CHAPTER 3

WHAT WERE THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

1857-58
Q1.‘GREASED CARTRIDGES WAS THE ONLY REASON FOR THE WAR OF
INDEPENDENCE 1857’. DO YOU AGREE?JUSTIFY [14]
Q2.WAS THE LACK OF UNITY WAS THE ONLY REASON FOR THE FAILURE OF WAR
OF INDEPENDENCE? [14]
Q3.HOW SUCCESSFUL WAS THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE? [10]/[14]
REASONS FOR THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
RELIGIOUS REASONS
THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES WERE TRYING TO CONVERT THE INDIANS INTO CHRISTIANITY. THESE ACTIVITIES WERE
SUPPORTED AND ENCOURAGED BY THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES & THE INDIANS TOOK IT AS AN ATTACK ON THEIR RELIGIONS.
THEREFORE, THEY WAGED A WAR AGAINST BRITISH TO PROTECT THEIR RELIGIOUS VALUES.
BRITISH INTRODUCED CARTRIDGES COVERED IN COW & PIG GREASE WHICH WERE TO BE OPENED BY MOUTH. BOTH THESE
ANIMALS WERE RELIGIOUSLY UNTOUCHABLE FOR HINDUS & MUSLIMS RESPECTIVELY. SINCE THE INDIAN SOLDIERS WERE
FORCED TO USE THESE, THEY STARTED THE WAR AS THEY FELT RELIGIOUSLY THREATENED.
THE PRACTICE OF SUTTEE & OBSERVING PURDAH WAS BANNED BY THE BRITISH. BOTH OF THESE WERE RELIGIOUSLY
SIGNIFICANT FOR THE INDIANS. HENCE, THE INDIANS REVOLTED AGAINST THE INTERFERENCE OF BRITISH IN THE RELIGIOUS
PRACTICES OF HINDUS & MUSLIMS.
SOCIAL REASONS
BRITISH HAD INTRODUCED A CULTURAL AMBIANCE OF SUPERIORITY. THEY CONSIDERED INDIANS TO BE AN INFERIOR RACE
AND THEREFORE HAD NO INTER PERSONAL INTERACTION WITH THEM. THIS ARROGANT BEHAVIOUR WAS UNACCEPTABLE FOR
THE INDIANS & THEY REVOLTED AGAINST THE BRITISH TO END THIS TOXIC CULTURE.
BRITISH INTRODUCED CO EDUCATION SYSTEM, ENGLISH AS THE ONLY MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION & REMOVED ALL RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION. THESE CHANGES WERE FORCEFULLY ENFORCED IN INDIA AND THIS LED TO DISCONTENMENT AMONGST MASSES
AS THESE CHANGES DISREGARDED THE RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL SENTIMENTS OF THE INDIANS.
ECONOMIC REASON
BRITISH IMPOSED HIGH TAXATION ON THE POOR PEASANTS & FARMERS. INDIANS FOUND IT HARD TO PAY SUCH HIGH TAXES
ON THE PRODUCE OF THEIR OWN LAND & WORK. HENCE, INDIANS REVOLTED AGAINST THE BRITISH AS THEY FELT
ECONOMICALLY E XPLOITED.
MILITARY REASONS
BRITISH MADE OVERSEAS SERVICES COMPULSORY FOR THE INDIAN SOLDIERS BUT MUSLIM SOLDIERS REFUSED AS THEY DID
NOT WANT TO FIGHT AGAINST MUSLIM BRETHREN AND HINDU SOLDIERS REFUSED BECAUSE THEY RESENTED LEAVING THEIR
LAND. SO THIS COMPULSION AROUSED REBELIOUS FEELINGS IN THE SOLDIERS & THEY FOUGHT AGAISNT THE BRITISH IN 1857.
MANY OF THE INDIAN SOLDIERS NEVER RECEIVED PROMOTION OR GOOD SALARIES. MOREOVER, A LOT OF EXPERIENCED
SOLDIERS WERE FIRED FOR THEIR REFUSAL TO USE GREASED CATRIDGES. THEREFORE, THESE ANGRY SOLDIERS STARTED THE
WAR AGAISNT THE BRITISH AS THEY WANTED TO BE TREATED FAIRLY.
