SlideShare a Scribd company logo
THE COMING OF THE BRITISH TO INDIAAND THE REVOLT
OF 1857
THE HISTORY OF THE COLONIAL ERA IN INDIA REVEALS THAT MANY
BRITISHERS APPROACHED INDIA WITH THE DESIRE FOR A
PROFITABLE TRADE, PLUNDER, ENRICHMENT AND ESTABLISHING AN
IMPERIAL STRUCTURE.
ARRIVAL OF EUROPEANS IN INDIA – 1498
The Portuguese first arrived and were followed by the Dutch, the French, the Danish and the British. In 1608 CE,
the East India Company from Britain reached Surat for trading purposes. Spices and Cotton Textiles were the most
important goods traded. Apart from that they also traded in silk, indigo dye, saltpetre, tea, and opium.
India became the center of attraction for Europe's trade and also the realm of European ambition getting wider to
grab the Spice Islands trade monopoly which led to several naval battles with the French and the Dutch.
These European Companies possessed extraordinary powers. Apart from
creating their own fleet of ships, they were granted the right to form armies,
and empowered to take over territory for the establishment of ports and
trading posts. Having gained a commercial foothold, they then had the right
to administer areas, levying taxes, administrating justice, making treaties and
waging wars, be it against the Indians or those foreign companies who sought
to encroach upon their particular "patch". It was a European scramble for a
highly profitable two-way trade.
saltpetre
Indigo-dye
Interesting Facts:
• The popularity of Indian textiles is evidenced in the number
of words that have made their way into the English
dictionary: calico, pajama, dungaree, khaki etc.
• Indian textiles were exported directly to Europe, where they
became highly fashionable.
• The Indian luxury textiles coveted for centuries are now
collected in British Museums, where they are often grouped
and studied on the basis of their patterns of production.
• Spices were the primary way of preserving meat in Europe
prior to the refrigeration technique of the modern age. Calico cloth
Indian Spices
DISCUSSION DESK
“At this point, when you start
discussing topics with friends, You
start uplifting your confidence and
knowledge”
FROM TRADE TO TERRITORY - BRITISHERS CAME AS TRADERS &
INTERVENED IN INDIAN POLITICS
The East India Company, in 1608 got a royal order (i.e. Farman) from the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir to establish a
factory at Surat under the leadership of Sir Thomas Roe (Ambassador of King James I). Following this, they also got
similar permission to set up their second factory at Masulipatnam around the same time.
Numerous trading posts were established along the
east and west coasts of India. 20 years later, the
Company spread its presence in Bengal by setting
up a factory in Hugli, Kolkata. Considerable
English communities developed around the three
Presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay, and
Madras.
By the 1750s, the English East India Company
began intervening in Indian politics. The Company
saw the rise of its fortunes, and its transformation
from a trading venture to a ruling enterprise by
waging battles and bribery. They had already
started building forts along with factories. Painting showing Thomas Roe at Jehangir’s court
BATTLE OF PLASSEY – 1757
• In 1755, Siraj-ud-daulah, became the Nawab of Bengal and allied with the French East India company. (Yes, there
was a French East India Company too!) He then proceeded to overrun British trading posts as he felt the British
were overriding his power / position as Nawab. He captured Fort William in Calcutta, in 1756.
• Lieutenant Colonel Robert Clive was sent from Madras to retake Calcutta. One of Siraj –ud –Daulah’s discontented
followers, his commander-in-chief Mir Jafar was instrumental in betraying him to the British. He was bribed!
• In 1757, the Battle started at Plassey with the French troops supporting the Nawab. Mir Jafar, the commander-in-
chief did not join in the fighting. The battle was heading for a stalemate, when it started to rain. The British troops
were prepared with tarpaulins to keep their gun powder dry.
• The British opened fire at the charging Bengali cavalry of the Nawab.
The soldiers who were without their commander (Mir Jafar),
panicked and started moving back, exposing their artillery.
• The British captured the Nawab’s artillery. The Nawab fled the
battlefield. Mir Jafar was installed as a puppet ruler by the British.
• This was the beginning of the rise of the British Raj in India.
Painting showing Mir Jafar bowing before Robert Clive
BATTLE OF BUXAR - 1764
• Mir Qasim fled to plan a confederacy with Shuja-Ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh and Shah Alam II, Mughal Emperor.
• The Battle took place in 1764 at Buxar and was fought between the English and
Shujaudaulah, Mir Qasim and Shah Alam (Mughal, Awadh & Bengal).
• The combined forces lacked direction and were defeated by the British.
• Mir Qasim absconded from the battle; the other two rulers surrendered.
• Shuja-ud-daulah paid huge sums of money and became a friend of the British.
• The war ended with the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765.
• After Mir Jafar was made the proxy king of Bengal, the Britishers wielded real power.
• The Britishers threw Mir Jafar out as he got involved with the Dutch East India Company (Yes again, Dutch East
India Company also existed then)!
• The Company supported Mir Qasim (Mir Jafar’s son-in-law) to become the new Nawab of Bengal. Mir Jafar was
given a pension of Rs 1,500 per year.
• Soon Mir Qasim as the Nawab of Bengal desired freedom. He treated Indian merchants and English merchants
equally, with no special treatment for the latter. For these factors, the English planned to overthrow him.
DIWANI & NIZAMAT IN BENGAL
.
• The Company had absolute military power and the right to collect revenue in Bengal. On the other hand, the Nawab
(Mir Jafar was brought back second time after the Battle of Buxar) had to shoulder all the responsibilities of NIZAMAT,
i.e. the administration with no real political power. He obviously did not have any economic resources.
• In 1765, according to the terms of the Treaty of Allahabad, the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam granted the DIWANI
of Bengal – the right to collect the land revenue – to the East India Company. From then on, the diwani became
the main source of British revenue from India.
• The company now used revenue collected from India, to finance its trade, to purchase cotton and silk from India,
maintain Company troops, and meet the cost of building forts and offices. Thus it benefited the company but
resulted in huge drain of wealth for India. .
