CBSE Class 8 Social Science When People Rebel Notes

CBSE Class 8 Social Science Revolt of 1857 Notes. Learning the important concepts is very important for every student to get better marks in examinations. The concepts should be clear which will help in faster learning. The attached concepts made as per NCERT and CBSE pattern will help the student to understand the chapter and score better marks in the examinations.

REVOLT OF 1857

EARLY REVOLTS OR MINOR REVOLTS

The British rule angered the people in every part of the country. In the process of conquest, the British not only enraged the rulers whose kingdoms were annexed and their nobles, but also a large number of other people. There were Number of revolts between 1765 and 1856 in different parts of the country. Many of these were revolts by Peasants and Tribals and also by Soldiers. There were others led by dispossessed rulers and Zamindars and chiefs.

Some Minor Revolts before the Revolt of 1857 :-

(i) The first major revolt in Bengal was led by Sanyasis and Fakirs and spread to many areas of eastern India. Most of these rebels were peasants who formed their armies.

(ii) There were a number of tribal revolts during this period, the revolts of the Bhils in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, Kols in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, Gonds and Khonds in Orissa, Kolis in Maharashtra, Mers in Rajasthan.

(iii) From 1795 to 1805, an anti-British rebellion broke out in southern parts of the country. The rebellion was led by the Zamindars, or Poligars.

(iv) There were mutinies by the sepoys of the Company's army, Vellore Mutiny in 1806 and the Barrackpore Mutinty in 1824. The mutiny was brutally suppressed and hundreds of sepoys were sentenced to death.

(v) Another powerful revolt during this period was that of the Wahabis, the followers of a Muslim sect founded by Sayyid Ahmad Barehvi. They urged the people to join in a holy war to overthrow the British rule. The anti-British activities of the Wahabis continued from 1830 till after the revolt of 1857. Most of these revolts were, however, localized occurrences. Even though it took the British a long time to suppress some of them, they did not pose a serious danger to the British rule in India.

CAUSES OF THE REVOLT OF 1857

(i) Political causes (ii) Social and economic causes (iii) Religious causes (iv) Military causes (v) Immediate causes

* Political Causes : The causes of discontent among the Indian rulers were as follows:

(i) The policy of conquest pursued by the British had created unrest among many rulers, and chiefs.

(ii) The strict enforcement of the policies of Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse made people angry

(iii) The annexation of Oudh and the Carnatic kindgom, on grounds of misgovernment, was greatly resented,

(iv) The Mughal Emperor himself was told that his successors would not be recognised as kings and he had to leave the historic Red Fort.

These actions of British created unrest among the ruling families who had lost their power and put fear in others that a similar fate awaited them.

*Social and economic Causes

(i) British started interfering in the social and religious customs like the abolition of the practice of Sati, widow remarriage, conversion of Hindu into Christians and the promotion of western education were considered to be damaging the fabric of the traditional Indian society.

Economic exploitation

(a) The country's village economy and self-sufficiency had been shattered by the Britishers.

(b) In cities, artisans, musicians, writers, poets and other had lost their livelihood.

(c) The revenue policy was very discriminatory and disasterous. At some places the peasants were being cruelly exploited by the zamindars.

(d) Their Industrial policy destroyed the basic industries of India.

*Religious Causes

(a) The division of society along the caste and communal lines had greatly disturbed right thinking people.

(b) The sentiments of the people were hurt when the government levied tax even on the land which belonged to temples and mosques.

(c) People got angry when they were forcibly converted into Christians.

*Military causes : The Indian sepoys under the British troops had many grievances.

(i) Soldiers were subjected to all kinds of humiliation by their British officers.

(ii) They were paid meagre amount as salary.

(iii) They were never rewarded for courage or meritorious performance in the battles.

(iv) At every stage their religious sentiments were hurt, like they were not allowed to wear marks which showed their caste and sect.

(v) Under the Central Service Enlistment Act in 1856, the Indian soldiers were required to serve anywhere even outside India. Indian soldiers considered it a taboo, i.e., Kalapani.

