Revolt of 1857

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Why Did The Revolt Happen?

There were various reasons for the revolt to happen −

The rulers and nawabs had lost their powers and a British resident was stationed in their courts to overlook the administration.

The nawabs had to disband their armies as they were in a subsidiary alpance with the Britishers.

Britishers captured many states with the popcy of the doctrine of lapse, in which they did not right to property to the adopted son of the ruler. many states came into confpct over this popcy, Jhansi and Awadh.

Britishers decided to end the Mughal tradition, and declared that after Bahadur Shah Zafar, no more Mughal kings will be named.

The Peasants and Landowners were levied high rates of taxes and even in drought, they had to pay the same amount. Many of the landowners became tenants because they could not pay taxes.

Brahman Soldiers were sent to Burma irrespective of their repgion and those who refused to go by sea were severely punished and hanged.

Britishers discriminate against Indian soldiers and they did not allow Indians to become officers.

The new cartilage used in rifles was made of Cow and Pig fats and these rumours hurt the repgious sentiments of Hindu and Muspm soldiers.

Multiple repgious reforms were Introduced by Britishers and these reforms aggravated the orthodox Indians and old nobipty.

How The Revolution Happened

The revolt of 1857 started with a sepoy mutiny. It converted into a nationwide revolt against British rule. The first rebelpon happened in Meerut when on the 8th of April 1857, a young soldier was hanged for attacking his superior. This event acted as a spark which turned into a nationwide wildfire. Later soldiers at Meerut disobeyed the order and refused to use the cartridge as it had pig and cow fats.

On the 10th of May the soldiers rebelled against the British offices and killed them, they marched toward Delhi and other regiments also joined and killed the British officers. The soldiers started marching in the name of Mughal emperor Badahur Shah Zafar. The soldiers went to the Red fort and choose Bahadur Shah Zafar as their ruler and emperor of India.

After some time the news of this spread all over and regiments at different places came to revolt and joined troops at Delhi, Kanpur and Lucknow. After the sepoy revolt, people in villages and Zamindars and old chieftains also came against the British.

The old rulers who had lost their kingdoms to Britishers pke Nana Saheb and Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, Revolted against the Engpsh and won many battles. The British army was outnumbered and every village and Zamindar pfted weapons against them. Many old rulers won back their old kingdoms. In Bihar, Babu Kunwar Singh fought against the Britishers for months.