• Robert Clive (who had bribed Mir Jafar for an English victory) became the first Governor of Bengal in 1764 and
started amassing huge personal wealth along with filling the treasury of the East India Company.
With a single act of treachery, Mir Jafar helped set
the stage for nearly 200 years of British rule in India.
LET’S THINK, EXPLORE & WRITE!
1. Isn’t it strange that the combined forces at Buxar that included the great Mughal, Awadh and Bengal Armies
were defeated by a single British force? List out the plausible reasons for the defeat of the combined forces.
What made the Britishers invincible? How could have History been different for India had the battle at Buxar
ended up in victory for the Indians? (120 words)
2. What made Siraj-ud-daula lose the battle of Plassey? What values did Mir Jafar, his commander-in-chief lack?
(80 words)
3. Define Treaty. What transpired at the Treaty of Allahabad? Do you think in modern times countries sign treaties?
If so, can you mention any one such treaty and the reason for which it was convened? (80 words)
Governor General -
The supreme head of
the administration was
the Governor-General in
British India. He was
the representative of
the Monarch of the
United Kingdom.
Presidencies - In British India, these were
the Provinces of India, which were under
direct control of the British East India
Company and eventually under the British
monarchy. Bombay, Madras
and Bengal were the three major
Presidencies in British India.
East India Company rule in India began in
1757 after the Battle of Plassey and lasted
until 1858 when, following the Revolt of
1857, the Government of India Act 1858
led to the British Crown assuming direct
control of India in the form of the new
British Raj.
Calcutta - From 1772 to 1911, Calcutta
was the capital of British India.
New Delhi – The capital was shifted to
New Delhi in 1911.
Shimla – In 1864, Shimla was declared
as the summer capital of British India.
Governor -
Bengal,
Madras, and
Bombay; Each
of these
Precedencies
was ruled by a
Governor.
The Collector - His main job was to
collect revenue and taxes and
maintain law and order in his district
with the help of judges, police
officers, and darogas. His office was
known as the Collectorate.
Supreme Courts were established
in 1774 at Calcutta, in 1800 at
Madras and in 1823 at Bombay. The
Supreme Courts functioned until
1862 when they were replaced by
High Courts at all three places.
(CLEVER) BRITISH POLICIES OF EXPANSION
(I) Subsidiary Alliance system –
• Under this enforced system introduced by Lord Wellesley (Governor General of British India) in 1798, the ruler of
the allying Indian state was compelled to accept the permanent stationing of a British force within his territory and
to pay a subsidy for its maintenance.
• All this was done allegedly for the Indian kingdom’s protection but was, in fact, a form through which the Indian
ruler paid tribute to the Company.
• In return, the British undertook to defend the king from his enemies. They also promised non-
interference in the internal affairs of the allied state, but this was a promise they seldom kept. In reality,
by signing a Subsidiary Alliance, an Indian state virtually signed away its independence.
• Thus this policy was extremely advantageous to the British. They could now maintain a large army at the
cost of the Indian states or gain more territories as sometimes the rulers ceded parts of their territories instead
of paying annual subsidy.
• The first state to forcibly accept the Subsidiary Alliance was the Nizam of the State of Hyderabad in 1798.
(CLEVER) BRITISH POLICIES OF EXPANSION
(II) Paramountcy –
• The British East India Company pursued an aggressive policy of territorial expansion (Paramountcy) from 1813
onwards under Lord Hastings (the Governor General of British India).
• Under this policy, the company claimed that its authority was supreme; it steadily spread its domination over the
country by a series of wars.
• By 1823, the Britishers subdued the Marathas and Gurkhas of Nepal. as well
as overpowered the Central States of Rajputana.
• By 1849, they took over Punjab and Sind.
• In 1856 the principality of Awadh was annexed.
(III) Doctrine of Lapse – Lord Dalhousie
• Lord Dalhousie (Governor General of India) introduced this doctrine in 1848. According to it, if an Indian ruler
died without a male heir, his kingdom would “lapse” and become part of Company territory.
• From 1848 - 1857, many kingdoms including Udaipur, Nagpur and Jhansi were annexed by applying this doctrine.
❑ Plassey is an anglicised pronunciation of Palashi and the place derived its name from the palash tree known for its
beautiful red flowers that yield gulal, the powder used in the festival of Holi.
❑ Tipu Sultan was the pioneer of rocket artillery . He used it against the British in the fourth Anglo-Mysore War.
❑ Goa, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli remained as Portuguese possessions and Pondicherry, Mahe and
Karaikal as the French possessions in India.
❑ Bombay passed into the British hands as dowry given by the Portuguese.
❑ In 1868, the Nicobar Islands were ‘sold’ to the Britishers by the Danish people.
❑ The first governor-general in India (of Bengal) was Warren Hastings, the first official governor-general of British
India was Lord William Bentinck and the first governor-general or viceroy of independent India was Lord
Mountbatten.
Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga
The Brave Unsung Heroines of 18th Century India
Abbakka Chowta of Ullal
Rani Chenamma of Kittur
Watch through the given three video links, the amazing grit and courage of the three queens of South India who gave
a befitting reply to the Europeans: Rani Chinamma’s first victory against the British forces is still honoured annually
in October during the ‘Kittur Utsava’; Velu Nachiar even raised a women’s army against the British in that era!
Abakka Chowta II belonged to a family in which three generations of women fought the Portuguese valiantly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq7b2v4N
https://youtu.be/8KGnsJzccOA
https://youtu.be/ejDc1LFC0rI
THE MARATHAS
Known for their valour, the Marathas, at one point of time ruled one-third of the Indian sub-continent. Shivaji was the
founder of the great Maratha Empire. The Marathas fought three wars (Anglo-Maratha Wars) with the British between
1775 and 1818 which are very significant in the History of India. The Marathas won in the first battle, they lost
against the British in the second and the third wars which made India, a complete property of the British.