* Immediate Causes : The immediate and major cause of the revolt was the "Incident of Greased Cartridge". At this time the new Enfield Rifles were introduced in which cartridges were greased with the fat of pigs and cows. And it was a sin for both the Hindu and the Muslim soldiers to use their teeth to tear off one end of those cartridges before use. However, this offended the religious sentiments of Muslims and Hindus alike. It was one 23rd January 1857, an Indian sepoy, Mangal Pandey, refused to use the new cartridges. All these resulted into the final show of the revolt that broke out on 10th May, 1857.

NATURE OF THE REVOLT OF 1857

(i) Infact, from the point of view of its extent and the nature of its participation, the revolt is considered as the first struggle for Indian Independence.

(ii) Large number of common people laid down their lives in the struggle was in no way less than the number or Indian soldiers in the British Army who fell.

(iii) It was also for the first time that so many Indian rulers came together to oust the foreign power from the country.

(iv) Despite these facts the British administrators of the time chose to call it a 'sepoy mutiny'.

(v) However, there is no denying the fact that the revolt was an organised movement. It possessed a national philosophy and represented a national outlook.

(vi) In principle it was directed against the foreigners and represented a desire for independence in whatever form .

MAIN CENTRES OF THE REVOLT & IMPORTANT LEADERS

The areas where the uprising was most widespread were Delhi, Oudh, Rohilkhand, Bundelkhand, the areas around Allahabad, Agra, and Meerut and Western Bihar. In these regions large masses of civilian population participated in the revolt and most ferocious battles were fought.

The Revolt of 1857 was quite deep. Emperor Bahadur Shah, Nana Sahib of Kanpur, Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, Begum Hazrat Mahal of Oudh and Kunwar Singh of Bihar were some important leaders of the revolt. The important role played by them :-

(i) Bahadur Shah : was undoubtedly a weak link in the Revolt of 1857. Even then he was a significant part of the Revolt and till the end stood as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity.

(ii) Naha Sahib of Kanpur : He proclaimed himself Peshwa and led the revolt at Kanpur. He expelled the British troops from Kanpur and executed all British persons including women and children.

(iii) Begum Hazrat Mahal of Oudh : The revolt in Lucknow was led by Begum Hazrat Mahal of Oudh who was acting as the regent for her son. She defeated the English in Lucknow with the help of the rebel soldiers.

(iv) Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi : She was the greatest leader of the revolt, she bravely fought the British forces under Sir Huge Rose. She held on to her fortress and defended each house and each street.

(v) Kunwar Singh of Bihar: He was the chief organiser of the revolt. He was an eighty year old chieftain. He defeated the British forces at many places. Later on, he joined Nana Sahib and died fighting .

SUPPRESSION OF THE REVOLT

The British made efforts to divide Hindus and Muslims.

1. Bahadur Shah was taken prisoner. He was tried and exiled to Rangoon in Burma where he died in 1862.

2. Begum Hazrat Mahal, refusing to surrender, escaped to Nepal.

3. Rani Laxmi Bai, who has become famous as the Rani of Jhansi, was driven out of Jhansi. With the help of Tantia Tope, she captured Gwalior and was killed there fighting in June 1858.

4. Kunwar Singh died in April 1858 after sustaining a fatal wound.

5. Nana Sahib escaped into Nepal.

6. Tantia Tope kept the British troops engaged for two years in central India and Rajputana.

7. He was betrayed by a friend to the British and was hanged.

CONCLUSION

The revolt was crushed by the end of 1858 though it took the British many more years to restore peace.

RESULTS OF THE REVOLT OF 1857

(i) Transfer of power :- As an immediate fallout of the revolt, the power of ruling over India was transferred from British East India Company to the Crown in 1858 and the intention of new regime was declared in Queen's proclamation.

(ii) Hindu Muslim Unity :- In the revolt, Hindu-Muslim unity gave strength to the movement. Actually this was the first major event where the British failed in their policy of 'Divide and Rule'. the Hindu-Muslim Unity in Revolt of 1857 placed this fact before us clearly that in the common life and policies of that time.

