19th Native infantry at Berhampur refused to use the cartridges and it was disbanded on 29th March. The 34th Infantry at Barrackpore refused to use the new cartridge. When forced to use, Mangal Pandey killed the sergeant. Mangal Pandey was apprehended and hanged. The 34th Infantry was also disbanded. Like the 19th Native infantry and the 34th infantry, 85 soldiers of Meerut infantry also refused to use the cartridges. They were tried and they were sentenced to long term imprisonment. The sepoys rose in revolt by breaking open the gates of the jail and released all their fellow soldiers and rushed towards Delhi. Within 2 days they captured Delhi and proclaimed Bahadur Shah II (last Mughal Badshah) as the Emperor of India. They hoisted the flag of Independence on the Red Fort. Soon the mutiny spread to Lucknow, Allahabad, Kanpur, Bareily, Jagadishpur, Jhansi etc. MAJOR EVENTS OF THE 1857 WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

4. The sepoys had been issued with a new Enfield rifle. In order to use the rifle, the soldier had to bite off the end of a lubricated cartridge before inserting the powder into the weapon. The problem: grease used to seal the cartridge was made from animal fat – cow , sacred to Hindu Soldiers, pork , an insult to the Muslim soldiers. WHY DID IT HAPPEN?

5. 1. Social and Religious Causes:   The British had abandoned its policy of non-interference in the socio-religious life of the Indians. Abolition of Sati (1829), Hindu Widow Remarriage Act (1856 ). The Religious Disabilities Act of 1850 modified the traditional Hindu law. According to it, the change in religion would not debar a son from inheriting the property of his heathen father. 2. Economic Causes:  British rule led to breakdown of the village self-sufficiency, commercialisation of agriculture which burdened the peasantry, adoption of free trade imperialism from 1800, de-industrialization and drain of wealth all of which led to overall decline of economy. 3. Military Grievances:   The Sepoys were required to serve in area away from their homes without the payment. An important cause of Military discontent was the General Service Enlistment Act, 1856, which made it compulsory for the sepoys to cross the seas, whenever required. The Post Office Act of 1854 withdrew the free postage facility for them. 4. Political Causes:   The last major extension of the British Indian territory took place during the time of Dalhousie. Dalhousie announced in 1849, that the successor of Bahadur Shah II would have to leave the Red Fort. The annexation of Baghat and Udaipur were however, cancelled and they were restored to their ruling houses. When Dalhousie wanted to apply the Doctrine of Lapse to Karauli (Rajputana), he was overruled by the court of Directors. Other Possible Reasons:

6. The mutiny first broke out at Meerut in United Provinces on May 10, 1857. Before this a young Sepoy by the name of Mangal Pande fired at the Sergeant Major of his unit at Barrackpore . He was overpowered and executed on April 6 while his regiment was disbanded in May. Beginning of Revolt VARIOUS PLACES WHERE THE REVOLT TOOK PLACE And it’s Leaders

7. Mutiny at Delhi At Delhi the symbolic leadership belonged to the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah , but the real command was in the hands of General Bakht Khan who had led the revolt of bareilly troops and brought them to Delhi.

8. Revolt at Kanpur The mutiny at Kanpur was led by Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the last Peshwa, Baji Rao II . Nana Saheb defeated the British army and made them withdraw from Kanpur and proclaimed himself the Peshwa. Nana Saheb further acknowledged Bahadur Shah as the Emperor of India and declared himself to be his governor.

9. Rebellion at Lucknow In Lucknow, the rebellion was led by  Begum Hazrat Mahal . Her son, Birjis Qadir, was proclaimed the Nawab and a regular administration was organised with important offices shared equally by Muslims and Hindus.

10. Unrest at Bareilly Khan Bahadur  sounded the bugle at Bareilly since he was not satisfied with the pension granted by the British. He organised an army of 40,000 soldiers and offered stiff resistance to the British.

11. Revolt in Bihar In Bihar, the revolt was led by  Kunwar Singh , the zamindar of Jagdishpur. He was above 70 years and held a grudge against the British for depriving him of his estates.

12. Mutiny at Faizabad Maulvi Ahmadullah  of Faizabad was another outstanding leader of the revolt. He emerged as one of the revolt’s acknowledged leaders once it broke out in Awadh in May 1857.

13. Revolt at Jhansi The most outstanding leader of the 1857 revolt was  Rani Laxmibai  who led the revolt at Jhansi since her adopted son was refused to succeed to the throne after her husband had died and had annexed Jhansi by applying the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’. She was joined by Tantia Tope , a close associate of Nana Saheb, after the loss of Kanpur.

14. The   East India Company  was abolished in favour of the direct rule of India by the British government. The financial crisis caused by the mutiny led to a reorganization of the Indian administration’s finances on a modern basis. The Indian army was also extensively reorganized. Another significant result of the mutiny was the beginning of the policy of consultation with Indians. The Legislative Council of 1853 had contained only Europeans and had arrogantly behaved as if it were a full-fledged parliament. It was widely felt that a lack of communication with Indian opinion had helped to precipitate the crisis. Accordingly, the new council of 1861 was given an Indian-nominated element. T here was the effect of the mutiny on the people of India themselves. Traditional society had made its protest against the incoming alien influences, and it had failed. The traditional structure of Indian society began to break down and was eventually superseded by a Westernized class system, from which emerged a strong middle class with a heightened sense of Indian  nationalism . The Outcome

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