TIPU – THE TIGER OF MYSORE
Tipu Sultan was a true patriot like his father, Haidar Ali. He
visualized the forthcoming danger of the expanding East India
Company and along with his father proved successful in
defeating the British in the First and the Second Mysore War
in 1766 and 1782 respectively. While the British became
aware of Tipu’s growing strength, they made alliances with the
neighboring Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas, leading to
the Third Mysore War in which Tipu was defeated. Tipu, being
an able military strategist was prepared in the Fourth Anglo
Mysore War with his longstanding and successful military
tactic of rocket artillery in war and a better army to thwart his
adversaries. Fighting with all his valor, Tipu Sultan eventually
died defending his capital Srirangapattana in 1799.
World’s first war rockets used by Tipu’s Army
THE LEGEND OF TIPU VIDEO LINKS TO TAKE YOU BACK IN TIPU’S TIME
Kings are often surrounded by legend and their powers
glorified through folklore. Here is a legend about Tipu Sultan
who became the ruler of Mysore in 1782. It is said that once
he went hunting in the forest with a French friend. There he
came face to face with a tiger. His gun did not work and his
dagger fell to the ground. He battled with the tiger unarmed
until he managed to reach down and pick up the dagger.
Finally he was able to kill the tiger in the battle. After this he
came to be known as the “Tiger of Mysore”. He had the
image of the tiger on his flag.
This is the picture of a big mechanical toy that
Tipu possessed. You can see a tiger mauling a
European soldier. When its handle was turned
the toy tiger roared and the soldier shrieked.
This toy tiger is now kept in the Victoria and
Albert Museum in London. The British took it
away when Tipu Sultan died defending his
capital Seringapatam on 4 May 1799.
https://vimeo.com/8973957
https://youtu.be/jPdLOuHiyDg
EXPANSION OF BRITISH TERRITORIAL POWER IN INDIA
1797 1840 1857
LIVING IN COLONIAL TIMES
I am sure you agree that people in any era and in any area would resist policies and actions that harm their
interests or go against their sentiments.
o Indian kings, queens, peasants, landlords, tribals, soldiers were all affected in different ways by the selfish policies
of the East India Company.
o The Nawabs and the Maharajas had lost their power and their territories.
o Governor-General Canning had announced that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king and after his
death, none of his descendants would be recognized as kings.
o In the countryside, peasants and zamindars resented the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue collection.
o The Indian sepoys (soldiers) of the Company were unhappy about their pay, allowances and conditions of service.
As most soldiers came from peasant background, the anger of the peasants quickly spread among the sepoys.
o Some of the new rules, moreover, violated the religious sensibilities and beliefs of most of the Indians. Many
people began to feel that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs and their traditional way of
life through new laws or Acts. (However Indians who wanted to change odd and evil social practices, then, had
supported the Britishers only to this effect).
MID 19TH CENTURY INDIA
After a hundred years of conquest and administration, the East India Company faced a massive rebellion in Northern
and Central India that started in May 1857 and nearly swept away British rule. The Revolt began with a mutiny of
sepoys of the Company's army in Meerut and several other places and soon engulfed wide regions. Millions of
Indians fought heroically for over a year and by their courage and sacrifice wrote a glorious chapter in the history of
the Indian people. This was the biggest armed resistance to colonialism in the 19th century anywhere in the world.
IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF THE REVOLT OF 1857
• By 1857, the material for a mass upheaval was ready, only a spark was needed to set it afire.
• The new Enfield rifle had been introduced in the army. Its cartridges had a greased paper cover whose end had to be
bitten off before the cartridge was loaded into the rifle.
• The grease was rumoured to be composed of beef and pig fat. The sepoys, Hindus as well as Muslims, were
enraged, as the use of the greased cartridges would endanger their religion.
• Many of the sepoys, believed that the Government was deliberately trying to destroy their religion. This added fuel
to fire which was about to ignite.
Final Module 2- Coming of the British to India and The Revolt of 1857 .pdf
MANGAL PANDEY
Even before the outbreak of the Revolt in 1857 at Meerut, Mangal Pande had
become a martyr at Barrackpore, Bengal.
Mangal Pande, a young soldier, was hanged on 29 March 1857 for revolting
single-handed and attacking his superior officers primarily due to the greased
cartridge issue.
This and many similar incidents were a sign that discontent and rebellion were
brewing among the sepoys; and then came the explosion at Meerut.
SPARK FROM MEERUT
IGNITED THE REVOLT
The Revolt began at Meerut, 58 km from Delhi, on 10th May
1857. The sepoys released their imprisoned comrades, killed
their British officers, and unfurled the banner of revolt. As if
drawn by a magnet they set off for Delhi after sunset.
Gathering force rapidly, the rebellion spread. It soon embraced
a vast area from Punjab in the north to Narmada in the south
and from Bihar in the east to Rajputana in the west.
Painting showing Meerut sepoys capturing a British officer.
Major Centres of the Revolt of 1857 (First War Of Indian Independence)
Symbol of The Revolt –
Lotus & Chapati
Symbolic Leader of The Revolt –
Bahadur Shah Zafar (Mughal Emperor)
Prominent Leaders / Centres of The Revolt–
Mangal Pandey – Barrackpore (Bengal)
Bakht Khan – Delhi
Nana Saheb – Kanpur
Hazrat Mahal – Lucknow
Khan Bahadur – Baraeily
Kunwar Singh – Arrah (Bihar)
Maulvi Ahmadullah – Faizabad (Uttar Pradesh)
Rani Laxmibai – Jhansi
Rani Avantibai – Ramgarh (Madhya Pradesh)
Liaqat Ali Khan - Allahabad
WHEN PEOPLE REBELLED
DELHI -
• When the Meerut soldiers appeared in Delhi the following
morning of 11th May, 1857, the local infantry joined them,
killed their European officers, and seized the city.
• The rebellious soldiers proclaimed the aged and powerless
Bahadur Shah the Emperor of India.
• Delhi was soon to become the center of the Great Revolt and
Bahadur Shah its great symbol.
• Bahadur Shah, in turn, under the instigation and perhaps the
pressure of the sepoys, soon wrote letters to all the chiefs and
rulers of India urging them to organize a confederacy of
Indian states to fight and replace the British regime.
• Bakht Khan, Subedar in the East India Company exercised
real authority in Delhi.
Entire Bengal Army soon rose in revolt which spread quickly.
