Freedom Struggle

⇒ Within a month of the capture of Delhi, the revolt spread to the different parts of India (esp. all over the North India, Central India and Western India). South remained quiet and Punjab and Bengal were only marginally affected.

1. Bahadur Shah II: was Deported to Rangoon, where he died in 1862. His sons were dead; Nana Sahib (original Dhundhu Pant), Begum Hazrat Mahal and Khan Bahadur Khan: Escaped to Nepal; Tantiya Tope (Original name Ramchandra Pandurang) was captured and executed on 15th April, 1859; Rani Laxmi Bai: Died in the battle-field; Kuer Singh: was wounded and died on 26 April, 1858.

2. Sir Huge Rose described Laxmi Bai as ‘the best and bravest military leader of the rebel’.

3. Other Important Leaders: Khan Bahadur Khan (Bareilly), Maulavi Ahmadullah, Shah alias, Danka Bad Shah (Faizabad), Azimullah Khan (Fatehpur), Devi hu Singh (Mathura), Kadam Singh (Merrut) etc.

4. English authority re-established in India during July-Dec. 1858.

Causes of Failure: The Revolt of 1857 was an unsuccessful but was a heroic effort to eliminate foreign rule. The main causes were: 1. Disunity of Indians and poor organisation 2. Lack of complete nationalism-Scindias, Holkars, Nizam and others actively helped the British 3. Lack of coordination between sepoys, peasants, zamindars and other classes 4. Many had different motives for participating in the revolt.

Significance : The important element in the revolt lay in Hindu-Muslim unity. People exhibited patriotic sentiment without any touch of communal feelings. It no doubt began as a mutiny of soldiers, but soon turned into a revolt against the British rule in general.

⇒ There are two main views about the nature of the Revolt of 1857:

1. Sepoy Mutiny : Syed Ahmed Khan, Munshi Jeevan Lal and Durgadas Bandyopadhyaya (Contemporary Historians); Stenley (Secretary of state for India), John Lowerence, John Seeley, Malleson, R.C. Mazumdar.

2. National Struggle/War of Independence: Benjamin Disraely, Karl Marx, V.D. Savarkar, K.M. Pannikar,

Ishwari Prasad, A.L. Shrivastva, Tarachand.

Racial Struggle/Black-White

-Medley;

Religious Struggle/Hindu-Muslim-Christian Struggle

-Rees;

Civilisation-Barbarism Conflict/English-Indian Conflict

-T.R. Holmes;

Hindu-Muslim Conspiracy against Christians

-Outram and Taylor.

“It was wholly unpatriotic and selfish Sepoy Mutiny with no native leadership and no popular support.”

– John Seeley

“The so-called First National War of Independence is neither ‘First’, nor ‘National’, nor ‘a war of Independence.”

– R.C. Mazumdar

“A national revolt rooted in deep mistrust.

– Benjamin Disraely (Opposition Leader)

“The Revolt of 1857 was ‘the First war of Independence.”

– V.D. Savarkar

“What began as a fight for religion ended as a war for independence.”

– S.N. Sen

1. In August 1858, the British parliament passed an act, which put an end to the rule of the Company. The control of the British government in India was transferred from the company to The British Crown.

2. A minister of the British government, called the Secretary of state for India was made responsible for the governance of India.

3. The British Governor-General of India was now also given the title of Viceroy, who was also the representative of the monarch.

4. Marked the end of British Imperialism and Princely States were assured against annexation. Doctrine of Lapse was withdrawn.

5. After the revolt, the British pursued the policy of ‘divide and rule’.

6. Far-reaching changes were made in the administration and increase of white soldiers in the army.

7. Total expense of the suppression was thrown on the Indian people.

8. Th revolt had brought in its trail a difficult financial problem. The Government was burdened with a heavy debt. Two British financial exepert, James Wilson and Samuel Leing, cut down government expenditure and introduced an income tax (), a paper currency ( ) and annual budget (). With these measures the dificit was converted into a surplus by 1864.

9. It has been said that Julius Caesar dead was more powerful than Julius Caesar alive. The same may be said about the Revolt of 1857. Whatever might have been its original character, it soon became a symbol of challenge to the mighty British empire in India and remained a shining star for the rise and growth of the Indian national movement.