Class 8 History BSEH Solution for chapter 9 The Great Revolution of 1857 notes for Haryana board. CCL Chapter Provide Class 1th to 12th all Subjects Solution With Notes, Question Answer, Summary and Important Questions. Class 8 History mcq, summary, Important Question Answer, Textual Question Answer are available of Our Bharat III Book for HBSE.
Also Read – HBSE Class 8 History Our Bharat III Solution
Also Read – HBSE Class 8 History Our Bharat III Solution in Videos
HBSE Class 8 History Chapter 9 The Great Revolution of 1857 notes for Haryana Board of Our Bharat III Book Solution.
The Great Revolution of 1857 Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes
Let’s learn
In the previous chapter, you have studied the exploitative policies of the Company in India and the initial resistance by Indians to these policies. In this chapter, we will discuss the following main points of the great revolution of 1857 AD:
- The fundamental causes of the great revolution of 1857 AD
- The major events of the great revolution of 1857 AD
- The nature and importance of the great revolution of 1857 AD.
The Great Revolution of May 1857 AD was an important event in the history of India. This year, Indians fought the “First War of Independence” against the British East India Company. As a result of the revolution, the feeling prevailed in the Indian public that the British were not invincible. The East India Company was established in 1600 AD. The main objective of the company was to trade. After winning the Battle of Plassey in 1757 AD and the Battle of Buxar in 1764 AD, the East India Company emerged as a political power. The political, social, economic and religious policies adopted by the British in India from 1757 AD to 1857 AD caused discontent among the Indian people, as a result of which Indians took up arms against the British in 1857 AD. In England, it was considered a very sensational, incredible and surprising event. Veer Savarkar, a famous revolutionary, has termed this struggle the “First War of Indian Independence”.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was the first Indian to write the history of the revolt of 1857 AD. Veer Savarkar in his book “The Indian War of Independence”, has describes the revolt of 1857 AD as the first war of Indians against the British government. The impact of this book was so great that it remained prohibited till the end of British rule.
Famous British politicians, Benjamin Disraeli and Lord Ellenborough, considered it a great calamity and a national rebellion. The whole of England was frightened by this great struggle and they were beginning to feel the threat of their existence. This was not an accidental event, but was the result of the exploitative policies of the British continuously imposed on the Indians.
The states under the subsidiary alliance had to keep an English resident and an English army in their court, the expenses of which were borne by the king. This army was under the control of the company.
According to the Policy of Lapse, if a king died childless, his kingdom was annexed to the Company’s empire.
Political causes: The imperialist policy of the administrators of the East India Company culminated in the revolution of 1857 AD. Governor- Generals like Robert Clive, Lord Wellesley and Lord Dalhousie merged many Indian princely states into the Company’s empire by deceit and force. Wellesley annexed many Indian princely states under the Subsidiary Alliance and Dalhousie under the ‘Policy of Lapse’. Under the Policy of Lapse, the company subjugated states like Nagpur, Jhansi, Jaitpur, Sambhalpur and Satara.
The company stopped inscrib- ing the name of the Mughal emperor on the coins. Dalhousie announced that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal emperor and ordered the Mughals to leave the Red Fort. This decision of the company caused discontent and hatred among the Indian people against the British. The British not only refused to accept the successors but also stopped Bahadur Shah Zafar’s pension. The kingdom of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi was also snatched after the death of her husband. Awadh was merged with the British Empire by accusing the Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Alishah, of mismanagement. Many Indian soldiers became unemployed due to this policy of the company.
Lets recapitulate
- The British ordered the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar to leave the Red Fort.
- The name of the Mughal emperor not to be inscribed on the coins.
- Discontinuation of Nana Saheb’s pen- sion.
- Merger of Jhansi with the British Empire.
- Merger of Awadh in British Empire by accusing the misrule.
Socio-religious causes: The British tried to attack Indian religion and culture as well. British priests and Christian missionaries started converting Indians to Christianity by force and temptation. The basic objective of Lord Macaulay’s education policy was also to propagate Christianity. In the words of Macaulay, “We have to prepare a class of Indians who can act as interpreters between the British rulers and the millions of Indians over whom we rule. We have to create a class of Indians whose colour and blood may be Indian, but they are English in their taste, thoughts, morals and intellect”. The Christian priests used to ridicule the Indian gods and goddesses. The Bible was taught in government schools. Knowledge of the English language and Christianity were given priority in government jobs. In 1850 AD, Christianity was also propagated by the ‘Religious Disqualification Act’, giving a share in the property of his father to an Indian who accepted Christianity. The British mistreated the Indian people. They used to call Indians as ‘Kale Babu’. The notice boards outside govern- ment hotels and offices also read, “Entry of dogs and Indians is prohibited”.