Avadh, Rohlikhand, the Bundelkhand, Central India, large parts
of Bihar and East Punjab, all shook off British authority..
Bahadur Shah Zafar – the last of the Moghuls
Rani Avantibai
Ramgarh
• Rani Avantibai led her troops near Mandla and to the
utter shock of the Britishers, defeated their army.
• Later, the British retaliated and attacked Ramgarh
and set the region on fire.
• Rani Avantibai still, did not give up. Utilizing
guerrilla warfare techniques, she infiltrated the
British camp.
• Eventually, she found herself trapped by British
forces, who had surrounded Ramgarh.
• Knowing that her defeat was imminent, she did not
want to be taken at the hands of the enemy; she fell
upon her own sword and became a martyr on 20th
• March 1858. What
• an icon of courage
• she was!
Liyaqat Ali Khan
Allahabad
• Liaqat Ali joined British army and started
indoctrinating anti-British ideas into the minds
of Indian soldiers.
• East India company officers then expelled him.
• He created his own army and drove away East India
Company force and took control of Allahabad town.
• The British attacked Liaquth Ali’s head quarters on
11th June 1857. He fought the battle valiantly till the
• end but left the battle field on
• 17th June under adverse
• circumstances Liaqat Ali was
• sentenced to life
• imprisonment later and was
extradited to Andaman, where
he breathed his last on 17th
May, 1892.
KANPUR –
• At Kanpur, the Revolt was led by Nana Sahib, the
adopted son of Baji Rao II, the last Maratha Peshwa.
• Nana Sahib expelled the English from Kanpur with the
help of the sepoys and proclaimed himself the Peshwa.
He acknowledged Bahadur Shah as the Emperor of India
and declared himself to be his Governor.
• Fighting on behalf of Nana Sahib was Tantia Tope, his
most loyal servant who has won immortal fame by his
patriotism, determined fighting, and guerrilla operations.
N
Nana Sahib Tantiya Tope Begum Hazrat Mahal
LUCKNOW –
• Begum Hazrat Mahal, wife of Nawab Wajid Ali
Shah, was one of the few women who challenged
the British during the revolt of 1857.
• She led the revolt at Lucknow along with her
young son, Birjis Kadr.
• She was seen fighting with the Britishers with
indomitable courage atop an elephant.
• After getting defeated, she and her son fled to
Nepal.
• The Britishers did not allow her to return to India.
Begum died in Nepal. Her tomb is in Kathmandu.
JHANSI - THE INDOMITABLE RANI LAKSHMIBAI
The fearless Queen of Jhansi was asked to dethrone in early 1858 as her
adopted son was not acknowledged as an heir. Thereafter the Rani went
into a battle with the Britishers. She is a legend in Indian History. Let us
salute her through a poem (translated version) which describes her in
the battle.
From the folk singers and storytellers of Bandelkhand, we heard the tale
of courage of the Queen of Jhansi; how gallantly she fought like a man
against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi.
Her name was Laxmibai and she was the only daughter of her parents;
She had learned by heart the valorous stories of Shivaji, the great king,
To ambush her prey, break their vanity were among her favorite sports,
The queen got widowed early, she had no child of her own; so she
adopted one to call her own.
Well, let us recall the battlefields of Jhansi,
Where Laxmibai stood boldly like a man among the other brave men,
The British Lieutenant reached there and proceeded in the battle,
Rani drew her sword, and good heavens;
The British Lieutenant ran from the battlefield as Rani wounded him;
He was astonished at the agility of Rani.
The Rani proceeded further and reached Kalpi after taking a hard journey of hundreds of miles.
In the field of Yamuna again Rani was seen defeating the British.
The victorious Rani went further and took control of Gwalior.
The British thus left and their rule ended in Gwalior.
Although the freedom fighters had won for a while;
The British army was again getting organized, this time General Smith was in command,
Kaana and Mandra (the associates of Rani) were also accompanying her in the war zone.
In the battlefield they both were fighting furiously along with the valiant Rani,
But a British commander, Hugh Rose came from the backside to help his soldiers –
Alas! The British soldiers surrounded the Rani from all sides.
Though Rani was deeply wounded, still she was fighting and had managed to get through the British army,
But she got stuck because a sewage canal was there at the other end,
Her horse got stuck there - the horse was untrained, to come out of the drain;
In the mean time, the British soldiers, riding on their horses reached there.
Rani was all alone while enemies were attacking her with their sword from all sides,
Rani, who was fighting like a lioness, succumbed to the wounds and fell down.
She then had to achieve a glorious death in war ( Martyrdom ).
She was only thirty years of age.
She showed us the path of freedom, and taught us the lesson of courage,-
Jhansi’s Rani Laxmibai tuly reminds us to achieve a respectable life of freedom and light!
The original poem
on the Queen of
Jhansi is in Hindi
written by
Subhadra Kumari
Chauhan.
Feel the patriotic fervour all the more by reciting the original poem in class.
Link to the original
poem:
झााँसी की रानी:
सुभद्रा क
ु मारी चौहान
की वीर रस कववता
- Kids Portal For
Parents (4to40.com)
Arrah, Bihar Bareilly, U.P.
Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah Veer Kunvar Singh Khan Bahadur Khan
Faizabad, U.P.
Click on the links below to watch the stories of the gritty and courageous freedom fighters – A maulvi from
Faizabad, an 80 year old Guerilla warrior from Arrah and a patriot who ran a parallel government in Bareilly! Sadly
we found out that very few videos have been featured on them.
https://youtu.be/OL4TbAPaaMU
https://youtu.be/Rjrml04bWaQ
https://youtu.be/FaiaBqXRCzU
The Unsung Heroes of 1857
THE AFTERMATH – 1858
o In the end, the Britishers, the power-hungry imperialists, with a developing capitalist economy worldwide and at
the height of industrial and technological power the world over, and supported by many of the Indian princes and
chiefs, proved militarily too strong for the freedom fighters of 1857.
o The British government poured immense supplies of men, money and arms into the country, though Indians had
later to repay the entire cost of their own suppression!
o The rebels (freedom fighters) were dealt an early blow when the British captured Delhi after prolonged and bitter
fighting.
o The aged Emperor Bahadur Shah was taken prisoner. His sons, the Royal Princes were captured and butchered on
the spot.
o The emperor was tried and exiled to Rangoon where he died in 1862, bitterly lamenting the fate which would have
him buried far away from the city of his birth.
o Thus the great House of the Mughals was finally and completely extinguished by the British.
o Watch the Video: https://youtu.be/lJiPLyyuvK8
The heroic and patriotic struggle of 1857, and the series of rebellions preceding it, left an unforgettable impression on
the minds of the Indian people, established valuable local traditions of resistance to British rule, and served as a
perennial source of inspiration in their later struggle for freedom.