POLITICAL REASONS
THE BRITISH MISTREATED THE MUGHAL EMPEROR & THE ROYAL FAMILY BY MOVING THEM FROM RED FORT OF DELHI TO
QUTUB SAHIB. THIS ACT WAS REGARDED AS HIGHLY DISRESPECTFUL BY THE INDIANS AND THEY FOUGHT AGAINST THE
BRITISH TO GET THE RULE BACK IN THEIR HANDS.
THE IMPOSITION OF THE ‘DOCTRINE OF LAPSE’ ANGERED THE INDIANS AS OUDH,NAGPUR,JHANSI & SITARA WERE UNFAIRLY
TAKEN OVER THROUGH THIS POLICY. THE INDIANS REALIZED THAT THE BRITISH WERE ONLY GREEDY LAND GRABBERS & NEED
TO BE OUSTED OF INDIA, BECAUSE OF THIS WAR OF INDEPENDECE WAS FOUGHT AGAINST THE BRITISH TO END THEIR GREEDY
POLICIES.
THE REPLACEMENT OF PERSIAN & SANSKRIT BY ENGLISH AS AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE DEEPLY HURT THE FEELINGS OF THE
INDIANS. THIS CHANGE MEANT THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW CULTURAL SET BUT ALSO LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE
NATIVE INDIANS IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SET UP. THEREFORE THE WAR WAS FOUGHT AGAINST THIS POLITICAL INJUSTICE.
REASONS FOR THE FAILURE OF WAR
THERE WAS AN ABSENCE OF A COMMON CAUSE TO FIGHT THE WAR AMONGST THE INDIANS. MUSLIMS WANTED TO GET
THEIR RULE BACK, SIKHS WANTED TO ABOISH THE DOCTRINE OF LAPSE & HINDUS WANTED TO PROTECT THEIR MOTHERLAND.
THIS CAUSED A DISUNITY IN INDIA AND THE INDIANS LOST THE WAR AS MANY AMONGST THEM FOUGHT AGAINST
EACHOTHER AND HELPED THE BRITISH TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS. (SINDH & PUNJAB + PRINCELY STATES)
THE BRITISH HAD MODERN WEAPONARY & WERE TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AS COMPARED TO THE INDIANS WHO HAD
OUT DATED WEAPONARY. THE INDIANS WERE NOT ABLE TO WIN THE WAR AS THEY WERE EASILY OVERCOME BY THE
ADVANCED WEAPONS OF THE BRITISH.
INDIANS HAD VERY POOR SYSTEM OF COMMUNICATION. AS A RESULT OF THIS LACKING, MANY OF THE PEOPLE DID NOT EVEN
KNOW THAT A WAR WAS BEING FOUGHT AND IT DID NOT SPREAD ALL OVER INDIA. THE SMALL SCALE OF REBELLION BECAME
EASIER FOR THE BRITISH TO DEFEAT.
INDIANS DID NOT REALLY UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF INDEPENDENCE AND FOUGHT HALF HEARTEDLY WHEREAS THE BRITISH
HAD A SET AIM TO ACHIEVE AND FOUGHT THE WAR WITH UTMOST DETERMINATION. INDIANS LOST THE WAR AS THEY
LACKED THE ENTHUSIASM FOR INDEPENDENCE.
INDIANS HAD NO LEADER TO GUIDE AND COMMAND THEM THROUGH THE WAR NOR DID THEY HAVE A GOOD PLAN. ON THE
OTHER HAND BRITISH HAD VERY CAPABLE LEADERS COMMANDING THEM THROUGH GOOD AND WELL DEVISED STARTEGIES.
THE WAR BECAME A FAILURE FOR THE HINDUS BECAUSE OF THE ABSENCE OF LEADERS.
THE BRITISH HAD A WELL TRAINED AND ORGANIZED ARMY THAT UNLEASHED CALCULATED ATTACKS ON THE LOUSY AND
DISORGANIZED INDIAN REBELS. THE INDIANS HAD TO FACE A GREAT LOSS IN THE WAR DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF A PROPER
ARMY.
• FAILURES OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
• SUCCESSES OF THE WAR