(iii) Religious freedom :- After the revolt, complete religious freedom was assured to the people.

(iv) Right of adoption :- After the revolt, Indian rulers were given the right of adoption.

(v) Sowed the seeds of nationalism :- Above all, the Revolt of 1857 actually sowed the seeds of nationalism and left in the minds of the Indian people an impression of bravery, sacrifice and patriotism.

QUEEN VICTORIA'S PROCLAMATION OF 1858

The Queen Victoria's Proclamation was the declaration in which the intention of the new regime was pronounced on 1 st November 1858. The proclamation held out many promises to the princes and the people.

(i) The proclamation expressed the willingness on the part of the British Government to harbour no more intention to extend territories and to respect rights, dignity and honour of the Indian princes.

(ii) It also declared its earnest desire to help the people of India in general especially in the material and moral progress of the people.

(iii) According to this proclamation, the educated Indians were given the chance to associate themselves with the administration of the country.

(iv) The proclamation also granted general pardon to all except those found guilty of murdering the British.

(v) Goveronor-General was now called the Viceroy and Lord Canning was the first Vicerory of India. But in reality much of the assurances contained in the Queen's Proclamation were only loud promises. The actual gulf between the alien government and the Indians could never be bridged.

REASONS FOR THE FAILURE OF THE REVOLT OF 1157

(i) Spread in limited area :- The revolt did not spread to all parts of the country. Nor was it supporteci by all groups and sections of the Indian Society. South and.West India remained largely unaffected.

(ii) Lack of support by common leader :- Large number of rulers, the middle class, upper class and the modern educated Indians did not support the revolt. Besides, the revolt lacked a common leader so the rebels could not put common effort.

(iii) Absence of common ideology and programmes :- The revolt was not well organised and had no common ideals or programmes which could be implemented in the captured areas.

(iv) The system of railways and other communications: These helped the British to suppress the revolt.

(v) The revolt started long before the fixed date, i.e., 10th May, 1857 instead of 31 st May, resulted in disturbing the whole plan.

(vi) Lack of Arms and Ammunitions :- The revolt of 1857 also failed due to lack of equipment, weapons and an able commander as well.

Summary

1. Since the mid-eighteenth century, nawabs and rajas gradually lost their authority and honour.

2. Residents (Company Officials) had been stationed in many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their armed forces disbanded, and their revenues and territories taken away by stages.

3. In 1801, Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley, was imposed on Awadh.

4. The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy followed by Governor-General Lord Dalhousie from 1848 - 1856. States were annexed by applying ‘Doctrine of Lapse’: i. The States of Satara (1848) ii. Jaipur (1849) iii. Sambhalpur (1849) iv. Bahat (1850) v. Udaipur (1852) vi. Jhansi (1853) etc.

5. In 1856, Governor-General Lord Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king.

6. In the countryside, peasants and zamindars annoyed with the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue collection. Many peasants failed to pay back their loans to the moneylenders and gradually lost the lands they had tilled for generations.

7. The Indian sepoys were unhappy about their pay, allowances and conditions of service. Also, some new rules violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs such as crossing the sea results in losing their religion and caste. Sepoys also reacted to what was happening in the countryside. So the anger of the peasants quickly spread among the sepoys.

8. The British passed laws to stop the practice of sati (1829) and to encourage the remarriage of widows (Widow Remarriage Act 1856)

9. English-language education was promoted.

10. The Company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely and even own land and property. In 1850, a new law was passed (Lax Loci Act 1850) to make conversion to Christianity easier and allowed an Indian who had converted to Christianity to inherit the property of his ancestors.

11. A massive rebellion that started in May 1857 and threatened the Company’s presence in India. Sepoys mutinied in several places beginning from Meerut. A large number of people from different sections of society rose up in rebellion.

12. On 29th March 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey (1st Martyr of the Revolt of 1857), was hanged to death for attacking his officers in Barrackpore (Bengal) because 2 He refused to do the army drill using the new cartridges, which were suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs.

13. On 9th May 1857, Eighty-five sepoys were dismissed from service and sentenced to ten years in jail for disobeying their officers.