The heroes of the Revolt soon became household names in the country.
REFLECTION TIME
POUR YOUR EMOTIONS OUT ON THE FOLLOWING TWO STATEMENTS –
W H. Russel, who toured India in 1858 and 1859 as the correspondent of the
London Times, wrote that:
In no instance is a friendly glance directed to the white man’s carriage…. Oh! that
language of the eye! Who can doubt? Who can misinterpret it? It is by it alone that I
have learnt our race is not even feared at times by many and that by all it is disliked.
In this patriotic struggle, the Indians sacrificed even their deep religious prejudices.
They had revolted on the question of the greased cartridges but now to expel the
hated foreigner they freely used the same cartridges in their battles!
The role of Hindu-Muslim unity in the Revolt was indirectly acknowledged later by Aitchison, a senior British
official, when he bitterly complained:
“In this instance we could not play off the Mohammedans against the Hindus.” In fact, the events of 1857 clearly
bring out that the people and politics of India were basically not communal in medieval times and before 1858.
1. What impression has the Revolt of 1857 left in your mind after going through the accounts and videos of the
freedom fighters? Express in your own words.
2. What are the innate qualities that we can imbibe after reading about our freedom fighters of 1857?
3. What made the Indians ultimately lose the battles against the Britishers?
4. Describe the immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857.
5. Why did Bahadur Shah Zafar remain a symbolic leader of the REVOLT? Who ably supported him in the battle at
Delhi?
6. Why and where was the last Mughal Emperor sent?
7. What is Imperialism?
8. On a political outline Map of India, locate and label any six centres of the First War of Indian Independence.
In memory of the revolutionaries of 1857
HISTORIC POINT
JHANSI, U.P.
COMMEMORATIVE COIN
MANGAL PANDEY PARK,
BARRACKPUR, W.B.
HAZRAT MAHAL PARK, LUCKNOW
TOMB OF BAHADUR
SHAH ZAFAR,
YANGON, MYANMAR
STAMPS BY GOVT.
OF INDIA

More Related Content

PPTX
From trade to territory the company establishes the power ppt
PPTX
TRADERS TO RULERS.pptx
PPTX
Trade to territory
PDF
1.the establishment of company rule.
PPTX
Establishment of company rule in india
PPTX
from trade to territory (history)
PPTX
GRADE 8 HISTORY CH 2 From Trade To Territory.pptx
PPTX
History chapter 2 class 8
From trade to territory the company establishes the power ppt
TRADERS TO RULERS.pptx
Trade to territory
1.the establishment of company rule.
Establishment of company rule in india
from trade to territory (history)
GRADE 8 HISTORY CH 2 From Trade To Territory.pptx
History chapter 2 class 8

Similar to Final Module 2- Coming of the British to India and The Revolt of 1857 .pdf (20)

PPTX
EAST INDIA COMPANY AND IT'S ARRIVAL IN INDIA
PPTX
Trade to Territory Part1 Grade8 civics .pptx
PPTX
Growth of the British Empire in India
PPTX
British East India Company: Rule in India
PPTX
Rise of British Power & Decline of Mughals
PPSX
VIII HISTORY 2.FROM TRADE - Kanhu Charan Pradhan.ppsx
PPT
class 8 From Trade to Territory, the company establishes rule.ppt
PPT
class 8 From Trade to Territory.ppt how British conquered India
PPTX
class 8 History From Trade to Territory.pptx
PPTX
Lecture on modern India and British rule.pptx
PPTX
Modern history of India and British rule.pptx
PPTX
Ch 5 impact of british rule on india
PPTX
fromtradetoterritoryppt2-2231314uhf.pptx
PDF
Governor generals and Viceroys of India and important events
PPTX
_Modern_India_Battles_of_Plassey_+_Buxar_Company_Rule_in_Bengal.pptx
PDF
British rule in India
PPTX
class 8 history chapter 2
PDF
the-british-impact-on-india-1700-1900.pdf
PPTX
Establishment-of-Company-Rule-in-India.pptx
PPTX
Arrival and expansion of british power in india
EAST INDIA COMPANY AND IT'S ARRIVAL IN INDIA
Trade to Territory Part1 Grade8 civics .pptx
Growth of the British Empire in India
British East India Company: Rule in India
Rise of British Power & Decline of Mughals
VIII HISTORY 2.FROM TRADE - Kanhu Charan Pradhan.ppsx
class 8 From Trade to Territory, the company establishes rule.ppt
class 8 From Trade to Territory.ppt how British conquered India
class 8 History From Trade to Territory.pptx
Lecture on modern India and British rule.pptx
Modern history of India and British rule.pptx
Ch 5 impact of british rule on india
fromtradetoterritoryppt2-2231314uhf.pptx
Governor generals and Viceroys of India and important events
_Modern_India_Battles_of_Plassey_+_Buxar_Company_Rule_in_Bengal.pptx
British rule in India
class 8 history chapter 2
the-british-impact-on-india-1700-1900.pdf
Establishment-of-Company-Rule-in-India.pptx
Arrival and expansion of british power in india
Ad

Recently uploaded (20)

PPTX
Week 4 Term 3 Study Techniques revisited.pptx
PPTX
Skill Development Program For Physiotherapy Students by SRY.pptx
PDF
PG-BPSDMP 2 TAHUN 2025PG-BPSDMP 2 TAHUN 2025.pdf
PPTX
Odoo 18 Sales_ Managing Quotation Validity
PPTX
How to Manage Global Discount in Odoo 18 POS
PPTX
An introduction to Dialogue writing.pptx
PPTX
Open Quiz Monsoon Mind Game Prelims.pptx
PDF
Landforms and landscapes data surprise preview
PDF
Phylum Arthropoda: Characteristics and Classification, Entomology Lecture
PDF
High Ground Student Revision Booklet Preview
PDF
LDMMIA Reiki Yoga S2 L3 Vod Sample Preview
PPTX
Introduction and Scope of Bichemistry.pptx
PPTX
Strengthening open access through collaboration: building connections with OP...
