8.Chapter 11.History.The First War of Independence.

Chapter 11

The First War Of Independence,1857

Zafar.

People

Bahadur Shah Zafar 2 Bahadur Shah Zafar 2 was the last Mughal emperor. He was involved in the first war of independence.

Tantya Tope  was a general in the revolt and one of its notable leaders.

Rani Lakshmi  Bai Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, was an Indian queen of the Maratha princely state of Jhansi in North India currently present in Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Nana Saheb was an Indian Peshwa of the Maratha empire, aristocrat and fighter, who led the rebellion in Knpur during the Revolt of 1857.

Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was the tenth and last King of Awadh.

Mangal Pandey Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier who played a key part in the events immediately preceding the outbreak of the Indian rebellion of 1857.

Begum Hazrat Mahal was the second wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. Wajid Ali Shah met her in his palace. She rebelled against the British East India Company during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Queen Victoria Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Dates

May 10,1857 the Indian soldiers at the Meerut cantonment in modern UP revolted against the British.

May 11, 1857 Delhi was a mute witness to Band of sepoys who crossed over river Yamuna and entered Red Fort.

1801 The Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was compelled to accept the permanent British army within the territory and to pay subside of its maintenance

1856 The act of 1856 made it compulsory for new Indian recruit to serve overseas.

1857 March 29  On March 29 1857 at Barrackpore near Calcutta, Mangal Pandey young Indians sepoy from Bengal Regiment refused to use the greased cartridge and shot down his sergeant.

1858 The rule of East India Company ended with Queen Victoria proclamation  on November 1^st 1858.
Chapter- 11.The First War of Independence 1857.

Test Book Questions Answers.
A.Tick the correct option
1.The revolt of 1857 started on.
Answer May 10, 1857
2.Mangal Pandey belongs to which one of the following places?
Answer Barrackpore
3.Who took over the Governance of India from East India Company after 1857 Revolt.
Answer The queen
4.The British army was recognised after the Revolt of 1857 to.
Answer Prevent future revolts
5.The practice of looking down upon the blacks is known as

     Answer Racial discrimination
     B.Fill in the blanks.
     1.The first war of independence is also known as the Speoy Mutiny of 1857.
     2.The British considered themselves superior.
     3.Bahadur Shah Zafar exiled to Rangoon 
     4.Rani Lakshmi Bai wanted her lost kingdom
    C.Write true or false for the following statements
    1.Before the advent of East India Company, the rural life in India was simple and self sufficient.True
    2.The British wanted to smuggle and sell opium in Spain to earn profit. False.
    3.Kisan Sabha well formed in 1930 to support the cause of recent. True
    4.The khonds of Orissa  practised shifting agriculture. False
    5.The tribal chief lost all their powers and were forced to follow the law made by British
    officer in India.True
    D.Answer the following questions in brief.
    D.1.The revolt of 1857 was the landmark in the history of India's struggle for independence.
    Justify the statement with any three arguments.
    Ans -The Revolt of 1857 was the landmark in the history of India's struggle for freedom. We
    can justify it by the following three arguments-
    (a)It started on may 10, 1857 with the mutiny of soldiers in Meerut Cantonment.The
    revolutionary soldiers marched towards Delhi.On May11,1857,Delhi was a mute witness to a
    band of sepoys who crossed over the river yamuna and entered the red fort.
    (b) It was an unprecedented event in the Indian history in which almost the large section of
    the Indian society took part in this. 
    (c) First time Indians showed their unity in their freedom struggle against the exploitative
    policy of the British. 
    (d) Our freedom fighters became the folk heroes among the Indians. 
    D.2.What was the Doctrine of Lapse and how did it affect the rulers of India?
    Ans:The policy of annexation of Dalhousie, particularly, the Doctrine of Lapse,created fear
    and resentment among the  Indian rulers.
    They were not allowed to adopt heir to the throne.This policy ensured that those kingdoms,
    where the kings did not have natural heir, would be taken over by the British after the demise
    of the king.
    The British on the basis of this policy grabbed the Kingdom of Jhansi
    D.3.Explain Subsidiary Alliances with the help of example.
    Ans:- Lord Wellesley framed the Subsidiary alliance suited to British.It was an alliance that 
    the Indian rulers had to accept the indirect control of  the British.
    The Indian rulers had to disband their native army and maintained a British army.
    They also had to pay for the army by surrendering their kingdom to the British.
    Example Awadh was the state which signed the Subsidiary Allance with the British in 1801.
    He had to establish a British Army permanently with giving them subsidy.
    A British resident had to be there to reduce the power of the Nawab.
    Q.4.How did the economic policies of British adversely affect the Indian economy?
    Ans : a.The economic policies of the British adversely affected the Indian economy as the
    Zamindari system exploited the peasants who were forced to grow only those crops that
    the.British industries required.They were tortured or jailed on failure to pay the revenue in
    time.
    b.Industrial goods like textiles from Britain flooded the Indian markets.This destroyed 
    Indian industries and made the artisans and peasants unemployed.
    c.Unemployment,draught,plague and famine were the common factors for the Indians that
    badly effected the rural and urban people.And the British never paid heed to us.
    D5.Why is the revolt of 1857 called the first war of Independence ? What were its main
    immediate causes?
    Ans.The immediate cause was as follows.
    The loading processes of the rifle involved bringing the cartridge to the mouth, biting the
    greased cartridges and then putting the pellets.Hence they refused the rifle when they were
    forced to use.This led to an uprising and was the immediate cause of the first war of
    Independence.
    Mangal Pandey fired the first shot against his officer by refusing these greased cartridges.
    (a) It was an unprecedented event in the Indian history in which almost the large section of
    the Indian society took part in this.They were the peasants,nawabs,soldiers and common
    people who revolted against the English. 
    (b) First time the Indians showed their unity in their freedom struggle against the exploitative
    policy of the British. 
    (c) Our freedom fighters became the folk heroes among the Indians. 
    (d) It spread all most part of India.