14. On 10th May, the soldiers marched to the jail in Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys. They attacked and killed British officers, captured guns and ammunition and set fire to the buildings and properties of the British and declared war on the foreigners.

15. On the morning of 11th May, sepoys of Meerut reached Delhi and the regiments stationed in Delhi also rose up in rebellion and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as their leader. The ageing emperor accepted the demand and wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of the country to come forward and organise a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British.

16. After a week, regiment after regiment mutinied and took off to join other troops at nodal points like Delhi, Kanpur and Lucknow. After them, the people of the towns and villages also rose up in rebellion and rallied around local leaders, zamindars and chiefs.

17. Many famous leaders lead troops at different places: i. Bahadur Shah Zafar in Delhi ii. Nana Saheb in Kanpur iii. Birjis Qadr in Lucknow iv. Rani Lakshmibai Jhansi v. Kunwar Singh in Bihar vi. Bakht Khan in Bareilly vii. Tantia Tope in Gwalior etc.

18. The British were greatly outnumbered by the rebel forces and were defeated in a number of battles.

19. The company brought reinforcements from England, passed new laws so that the rebels could be convicted with ease, and then moved into the storm centres of the revolt.

20. In September 1857, Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces. Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment along with his wife Begum Zinat Mahal in Rangoon (Burma) in October 1858. Where they died in November 1862.

21. Lucknow was taken in March 1858. Rani Lakshmibai was defeated and killed in June 1858. Tantia Tope was captured, tried and killed in April 1859.

22. The British also tried their best to win back the loyalty of the people. They announced rewards for loyal landholders would be allowed to continue to enjoy traditional rights over their lands. Hundreds of sepoys, rebels, nawabs and rajas were tried and hanged.

23. By the end of 1859, the British had regained control of the country. 3

24. Vishnubhatt Godse had written a book on the rebellion of 1857 called Majha Pravass (My Travels) Changes introduced by the British after 1858

25. The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown.

26. A member of the British Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India and made responsible for all matters related to the governance of India.

27. The Governor-General of India was given the title of viceroy.

28. All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in future.

29. They were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons.

30. The Indian rulers were to hold their kingdoms as subordinates of the British Crown.

31. The proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced and the number of European soldiers would be increased.

32. The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicion and hostility.

33. The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in India.

34. Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over their lands.

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

Question. The main centre of Revolt, first recaptured by the British was:
(A) Delhi
(B) Lucknow
(C) Awadh
(D) Jhansi
Answer.A

Question. Who was the leader of the Revolt of 1857 in Assam:
(A) Diwan Maniram Dutta
(B) Kandarpesvar
(C) Purender Singh
(D) Pidli Barma
Answer.A

Question. The first serious mutiny of the Indian soldiers in the British Army took place at:
(A) Patna
(B) Delhi
(C) Vellore
(D) Meerut
Answer.C

Question. The first signs of unrest appeared early in 1857 at:
(A) Awadh
(B) Bengal
(C) Meerut
(D) Upper Provinces
Answer.B

Question. Which of the following was not one of the storm centres of the Revolt of 1857 :
(A) Barielly
(B) Jhansi
(C) Madras
(D) Arsah (Bihar)
Answer.C

Question. Who of the following did not participate in the Revolt of 1857 :
(A) Rani Lakshmi
(B) Bhagat Singh
(C) Tantiya tope
(D) Nana Sahib
Answer.B

Question. The mutineers proclaimed Bahadur Singh Zafar as:
(A) The ruler of Delhi
(B) The monarch of India
(C) The leader of mutineers
(D) The governer council of India
Answer.B

Question. With the capture of which rebel in April 1858, could the Revolt be said to be suspended:
(A) Kunwar Singh
(B) Nana Sahib
(C) Tantiya Tope
(D) Bejam Hazrat Mahal of Awadh
Answer.C

Question. The Bhils revolted jn :
(A) UP, Bihar and West Bengal
(B) Maharashtra, MP and Rajasthan
(C) Madras, Kerala, and Mysore
(D) Mathura, Bayarra, Tonk
Answer.B