PDF
3.The-Rise-of-the-Marathas.pdfppt/pdf/8th class social science Exploring Soci...
PDF
Types of Literary Text: Poetry and Prose
PDF
2.Reshaping-Indias-Political-Map.ppt/pdf/8th class social science Exploring S...
PPTX
Introduction to Child Health Nursing – Unit I | Child Health Nursing I | B.Sc...
PPTX
An introduction to Prepositions for beginners.pptx
PPTX
NOI Hackathon - Summer Edition - GreenThumber.pptx
PPTX
Introduction_to_Human_Anatomy_and_Physiology_for_B.Pharm.pptx
Week 4 Term 3 Study Techniques revisited.pptx
Skill Development Program For Physiotherapy Students by SRY.pptx
PG-BPSDMP 2 TAHUN 2025PG-BPSDMP 2 TAHUN 2025.pdf
Odoo 18 Sales_ Managing Quotation Validity
How to Manage Global Discount in Odoo 18 POS
An introduction to Dialogue writing.pptx
Open Quiz Monsoon Mind Game Prelims.pptx
Landforms and landscapes data surprise preview
Phylum Arthropoda: Characteristics and Classification, Entomology Lecture
High Ground Student Revision Booklet Preview
LDMMIA Reiki Yoga S2 L3 Vod Sample Preview
Introduction and Scope of Bichemistry.pptx
Strengthening open access through collaboration: building connections with OP...
3.The-Rise-of-the-Marathas.pdfppt/pdf/8th class social science Exploring Soci...
Types of Literary Text: Poetry and Prose
2.Reshaping-Indias-Political-Map.ppt/pdf/8th class social science Exploring S...
Introduction to Child Health Nursing – Unit I | Child Health Nursing I | B.Sc...
An introduction to Prepositions for beginners.pptx
NOI Hackathon - Summer Edition - GreenThumber.pptx
Introduction_to_Human_Anatomy_and_Physiology_for_B.Pharm.pptx
Ad

Final Module 2- Coming of the British to India and The Revolt of 1857 .pdf

  • 1. THE COMING OF THE BRITISH TO INDIAAND THE REVOLT OF 1857 THE HISTORY OF THE COLONIAL ERA IN INDIA REVEALS THAT MANY BRITISHERS APPROACHED INDIA WITH THE DESIRE FOR A PROFITABLE TRADE, PLUNDER, ENRICHMENT AND ESTABLISHING AN IMPERIAL STRUCTURE.
  • 2. ARRIVAL OF EUROPEANS IN INDIA – 1498 The Portuguese first arrived and were followed by the Dutch, the French, the Danish and the British. In 1608 CE, the East India Company from Britain reached Surat for trading purposes. Spices and Cotton Textiles were the most important goods traded. Apart from that they also traded in silk, indigo dye, saltpetre, tea, and opium. India became the center of attraction for Europe's trade and also the realm of European ambition getting wider to grab the Spice Islands trade monopoly which led to several naval battles with the French and the Dutch. These European Companies possessed extraordinary powers. Apart from creating their own fleet of ships, they were granted the right to form armies, and empowered to take over territory for the establishment of ports and trading posts. Having gained a commercial foothold, they then had the right to administer areas, levying taxes, administrating justice, making treaties and waging wars, be it against the Indians or those foreign companies who sought to encroach upon their particular "patch". It was a European scramble for a highly profitable two-way trade. saltpetre Indigo-dye
  • 3. Interesting Facts: • The popularity of Indian textiles is evidenced in the number of words that have made their way into the English dictionary: calico, pajama, dungaree, khaki etc. • Indian textiles were exported directly to Europe, where they became highly fashionable. • The Indian luxury textiles coveted for centuries are now collected in British Museums, where they are often grouped and studied on the basis of their patterns of production. • Spices were the primary way of preserving meat in Europe prior to the refrigeration technique of the modern age. Calico cloth Indian Spices
  • 4. DISCUSSION DESK “At this point, when you start discussing topics with friends, You start uplifting your confidence and knowledge”
  • 5. FROM TRADE TO TERRITORY - BRITISHERS CAME AS TRADERS & INTERVENED IN INDIAN POLITICS The East India Company, in 1608 got a royal order (i.e. Farman) from the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir to establish a factory at Surat under the leadership of Sir Thomas Roe (Ambassador of King James I). Following this, they also got similar permission to set up their second factory at Masulipatnam around the same time. Numerous trading posts were established along the east and west coasts of India. 20 years later, the Company spread its presence in Bengal by setting up a factory in Hugli, Kolkata. Considerable English communities developed around the three Presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras. By the 1750s, the English East India Company began intervening in Indian politics. The Company saw the rise of its fortunes, and its transformation from a trading venture to a ruling enterprise by waging battles and bribery. They had already started building forts along with factories. Painting showing Thomas Roe at Jehangir’s court
  • 6. BATTLE OF PLASSEY – 1757 • In 1755, Siraj-ud-daulah, became the Nawab of Bengal and allied with the French East India company. (Yes, there was a French East India Company too!) He then proceeded to overrun British trading posts as he felt the British were overriding his power / position as Nawab. He captured Fort William in Calcutta, in 1756. • Lieutenant Colonel Robert Clive was sent from Madras to retake Calcutta. One of Siraj –ud –Daulah’s discontented followers, his commander-in-chief Mir Jafar was instrumental in betraying him to the British. He was bribed! • In 1757, the Battle started at Plassey with the French troops supporting the Nawab. Mir Jafar, the commander-in- chief did not join in the fighting. The battle was heading for a stalemate, when it started to rain. The British troops were prepared with tarpaulins to keep their gun powder dry. • The British opened fire at the charging Bengali cavalry of the Nawab. The soldiers who were without their commander (Mir Jafar), panicked and started moving back, exposing their artillery. • The British captured the Nawab’s artillery. The Nawab fled the battlefield. Mir Jafar was installed as a puppet ruler by the British. • This was the beginning of the rise of the British Raj in India. Painting showing Mir Jafar bowing before Robert Clive
  • 7. BATTLE OF BUXAR - 1764 • Mir Qasim fled to plan a confederacy with Shuja-Ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh and Shah Alam II, Mughal Emperor. • The Battle took place in 1764 at Buxar and was fought between the English and Shujaudaulah, Mir Qasim and Shah Alam (Mughal, Awadh & Bengal). • The combined forces lacked direction and were defeated by the British. • Mir Qasim absconded from the battle; the other two rulers surrendered. • Shuja-ud-daulah paid huge sums of money and became a friend of the British. • The war ended with the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765. • After Mir Jafar was made the proxy king of Bengal, the Britishers wielded real power. • The Britishers threw Mir Jafar out as he got involved with the Dutch East India Company (Yes again, Dutch East India Company also existed then)! • The Company supported Mir Qasim (Mir Jafar’s son-in-law) to become the new Nawab of Bengal. Mir Jafar was given a pension of Rs 1,500 per year. • Soon Mir Qasim as the Nawab of Bengal desired freedom. He treated Indian merchants and English merchants equally, with no special treatment for the latter. For these factors, the English planned to overthrow him.
