PAKISTAN STUDIES
Lecture One
WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 1857
WAR OF INDEPENDENCE: CONTEXT
The year 1857 is significant in the political and cultural
history of India
 Last attempt by Indians to dislodge the British by force of
arms.
 Old political system and social system were replaced by new
ones
 Soldiers alone were not involved in the events of 1857
 Entire population actively participated in the uprising
 War affected the fortunes of all the communities involved.
 Muslims were bitter because they had lost power while the
Hindus were indifferent because they had only suffered a
change of Masters.
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CAUSES OF REVOLT
Military causes
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Inhuman and unjust treatment with soldiers
Injuring the religious sentiments of the soldiers
Not allowed the use of tilak and to cover head with safa
Difference between the salaries and living standard
salary of their army (Infantry) low.
All higher posts in army were reserved for Englishmen.
British used their army to fight other countries and this was not accepted to
Indians.
No chance of promotion
Preaching of Christianity was a part of official responsibilities of the
company
Interfere in the religious affairs …………….
RELIGIOUS CAUSES
Propagation of Christianity first duty of East
India Company
 Condemn and criticized the religions of the local
people
 British intended to spread Christianity by force.
 In 1850, law was introduced that the change of religion
would have no impact on inheritance
 Indians looked upon the positive steps of the British
government with suspicion
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POLITICAL CAUSES
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British left no stone unturned in wiping out all the traces of Islam
and the Muslims from the country
Started campaign to malign the history, culture, and religion of the
Muslims
Presented distorted picture of the Muslim history
Vanished authority and glory of the Mughals
Company established its hold over India
Mughal empire was confined four walls of the Red Fort
Lord Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse: If an Indian ruler did not have
his real son, he was not allowed to adopt any son of his relative to
become his successive.
ACCESSION OF STATES
East India Company desires of conquering the
whole country
 Forcible annexation of states during the period of
Lord Dalhousie
 Extreme form of injustice and cruelty in the
process of annexation
 People faced economic problems and hardships
during annexation
 Nawab of Avadh refused to sign annexation
 Avadh lead to a mutiny in the Bengal army
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Injustice with Nana Sahib
 Nana Sahib and Rani of Jhansi suffered due to the Doctrine
of Lapse
 Last Marhatta leader Baji Rao was remove from power …..
ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION
All the key post were reserved for the English.
 carried India’s wealth to England in several ways.
 Destroyed the native industries.
 Import Indian silk on cheaper price
 Imposed heavy taxes on the Indian manufactured high
quality products
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CONT.
Agriculture tax was excessive and the money lenders
rapacious.
 East India Company destroyed traditional economic
fabric of society.
 British goods promoted at cost of Indian handicrafts,
destroyed Indian handicraftsmen & artisans.
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British were interested in the exploitation, not interested
in the development of India.
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No industrial development
IMMEDIATE CAUSE
use of greased cartridges proved as the immediate cause
of the war.
 The induction of greased cartridges in Enfield rifles.
Soldiers were required to bite the cartridges before
loading & it was believed that they were coated with pig
and cow fat.
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THE OUTBREAK OF WAR
Meerut
The revolt of 1857 began at Meerut on May 10th, 1857.
85 soldiers in Meerut refused to use the new rifle and
were sentenced to imprisonment. Sepoys revolted
against their English officers, killed them and
marched to Delhi.
 Delhi
At Delhi, Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar
nominally headed the revolt, but the real head was
General Bakt Khan.
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CENTERS OF REVOLT
Fall of Delhi:
The British finally attacked Delhi in September.
For six days there was desperate fighting. But by
September 1857, the British reoccupied Delhi.
Thousands of innocent people were killed and
hundreds were hanged. The old king was
captured and later deported to Rangoon where he
died in 1862. His two sons were shot dead and a
grandson. Thus, ended the imperial dynasty of
the Mughals.
Kanpur
The revolt was headed by Nana Sahib. A number of
British fell into his hands and he showed great
kindness to them. But when he heard about
inhuman attitude of Gen. O’Neil towards Indians.
He captured Kanpur and proclaimed himself the
Peshwa.
The victory was short-lived. Kanpur was recaptured
by the British
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Lucknow
struggle for independence at Lucknow was led by
Nawab Wajid.
Indians did not make any concession and killed
most of the Englishmen the Commander-inChief General Collin Campbell, marched towards
Lucknow and captured it
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 Jhansi
Rani of Jhansi with the help of Tantya Tope
created problems for the British troops.
Rani and Tantya Tope could not match the
resources at the command of the British and
ultimately defeated
 Bihar
Kunwar Singh was the organizer of the Revolt in
Bihar. Kunwar Singh fought with the British in
Bihar, and, later joined hands with Nana Sahib's
forces.
CAUSES OF FAILURE
Changes in the Plan
 War was started prematurely due to the cartridge incident and
could not materialised throughout the country
The Treachery of the Sikhs
 Sikhs provided every possible assistance to the English army
 Some soldiers in Punjab and south India fought on the side of
the British to crush these rebellions.
Absence of an active and effective leader
 Rebels did not have a unified command structure.
 The freedom fighters fought mostly in independent groups at
different places
Lack of means of communication and Transport
 Indians did not have access to quick and reliable means of
communications
Lack of modern equipments
 English fought with modern weapons while rebels fought
with ancient weapons as pikes & swords.
 British army was well trained and was much disciplined
Economic Condition
 Indians were facing economic problems.
 Revolutionary soldiers around Bahadur Shah Zafar were
crippled by severe economic hardships
 Due to economic crisis soldiers could not fight devotedly
EFFECTS OF REVOLT 1857
Military administration was strengthened and
number of European troops were increased.
 British crown took direct responsibility of
administration, East India company was abolished.
 Racial bitterness increased between the English and
Indians.
 Revolt brought massive economic destruction.
 Positive aspect of the revolt was that it laid the
foundation for the nationalist movement.
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Lord Canning the last Governor General of the East
India Company became the first Viceroy of the
British Government in India.
 The British adopted a discriminatory policy towards
the Hindus and the Muslims.
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