Question. After whose death due to Revolt at Nasirabad the English officers ran away:
(A) Death of ACC
(B) Death ath of British Military Officers
(C) Death of British Priest
(D) Death dfthe Ruler ofTonk
Answer.B

Question. The rulers of princely states to support the revolutionaries of revolt of 1857 in Rajasthan were:
(A) Kushal Singh
(B) Swarup Singh
(C) Jagat Singh
(D) Ram singh
Answer.A

Question. The hero to provide momentum to struggle of 1857 in South India was :-
(A) Kunwar Singh
(B) Tantiya Tope
(C) Ranga Bapuri Gupta
(D) Bahadur Shah Zafar
Answer.C

Question. What is a rebellion?

Answer. It is an organized revolt against established authority when people are unsatisfied.

Question. Why is the revolt of 1857 known as the first war of independence?

Answer. The revolt of 1857 is known as the first was of independence as before this war, no one was so united in battles. But in this battle many social groups of the country came together to fight it like Nawabs, rajas, zamindaris, peasants all came together to fight this battle. Such kind of battle was not expected.

Question. Why is the revolt known as sepoy mutiny?

Answer. In this revolt, all the sepoys marched to the British’s buildings, houses, police station and burnt them. They killed the British. The main role in these needs was of sepoys. Therefore, the Revolt 1857 is also called sepoy mutiny. Sepoy means soldiers and muting means ‘March’.

Question. Describe the causes of Revolt of 1857.

The cause of the Revolt of 1857 are:-

1. Political Cause (Nawabs lose their power)

* Since the mid – eighteenth century, nawabs and rajas had seen their authority and honors.

* Residents had been stationed in many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their armed forces disbanded, and their revenues and territories were taken away by stages.

* Many ruling families tried to negotiate with the company to protect their interests.

Ex: - Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi wanted the company to recognize her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband. Nana sahib, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded that he be given his father’s pension when he later died. However, the company, confident of its superiority and military power, turned down these please.

2. Economic Cause

* In the countryside peasants and zamindaris resented the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue collection. Many failed to pay back their loans to the moneylenders and gradually lost the lands they had tilled for generations.

* Some of the new rules, moreover, violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs.

* Sepoys also reacted to what was happening in the countryside. Many of them were peasants and had families living in the villages. So the anger of the peasants quickly spread among the sepoys.

3. Social Cause:-

* The British believed that Indian society had to be reformed laws were passed to stop the practice of sati and encourage the remarriage of widows. English – language and education was actively promoted.

* After 1830, the company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and property.

* In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier. Many Indian began feeling that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs and their traditional way of life.

4. Military Cause:-

* The Indian sepoys in the employ of the company also had reason for discontent as their pay, allowances and conditions of service.

* They also didn’t get enough promotional avenues and overseas allowances.

5. Immediate Cause

* New cartridges were being coated with the fat of cows and pigs which the Indian thought was destroying their traditional culture.

Question. Describe the events during the sepoy mutiny.

* On 29 March 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey, was hanged to death for attaching his officers in Burkhpur.

* Some days later, some sepoys of the regiment at Meerut refused to do the army drill using the new cartridges, which were suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs.

* As a result Eighty –five sepoys were dismissed from service and sentenced to the years in jail for disobeying their officers. This happened on 9th May 1857.

* On 10th May, the soldiers marched to the jail in Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys.

* British officers were killed, arms and ammunitions were seized, building set on fire.

* Triumphant soldiers gathered around the walls of the Red –Fort where the Badshah lived, demanding to meet him. The soldiers themselves proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as their
leader. He had to accept it.

Question. List out the consequences of the Revolt.

Answer. After the revolt, the British had to change some of the rule.

1. The British Parliament passed a new act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East Indian Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs. A member of the British cabinet has appointed secretary of state for Indian and made responsible for all matters related to the governance of India. He was given a council to advise him, called the Indian Council. The Governor –General of India was given the title of viceroy, that is a personal representative of the crown. Through these measures the British Government accepted direct responsibility for ruling India.

