Knowledge Nugget: Why is the Revolt of 1857 important for UPSC?

Indian Express

10-05-2025

Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today.
(Relevance: The Revolt of 1857 is one of the most important chapters of Indian history. UPSC has asked Mains questions in GS I on this topic in 2016 and 2019. Prelims questions were also asked on these themes. Therefore, it becomes important to understand this topic.)
The rebellion of 1857, also known as India's first war of Independence, began on May 10, 1857. In the revolt, Indian sepoys rose up against the might of the British officers of the East India Company. This revolt witnessed an extraordinary amount of violence unleashed by both sides. It ended the rule of the East India Company on India by an Act of Parliament known as the Queen's Proclamation of 1858. With this, the rule of the Indian empire was taken over by the British crown.
1. The immediate cause of the 1857 revolt, cited by historians, was sparked off by a rumour that the new Enfield Pattern 1853 rifle-musket issued to the sepoys of the East India Company came with a cartridge dipped in beef and pork fat, which made it anathema to both Hindu and Muslim sepoys, who had to bite open the cartridge to load the weapon.
2. On March 29, 1857, sepoy Mangal Pandey fired at a British officer, and his comrades refused to arrest him. This led to his court-martial, and he was ultimately hanged to death. After this, the incidents of disobedience, incendiarism, and arson were reported from the army cantonments in Ambala, Lucknow, and Meerut, until finally, the Meerut sepoys started the revolt on 10 May.
3. Sekhar Bandopaddhya has written in his book 'From Plassey To Partition' that 'the mutiny mainly affected the Bengal army; the Madras and the Bombay regiments remained quiet, while the Punjabi and Gurkha soldiers actually helped to suppress the rebellion.' The entire South India remained unaffected too.
4. Along with economic exploitation in the form of increased rents, illegal acquisitions of land, decline of traditional handicrafts, and increased interference of the Britishers in Indian affairs, the annexation of Awadh by Lord Dalhousie on the grounds of misgovernance of Awadh and failing to introduce reform had an adverse effect on Bengal Army, which mainly consisted of sepoys from this region.
5. Leaders across the northern region rose to provide the leadership. Nana Sahib, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, assumed leadership in Kanpur, Begum Hazrat Mahal took control over Lucknow, Veer Kuwar Singh was the chief organiser from the Bhojpur region of Bihar, Khan Bahadur Khan in Rohilkhand, and Rani Lakshmibai appeared as the leader of the sepoys in Jhansi.
6. After the outbreak of the mutiny in Meerut, the rebels reached Delhi, and Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was declared the Emperor of Hindustan. Bahadur Shah Zafar was, however, imprisoned and was later brought back as a prisoner to Shahjanabad. Later, he was exiled to Rangoon after a trial against him for sedition against his own empire. Many of the royal princes and princesses lost their lives either while trying to escape or died in poverty.
📍Battle of Chinhat: The Battle was fought on June 30, 1857, in Chinhat, near Lucknow. The East India Company's army led by Sir Henry Lawrence, the Chief Commissioner of Oudh, against a 'small troop of rebels' led by sepoy mutineer Barkat Ahmad. With several of his men killed or wounded and the guns 'almost out of ammunition', Sir Henry Lawrence ordered to retreat. On July 2, Lawrence was mortally wounded by a shell splinter fired from the 8-inch howitzer that rebels had captured at Chinhat. He died two days later. The siege ended only in November after a relief mission led by the new commander-in-chief in India, Sir Colin Campbell.
📍The siege of Aarah: Soon after the events in Meerut, Delhi and Lucknow, the European residents of Aarah in Bihar too realised, like in any other parts of the country, that they were standing on shaky ground. On the morning of July 27 the rebel sepoys, joined by Kunwar Singh and his forces, arrive in Arrah. For the next eight days, the rebels continued firing at the fortified house where the European residents were staying. The rescue operation under Major Vincent Eyre, stationed in Buxar, was successful in defeating the rebel sepoys and forced Kunwar Singh, along with his men, to retreat and leave Aarah.
📍The Battle of Bareilly: The city of Bareilly was one of the strongholds during the rebellion of 1857 and remained so for nearly a year. Here, the resistance was led by an 82-year-old Khan Bahadur Khan. He put up a strong fight against Sir Colin Campbell, who was then the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army and marching towards Bareilly. In an action that lasted for nearly six hours and nearly cost the renowned war correspondent his life, the British forces were successful in making Khan's force retreat and take over the city.
1. The first ever Government of India Act of 1858 came after the 1857 War of Independence. The Viceroy of the Queen replaced the Governor-General of the Company as the supreme authority in India.
2. It made a commitment to 'respect the rights, dignity and honour of the native princes as our own'. It also promised religious toleration and proposed to govern Indians according to their established traditions and customs.
3. A new government department in London, the India Office, headed by the Secretary of State, was constituted. The Secretary of State was to be advised by a new Council of India located in London. With this, Indian affairs came under close and regular scrutiny of the British Parliament.
(1) Who was the Governor-General of India during the Sepoy Mutiny? (UPSC CSE 2006)
(a) Lord Canning
(b) Lord Dalhousie
(c) Lord Hardinge
(d) Lord Lytton
(2) What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1858)? (UPSC CSE 2014)
1. To disclaim any intention to annex Indian states.
2. To place the Indian administration under the British Crown.
3. To regulate East India Company's trade with India.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
(a) 1 and 2
(b) Only 2
(c) 1 and 3
(d) All of the above
(3) With reference to the 'Revolt of the year' 1857, which of the following was betrayed by friend captured and put to death by the British? (UPSC CSE 2006)
(a) Nana Sahib
(b) Kunwar Singh
(c) Khan Bahadur Khan
(d) Tantia Tope
(Source: A History of Modern India by Ishita Banerjee-Dube and From Plassey to Partition by Sekhar Bandopaddhya)
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Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: [e-mail] ... Read More