Military Causes of Revolt of 1857


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Military Causes of Revolt of 1857

Military Causes: In the army, Indians were not allowed to rise in their jobs beyond the rank of sergeant. No Indian could become an officer. Many sepoys felt their religion was threatened by the policies of the British. They were not allowed to wear the mark of their caste on their foreheads. According to a new act passed (the General Service Enlistment Act of 1856), the sepoys were forced to go abroad to fight wars, though the Hindu faith prohibited them from crossing the seas.

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

From Meerut to Delhi: On 9 May 1857 in Meerut, a group of soldiers mutinied and walked out of their military barracks. They were dismissed and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for refusing to use the greased cartridges. On hearing of their imprisonment, other soldiers stationed at Meerut revolted. On 10 May, they released the imprisoned soldiers, killed their British officers, and marched to Delhi. There, they  proclaimed  the old and ailing Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, now a British pensioner, the emperor of India.  

On 29 March 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey, was hanged to death for attacking his officers in Barrack pore. 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. Eighty-five sepoys were dismissed from service and sentenced to ten years in jail for disobeying their officers. This happened on 9 may 1857. The response of the other Indian soldiers in Meerut was quite extraordinary. On 10 may, the soldiers marched to the jail in Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys. They attacked and killed British officers. They captured guns and set fire to the building and properties of the British and declared war on the firangis.

The soldiers were determined to bring an end to their rule in the country with the help of the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. The sepoys of Meerut rode to reach Delhi triumphant soldiers gathered around the walls of the red fort where the Badshah lived. They forced their way into the palace and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as their leader.

The ageing emperor had to accept this demand. He wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of the country to come forward and organize a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British. This single step taken by Bahadur Shah Zafar had great implications. Bahadur Shah Zafar’s decision to bless the rebellion changed the entire situation.

Sample Questions
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Question : 1

The name of Mangal Pandey is remembered in Indian History because

Right Option : D
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