Question

Several factors led to the uprising of 1857. With reference to this, explain each of the following
a. Discontent of the Sepoys
b. Resentment of the rulers of the Native states against the British.
c. Unhappiness of the Indian Artisans and Craftsmen.

Answer 1

Hint:
Many historians called the revolution of 1857 the Sepoy Mutiny, since the Sepoys were at the frontline of the uprising.
Subsidiary Alliance, Doctrine of lapse and many other such policies were made to humiliate the diaspora of Indian contingent.

Complete step by step solution:

A. Discontent of the Sepoys were due to following reasons:

1. Close links between Sepoys and rural India-
- The soldiers in the Army of the East India Company come from farmer families profoundly influenced by the policies of the governments.

2. Religious Insults-
- In 1806, the religious feelings of the Sepoys were damaged by the Madras presidency, which led to the Vellore Mutiny in 1806.
- The Hindus were ordered to strip their caste markings from their brows, and the Muslims were asked to shorten their beards.

3. Discrimination in Pay and Remunerations-
- This started to change in the 1840s. Officers developed a feeling of entitlement and tended to regard sepoys as their racial inferiors, running roughshod over their sensibilities.
- Abuse and physical abuse became normal, and therefore the gap between sepoys and officers increased. Trust has been replaced by distrust.The grazed cartridge episode was a perfect example of this.

4. Enfield Rifle-
- In an effort to modernise the Army's weapons by Governor General Hardinge, the Enfield rifles were adopted. Before the bullets could be fired into these newly introduced rifles, the greased mask of the cartridges had to be bit by the teeth.
- There was a story/rumours among the Sepoys in January 1857 that the greased cartridge contained the fat of the cow and the pig.
- The cow is holy to the Hindus, and the pig is prohibited to the Muslims.


B. Resentment of the Rulers of the Native States against the British Tricky Method was introduced by the British in order to maintain influence over the rulers of the Native States. The Theory of Lapse hit at the very core of their life.
Another significant cause of resentment among Indian rulers was the fact that British policies of invasion had produced unrest among many Indian rulers.

C. Unhappiness of the Indian Artisans and Craftsmen
- British rulers purposefully crippled Indian arts and crafts by placing heavy duties on Indian silk and cotton textiles in Britain.
- On the other hand, British goods were smuggled into India on a nominal duty basis.
- Millions of craftsmen and craftsmen who had lost their work and have no new means of income have been dissatisfied with international law.

Note:
The Great Revolt of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Rebellion or Mutiny, was one of the most important incidents in the colonial history of India. The uprising was a massive anti-colonial revolt against the aggressive capitalist policies of the British. It was, in reality, an economic , political and social battle against the British rule. One of the most critical factors of the uprising of 1857 was dissatisfaction among Sepoys.