2. All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in future. They were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge the British Queen as their sovereign Paramount. Thus the Indian rulers were to hold their kingdom as subordinates of the British Crown.

3. It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced and the number of European soldiers would be increased. It was also decided that instead of recruiting soldiers from Awadh, Bihar, Central India and South India, more soldiers would be recruited from among the Gurkhas, Sikhs and Pathans.

4. The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicious and hostility. The British believed that they were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.

5. The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in India.

6. Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over their lands.

Question. Describe the contribution of the following in the revolt of 1857.

1. Rani Lakshmibai:- Jhansi

Joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British along with Tantia Tope.

2. Bakht Khan:-

A soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi. Became a key military leader of the rebellion.

3. Kunwar Singh:- Bihar

Joined the rebel sepoys, and battled with the British for many months.

4. Mangal Pandey:-

Fought the Britishers for the rifles.

5. Nana Saheb:-

Adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao who lived near Kanpur, gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the city. He proclaimed himself Peshwa.

6. Tantiya Tope

Joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British with Rani Lakshmibai general of Nana Saheb.

7. Begum Hazrat Mahal:- Mother of Wajid Ali Shah, took own active part in organizing the uprising against the British.

Question. What was the demand of Rani Lakshminai of Jhansi that was refused by the British?

Answer. Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the company to recognize her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband.

Question. What did the British do to protect the interest of those who converted to Christianity?

Answer. In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion of Christianity easier. This law allowed an Indian who had converted to Christian to inherit the property of their ancestor.

Question. What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?

Answer. The new cartridges were coated with the fat of cow and pig. And cow was a religions creature for the Hindus. Indians also thought that this was destroying their culture.

Question. How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?

Answer. The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment.

* His sons were shot dead before his eyes.

* He and his wife Begum Zinat Mahal were sent to prison in Rangoon in October 1858.

* Bahadur Shah died in Rangoon jail in November 1862.This was how he lived the last years of his life.

Question. What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857?
Answer.

* The company used the method of subsidiary alliance to annex the kingdom. They even took the territory reason that it was misgoverned.

* They almost finished the Mughal dynasty and made plans to clear it off. Some Indian joined the British army and thus, the British felt confident of their position in India before May 1857.

* There were no rebellions as well as the British thought no Indian can even have the courage to rebel against them. They had built a supremacy over the country. The nawabs and kings were afraid of raising voice against the East India Company.

Question. What impact did Bahadur Zafar’s support to the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families?
Answer.

* The soldiers marched to the Red Fort and persuaded Bahadur Shah willing to challenge the mighty British power but the soldiers persisted.

* The ageing emperor had to accept their demand. He wrote letters to all chief and rulers of the country to come forward and organize a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British.

* Nana Saheb, gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the city. He proclaimed himself Peshwa, he declared that he was a governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah.

* Birjis Qadar, was proclaimed the new Nawab. He too acknowledges the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah.

* After the revolt the company decided to repress the revolt, Bahadur Shah was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment. His sons were shot dead before his eyes. He and his wife Begum Zinat Mahal were sent to prison in Rangoon and he died there itself.

Question. How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh?
Answer.

* The British tried their best to win back the loyalty of the people.

* They announced rewards for loyal landholders would be allowed to continuous to enjoy traditional right over their lands.

* Those who had rebelled were told that if they submitted to the British and if they would remain safe and their rights and claims to land would not be denied.

Never these hundreds of sepoys, rebels, nawabs and rajas were tried and hanged.

Question. Name the groups that participated in this revolt.

Answer. The groups that participated in this revolt are:-

* sepoys

* Peasants

* Zamindars

* Tribals

* Rajas and

* Nawabs

Question. How did the mutiny became a popular rebellion?
Answer.

* A very large number of people begin to believe that they have a common enemy and rise up against the enemy

* Sepoys mutinied in several places beginning from Meerut and a large number of people from different sections of society rose up in rebellion.

* After a hundred years of conquest and administration, the English East India Company faced a massive rebellion that started in May 1857 and threatened the Company’s very presence in India.