  • 8. DIWANI & NIZAMAT IN BENGAL . • The Company had absolute military power and the right to collect revenue in Bengal. On the other hand, the Nawab (Mir Jafar was brought back second time after the Battle of Buxar) had to shoulder all the responsibilities of NIZAMAT, i.e. the administration with no real political power. He obviously did not have any economic resources. • In 1765, according to the terms of the Treaty of Allahabad, the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam granted the DIWANI of Bengal – the right to collect the land revenue – to the East India Company. From then on, the diwani became the main source of British revenue from India. • The company now used revenue collected from India, to finance its trade, to purchase cotton and silk from India, maintain Company troops, and meet the cost of building forts and offices. Thus it benefited the company but resulted in huge drain of wealth for India. . • Robert Clive (who had bribed Mir Jafar for an English victory) became the first Governor of Bengal in 1764 and started amassing huge personal wealth along with filling the treasury of the East India Company. With a single act of treachery, Mir Jafar helped set the stage for nearly 200 years of British rule in India.
  • 9. LET’S THINK, EXPLORE & WRITE! 1. Isn’t it strange that the combined forces at Buxar that included the great Mughal, Awadh and Bengal Armies were defeated by a single British force? List out the plausible reasons for the defeat of the combined forces. What made the Britishers invincible? How could have History been different for India had the battle at Buxar ended up in victory for the Indians? (120 words) 2. What made Siraj-ud-daula lose the battle of Plassey? What values did Mir Jafar, his commander-in-chief lack? (80 words) 3. Define Treaty. What transpired at the Treaty of Allahabad? Do you think in modern times countries sign treaties? If so, can you mention any one such treaty and the reason for which it was convened? (80 words)
  • 10. Governor General - The supreme head of the administration was the Governor-General in British India. He was the representative of the Monarch of the United Kingdom. Presidencies - In British India, these were the Provinces of India, which were under direct control of the British East India Company and eventually under the British monarchy. Bombay, Madras and Bengal were the three major Presidencies in British India. East India Company rule in India began in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey and lasted until 1858 when, following the Revolt of 1857, the Government of India Act 1858 led to the British Crown assuming direct control of India in the form of the new British Raj. Calcutta - From 1772 to 1911, Calcutta was the capital of British India. New Delhi – The capital was shifted to New Delhi in 1911. Shimla – In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India. Governor - Bengal, Madras, and Bombay; Each of these Precedencies was ruled by a Governor. The Collector - His main job was to collect revenue and taxes and maintain law and order in his district with the help of judges, police officers, and darogas. His office was known as the Collectorate. Supreme Courts were established in 1774 at Calcutta, in 1800 at Madras and in 1823 at Bombay. The Supreme Courts functioned until 1862 when they were replaced by High Courts at all three places.
  • 11. (CLEVER) BRITISH POLICIES OF EXPANSION (I) Subsidiary Alliance system – • Under this enforced system introduced by Lord Wellesley (Governor General of British India) in 1798, the ruler of the allying Indian state was compelled to accept the permanent stationing of a British force within his territory and to pay a subsidy for its maintenance. • All this was done allegedly for the Indian kingdom’s protection but was, in fact, a form through which the Indian ruler paid tribute to the Company. • In return, the British undertook to defend the king from his enemies. They also promised non- interference in the internal affairs of the allied state, but this was a promise they seldom kept. In reality, by signing a Subsidiary Alliance, an Indian state virtually signed away its independence. • Thus this policy was extremely advantageous to the British. They could now maintain a large army at the cost of the Indian states or gain more territories as sometimes the rulers ceded parts of their territories instead of paying annual subsidy. • The first state to forcibly accept the Subsidiary Alliance was the Nizam of the State of Hyderabad in 1798.
  • 12. (CLEVER) BRITISH POLICIES OF EXPANSION (II) Paramountcy – • The British East India Company pursued an aggressive policy of territorial expansion (Paramountcy) from 1813 onwards under Lord Hastings (the Governor General of British India). • Under this policy, the company claimed that its authority was supreme; it steadily spread its domination over the country by a series of wars. • By 1823, the Britishers subdued the Marathas and Gurkhas of Nepal. as well as overpowered the Central States of Rajputana. • By 1849, they took over Punjab and Sind. • In 1856 the principality of Awadh was annexed. (III) Doctrine of Lapse – Lord Dalhousie • Lord Dalhousie (Governor General of India) introduced this doctrine in 1848. According to it, if an Indian ruler died without a male heir, his kingdom would “lapse” and become part of Company territory. • From 1848 - 1857, many kingdoms including Udaipur, Nagpur and Jhansi were annexed by applying this doctrine.