Lets recapitulate
- Converting Indians as Christian by force.
- Making English language the medium of instruction by Macaulay.
- To make study of Bible compul- sory in government schools.
- Insulting Indians based on the colour and race.
- Undue interference in social and religious customs.
Economic causes: The British ruined the Indian economy during their reign of 100 years. The condition of the farmers has become pathetic due to the corrupt land revenue systems. Small-scale farmers remained as laborers. The increasing demand for Company’s rent and the ‘Sunset Law’ made the traditional zamindars landless. Lord William Bentinck got the rent-free land surveyed. The jagirs of those who did not produce a certain documents of land were snatched away. In 1852 AD, Lord Dalhousie confiscated about 21 thousand jagirs under the ‘Inam Commission’.
Small and cottage industries were destroyed due to the “free trade policy”. The British bought raw materials from India at cheap prices and sent them to England and sold the finished goods at high prices in the Indian markets. Indian markets were flooded with goods from England and Indian goods became almost invisible. For centuries, there was a monopoly on cotton, silk and woollen textiles manufactured in India in the international market, which succumbed to the corrupt industrial policy of the British. Skilled Indian artisans started working as labourers in English factories. For the above mentioned reasons, Indian landlords, industrialists, farmers and labourers turned against the company.
Lets recapitulate
- Rendering landlords and farmers landless due to corrupt land revenue system.
- Destruction of small and cottage industries.
- Manipulating the rules of import and export in their interest.
- Exploitation of farmers and labourers.
Sunset Law: The Sunset Law was implemented in 1794 AD on the basis of the Permanent Settlement of 1793 AD. According to this law, if the zamindar did not deposit the amount of land revenue to the District Collector by sunset on a certain date, then his entire zamindari would be auctioned off.
Military causes: In 1854 AD, there were about 3,50,000 Indian soldiers and 51,000 European soldiers in the company’s army. The main relationship between the government and the soldiers was that of salary. But more than half of the total expenditure of the army was spent on European soldiers. Indian soldiers were given very less! salary and allowances. In 1844 AD, 1849 AD and 1852 AD, various troops revolted against the Company for a wage increase, but they were suppressed harshly. Under the ‘General Services Recruitment Act’ passed in 1856 AD, Indian soldiers were also sent abroad while Indian soldiers considered it against religion to cross the sea. The British officers used to abuse the Indian soldiers and considered them inferior, due to which there was anger among the Indian soldiers. So, the soldiers actively participated in this great revolution.
Lets recapitulate
- Paying less salary to Indian soldiers
- Depriving Indian soldiers of high positions in the army even though they are capable
- Unemployment of soldiers of the states merged with the British empire
- Sending Indian soldiers across the sea Making use of greased cartridges mandatory.
- Hanging of Mangal Pandey
Immediate causes: There was increasing discontent against the British in the Indian public. Meanwhile, in 1856 AD, the Company Government gave new guns (Enfield Rifle) to the soldiers in place of old guns (Brown Base) in the army. The cartridges used in these guns had to be peeled off with mouth. Cow and pig fat were used to lubricate these cartridges. When the Indian soldiers came to know about it, they became angry, because the cow is a sacred animal for every Hindu soldier and the Muslims considered pigs dirty or polluted. Therefore, the cartridges using fat became the immediate cause of the great revolution of 1857.
Events of revolution
Mangal Pandey, Barrackpore, Ambala and Meerut: The great revolution of 1857 AD started from Barrackpore. On March 29, 1857 AD, when the 34th Regiment’s parade started, Mangal Pandey, a Brahmin soldier of the regiment, refused to use cartridges. At the same time, he shot two British officers, Sergeant Major Hewson and Lieutenant Bob. He encouraged the Indian soldiers working in the British army to revolt against the British. He was captured in an injured condition. On April 8, 1857 AD, Mangal Pandey was hanged. General Hewson disbanded the 34th Regiment. The revolution started here before May 31st, the date fixed by the revolutionaries. The lotus flower and roti were chosen as the symbols of revolution.
The lotus flower and roti were chosen as symbols of Revolution of 1857 AD. The lotus flower was carried to all the troops who were to join the great revolution. Roti was carried from one village to another.