    Long Type Question Answers :-
    Q.1.Discuss the course of the Revolt.
     Ans:- The Sepoys broke out into an open revolt at Meerut in April, 1857. They refused to touch the greased cartidges.They were court-martialised and sentenced to ten years imprisonment.The regiments in Meerut revolted on May 10, 1857.They broke open the prision and released the imprisoned soldiers.

     They marched towards Delhi where they proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as Sahansha e Hibdustan.
     In Kanpur the revolt was led by Nana Saheb with his general Tantiya Tope.
     While in Awadh Begam Hazarat Mahal and Jhansi Rani Laxami Bai were leading the mutiniers.
    Q.2.What were the main causes of the First War of Independence?
     Ans.:-The main causes of the First War of Independence are given as below :-

    Political causes - The revolt was the outcome of the widespread resentment that had been

    boiling against the British for a long time. The Indian sepoys were dissatisfied with the
    resentment meted out to them.
    The Indian rulers-Bahadur Shah Zafar-the old Mughal Emperor of Delhi,Tantia Tope of
    Gwalior, Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi and Nana Saheb of Kanpur,had personal scores to settle with the British.
     They were more interested in their powers, money and kingdoms. Sic, the condition of India was quite miserable especially in the field of politics.

     Economic Causes :-The policy of economic exploitation and the destruction of the traditional Indian economic structure by the British caused widespread resentment among Indians.

    The Zamindari system exploited the peasants who were forced to grow only those crops that the British industries required.They were tortured or jailed on failure to pay the revenue in time.Industrial goods like textiles from Britain flooded the Indian markets.This destroyed Indian industries, artisians and peasants.
     Social and Religious Causes : The social reforms by the British were considered an interference in the customs and traditions of Hindus. Many Indians opposed the introduction of western education and the conversion of Indians to Christinity.

     The Hindus law of property was changed to enable a Christian convert to receive his share of ancestral property.

     The spread of railways created further fear among the poor and illiterate sections of the society that they would lose their caste.

     Military Cause The Sepoys had helped the British to establish their empire in India but instead of receiving awards or promotions, they were humiliated by the British.
     Q.3.What steps did the British take to suppress the Revolt?
     Answer The British became too repressive and cruel with the mutibiers.The steps that were taken by the British to suppresss the Revolt are given below :-
     (i)The British captured Delhi and Bahadur Shah Zafar-II was exiled to Rangoon.His sons were cruely shot down. This broke the backbone of mutiny
     (ii) British killed Rani of Jhansi and recaptured Lucknow in 1858.
     (iii) Tantiya Tope was captured and hanged to death.

     (iv) Many of the rebells were blown with the mouth of cannon.
     Q.4.Why did the First War of Independence fail inspite of the participation of different sections of Indian Society?

     Ans :- a.The First War of Independence failed inspite of the participation of different sections of Indian Society because the rulers of India were more interested in their powes, money and kingdoms than in matters of the political and economical conditions of country. Moreover, the internal persons of the kingdoms of India were oftenely envolved in the ambitions.
     b.The rising was not wide spread.In the north the Sikhs,Nizams and Scindias did not participate in the revolt.
     c.The leadership was not very strong centered around the aged ruler Bahudar Shah Zafar.
d   d.There was not any idea of nationalism developed in India.They fought for their own selves.
     e.Our weapons were outdated and not matched with the sophisticated and modern weapons of the British.
     Q.5.What was the changes and result of the Revolt of 1857?

     Ans :-a.The rule of the East India Company ended with Queen Victoria's Proclamation of November1,1858.Now the British crown took over the administration of India.
     b.The Secretary of State was appointed by the British Parliament to look over the ruling of India.
     c.The Governor General was given the title of Viceroy.
     d.Moreover,this revolt became a source of inspirations for the later freedom struggles and its heroes became household names in the country.These were the results of the Great Revolt of India of 1857.
     d.The policy of ruthless conquests and annexations of Indian territories were given up.
     e.Full religious freedom was assured to every Indians.
     f.Indian princess were given right to adopt the child for their succession.
     Q.6.Write a short note on any heroes of the Revolt.

     Ans : Mangal Pandey :-Mangal Pandey was also known as the rising of the Indian revolt. He was also a sepoy and did much more for betterment of the British empire in India. But insppite of this when he came to know that the Britishers were wrong, he played a vital role in the Great Revolt of India. He was hanged on March 29, 1857 at Barrackpore near Calcutta.
     Babu Veer Kunwar Singh :-Babu Kunwar Singh was the great landlord of Jagdishpur, Ara (Bihar). He fought bravely against the foreign power as he was the most outstanding military leader of the revolt in Western Bihar.
     Rani Lakshmi Bai :-Rani Lakshmi Bai was the ruler of Jhansi. She was that lady ruler who lost her everything, her kingdom in fighting against the British empire. She led the revolt in Central India and fought valiantly.