On May 9, 1857 AD, eighty-five soldiers refused to use fat cartridges in Meerut. They were put on military trial and sentenced to 10 years in prison and stripped in front of other soldiers. Enraged by this action taken by the British officers, their comrades started the great revolution on Sunday, May 10. The captive Indian soldiers were freed, and the European officers were killed. They marched towards Delhi, raising slogans of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Maaro Firangi Ko (kill the British)’. The revolution had started in Ambala about nine hours before the Meerut revolution. The Ambala cantonment was also one of the important military cantonments of the British during the revolution. Discontent spread among the soldiers here due to the information about the cartridges made of fat and the death sentence of Mangal Pandey. Some soldiers went to the British officers and requested them to take back the cartridges of fat. But owing to the lack of a positive response from the British officers, the Indian soldiers planned that when the British went to the church for prayer on Sunday, May 10, 1857 AD, they would take possession of the military arsenal. But a traitor spy, Sham Singh, informed the British about this plan and the British became alert.
On May 10, the 60th and 5th platoons revolted against the British in Ambala according to the plan, but the alert British army surrounded the revolutionary soldiers with cannons and tanks. Revolutionary soldiers also took fifty British officers hostage and made them shields. In such circumstances, the British proposed to consider the demands of the revolutionary soldiers positively and to keep them in service with respect. The revolutionaries also accepted this proposal from the British. Thus, the flame of revolution was suppressed in Ambala due to a traitor.
Delhi: On May 11, 1857 AD, all these freedom fighters reached Delhi under the leadership of General Bakht Khan. The Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II was again made emperor of India. Bahadur Shah gave a call to the neighbouring states to organise against the British. The news of the Indian occupation of Delhi spread rapidly in the surrounding areas. The opposition to the British started to gain movement at various places.
After taking possession of Delhi, Indian soldiers took over Gurgaon, driving out the Gurgaon Collector Ford. Rao Tularam at Rewari, Lala Hukamchand Jain at Hansi, Muhammad Shahzada Azim at Hisar, Nursamad Khan at Rania, Abudar Rahman and his son-in-law Samad Khan at Jhajjar, Baba Shahmal Tomar at Baraut (Meerut) and Raja Nahar Singh at Ballabhgarh led the revolution. After a hard struggle, the British re-occupied Delhi in September 1857 AD. Bahadur Shah Zafar was imprisoned at Humayun’s tomb and sent to Rangoon, where he died in 1863 AD.
Kanpur, Banaras and Allahabad : “Nana Sahib”, the adopted son of Peshwa Bajirao II, declared himself “Peshwa” in June 1857 AD. General Neil committed great atrocities on the Indian people in Allahabad and Banaras. Enraged by Neil’s atrocities, Indian soldiers killed many Britishers at “Satichaura Ghat” in Kanpur. General Havelock occupied Kanpur on July 17, 1857 AD, but soon Nana Sahib and Tatya Tope defeated the British army and recaptured Kanpur. Colin Campbell defeated Nana Sahib in Kanpur. Nana Sahib went towards Nepal and Tatya Tope joined Rani Lakshmibai.
Lucknow : In the first freedom struggle of 1857 AD, Wajid Alishah’s wife, Begum Hazratmahal, raised the flag of revolution in Lucknow. In the struggle that lasted for 10 days, the freedom fighters captured Lucknow. Begum Hazrat Mahal declared Birjis Qadir, son of Wajid Alishah, as the Nawab. In the fight to take control of Lucknow, ‘Brutal Neil’, who killed innocent men, women and children in Allahabad and Banaras, was killed in the streets of Lucknow. In November 1857 AD, the combined forces of Generals Havelock and Campbell attacked Lucknow. Havelock was killed in a fierce battle. By March 1858 AD, British rule was established in Lucknow.
Jhansi : Rani Lakshmibai led the freedom fighters in the first freedom struggle in Jhansi. In June 1857 AD, Rani Lakshmibai established her independent rule by driving the British out of Jhansi. On April 3, 1858 AD, the English Commander, Sir Hugh Rose attacked Jhansi. Ghulamgaus Khan, Khudabaksh, Sundar Mundar, Kashi Bai, Motibai, Lala Bhau Bakshi, Raghunath Singh, Jawahar Singh, etc. supported the queen. After a hard struggle, the British army was successful in entering the fort. The queen left Jhansi and went towards Kalpi. In Kalpi, Rani and Tatya Tope inflicted great damage on Sir Hugh Rose’s army in the beginning. On May 24, 1858 AD, the British also took control of Kalpi. Rani and Tatya Tope left Kalpi and took control of Gwalior. The ruler of Gwalior, Scindia took shelter with the British. After a long struggle of seven days, the British army took Gwalior under its control on June 18, 1858 AD. Rani Lakshmibai attained martyrdom while fighting the British army and Tatyan Tope continued to fight with the British till April 1859 AD. The traitor Mansingh got Tantya Tope arrested while sleeping in the forests of Alwar. He was hanged on April 18, 1859 AD.
Jagdishpur: In Jagdishpur, 80-year old Raja Kunwar Singh raised the flag of revolution against the British. He defeated the British in many wars and established an independent state. In April 1858 AD, he attained martyrdom while taking on the British army. After his death, his brother Amar Singh led the revolutionaries. Apart from these major centres, the Company Rule had to face strong opposition from Indians in Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Ferozepur, Peshawar, Jalandhar, Multan, Odisha and Assam also.
South India: The Revolution of 1857 AD was a massive revolution. Its presence was also felt in south India. It was led by Ranga Bapu Gupte in Satara, Maharashtra. In Bombay, Syed Hussain and Mangal, who were planning a revolt in the Company’s Army, were blown up with a cannon. There was opposition to the British in Hyderabad, Kurnool, Guntur and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Mysore, Karwar, Jamakhindi, Shorapur, Bangalore, Belgaum, Karnataka and Madras, Arcot, Madurai and Tanjore in Tamil Nadu. There was a stir of revolution in Goa and Pondicherry also.
Form of Revolution
The great revolution of 1857 AD was glorious. British officials and imperial writers have made an unsuccessful attempt to prove it for personal reasons such as military rebellion, Muslim conspiracy, anti-Christian rebellion and feudalist reaction. But the famous British politician, Disraeli, has called it a national rebellion, many other foreign writers also called it a mass rebellion, in which a collective effort was made to drive the British out of India. Millions of lives were lost in this struggle. It was so widespread that it spread in North and Central India as well as in the South, East and West India. In addition to soldiers, civilians were also punished. People of all religions and classes participated in it. In 1908 AD, Vinayak Damodar Rao Savarkar named the great struggle of 1857 AD as the first freedom struggle of India. It is not appropriate to call its original inspirations, Nana Saheb, Rani Lakshmibai, Kunwar Singh, Tatya Tope, Azimullah Khan, Begum Hazratmahal, Ranga Bapu, Raja Nahar Singh, Rao Tularam, Shahmal, etc., selfish feudatories. This revolution was well planned. Therefore, it is quite appropriate to call it a nationwide, first freedom freedom struggle in the country.
Importance of the Revolution
The first organised collective effort of Indians to drive the British out of India was unsuccessful, as the British were a major maritime power at that time. The date of the revolution was fixed as May 31, 1857 AD, but due to the incident of greased cartridges, it started on May 10. The Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, proved to be a weak link in the central leadership of the revolution. The means of transport and communication were dominated by the British, because of this, they were successful in suppressing this great revolution. But this great struggle shook the roots of the Company Rule. According to the Act passed by the Parliament of England in 1858 AD, Company Rule was abolished and India was subjected to England.
The Government of England announced that the kingdom of any Indian king would not be snatched away. There will be no interference in their internal affairs. They were given the right to adopt a son and nominate him as a successor, but they were considered under British Rule. In order to rule all over India, the British tried to give prominence to the policy of ‘Divide and Rule’ to keep the two major communities of India, Hindus and Muslims apart. Many changes were also made in the military administration. The number of European soldiers in the army was increased. It was decided to keep the artillery and ammunition of the army under the control of the European soldiers. The army was reorganised in such a way that a sense of unity could not be created among them. The army was based on ethnicity. But even after all this, this first freedom struggle of Indians proved to be a milestone in Indian history. This freedom struggle of 1857 AD proved to be inspirational for the coming generations. This struggle was completely successful in sowing the seeds of nationalism in India.
Originally, this freedom struggle was fought to overthrow foreign rule. The general public’s participation was also commendable. The local people sympathised with the soldiers. Women also participated in the struggle. Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi formed a group of women and also trained them. Before the freedom struggle of 1857 AD, Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar had written letters to many Rajput rulers expressing his desire that the British should be driven out of India. But due to the lack of means of communication, it was impossible to unite all the rulers of the country, due to which this first war of independence could not be organised systematically. But still this great revolution was successful in achieving its basic objectives. This paved the way for Indian independence on August 15, 1947 AD.