  • 13. ❑ Plassey is an anglicised pronunciation of Palashi and the place derived its name from the palash tree known for its beautiful red flowers that yield gulal, the powder used in the festival of Holi. ❑ Tipu Sultan was the pioneer of rocket artillery . He used it against the British in the fourth Anglo-Mysore War. ❑ Goa, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli remained as Portuguese possessions and Pondicherry, Mahe and Karaikal as the French possessions in India. ❑ Bombay passed into the British hands as dowry given by the Portuguese. ❑ In 1868, the Nicobar Islands were ‘sold’ to the Britishers by the Danish people. ❑ The first governor-general in India (of Bengal) was Warren Hastings, the first official governor-general of British India was Lord William Bentinck and the first governor-general or viceroy of independent India was Lord Mountbatten.
  • 14. Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga The Brave Unsung Heroines of 18th Century India Abbakka Chowta of Ullal Rani Chenamma of Kittur Watch through the given three video links, the amazing grit and courage of the three queens of South India who gave a befitting reply to the Europeans: Rani Chinamma’s first victory against the British forces is still honoured annually in October during the ‘Kittur Utsava’; Velu Nachiar even raised a women’s army against the British in that era! Abakka Chowta II belonged to a family in which three generations of women fought the Portuguese valiantly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq7b2v4N https://youtu.be/8KGnsJzccOA https://youtu.be/ejDc1LFC0rI
  • 15. THE MARATHAS Known for their valour, the Marathas, at one point of time ruled one-third of the Indian sub-continent. Shivaji was the founder of the great Maratha Empire. The Marathas fought three wars (Anglo-Maratha Wars) with the British between 1775 and 1818 which are very significant in the History of India. The Marathas won in the first battle, they lost against the British in the second and the third wars which made India, a complete property of the British. TIPU – THE TIGER OF MYSORE Tipu Sultan was a true patriot like his father, Haidar Ali. He visualized the forthcoming danger of the expanding East India Company and along with his father proved successful in defeating the British in the First and the Second Mysore War in 1766 and 1782 respectively. While the British became aware of Tipu’s growing strength, they made alliances with the neighboring Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas, leading to the Third Mysore War in which Tipu was defeated. Tipu, being an able military strategist was prepared in the Fourth Anglo Mysore War with his longstanding and successful military tactic of rocket artillery in war and a better army to thwart his adversaries. Fighting with all his valor, Tipu Sultan eventually died defending his capital Srirangapattana in 1799. World’s first war rockets used by Tipu’s Army
  • 16. THE LEGEND OF TIPU VIDEO LINKS TO TAKE YOU BACK IN TIPU’S TIME Kings are often surrounded by legend and their powers glorified through folklore. Here is a legend about Tipu Sultan who became the ruler of Mysore in 1782. It is said that once he went hunting in the forest with a French friend. There he came face to face with a tiger. His gun did not work and his dagger fell to the ground. He battled with the tiger unarmed until he managed to reach down and pick up the dagger. Finally he was able to kill the tiger in the battle. After this he came to be known as the “Tiger of Mysore”. He had the image of the tiger on his flag. This is the picture of a big mechanical toy that Tipu possessed. You can see a tiger mauling a European soldier. When its handle was turned the toy tiger roared and the soldier shrieked. This toy tiger is now kept in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The British took it away when Tipu Sultan died defending his capital Seringapatam on 4 May 1799. https://vimeo.com/8973957 https://youtu.be/jPdLOuHiyDg
  • 17. EXPANSION OF BRITISH TERRITORIAL POWER IN INDIA 1797 1840 1857
  • 18. LIVING IN COLONIAL TIMES I am sure you agree that people in any era and in any area would resist policies and actions that harm their interests or go against their sentiments. o Indian kings, queens, peasants, landlords, tribals, soldiers were all affected in different ways by the selfish policies of the East India Company. o The Nawabs and the Maharajas had lost their power and their territories. o Governor-General Canning had announced that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king and after his death, none of his descendants would be recognized as kings. o In the countryside, peasants and zamindars resented the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue collection. o The Indian sepoys (soldiers) of the Company were unhappy about their pay, allowances and conditions of service. As most soldiers came from peasant background, the anger of the peasants quickly spread among the sepoys. o Some of the new rules, moreover, violated the religious sensibilities and beliefs of most of the Indians. Many people began to feel that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs and their traditional way of life through new laws or Acts. (However Indians who wanted to change odd and evil social practices, then, had supported the Britishers only to this effect).
  • 19. MID 19TH CENTURY INDIA After a hundred years of conquest and administration, the East India Company faced a massive rebellion in Northern and Central India that started in May 1857 and nearly swept away British rule. The Revolt began with a mutiny of sepoys of the Company's army in Meerut and several other places and soon engulfed wide regions. Millions of Indians fought heroically for over a year and by their courage and sacrifice wrote a glorious chapter in the history of the Indian people. This was the biggest armed resistance to colonialism in the 19th century anywhere in the world. IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF THE REVOLT OF 1857 • By 1857, the material for a mass upheaval was ready, only a spark was needed to set it afire. • The new Enfield rifle had been introduced in the army. Its cartridges had a greased paper cover whose end had to be bitten off before the cartridge was loaded into the rifle. • The grease was rumoured to be composed of beef and pig fat. The sepoys, Hindus as well as Muslims, were enraged, as the use of the greased cartridges would endanger their religion. • Many of the sepoys, believed that the Government was deliberately trying to destroy their religion. This added fuel to fire which was about to ignite.
  • 21. MANGAL PANDEY Even before the outbreak of the Revolt in 1857 at Meerut, Mangal Pande had become a martyr at Barrackpore, Bengal. Mangal Pande, a young soldier, was hanged on 29 March 1857 for revolting single-handed and attacking his superior officers primarily due to the greased cartridge issue. This and many similar incidents were a sign that discontent and rebellion were brewing among the sepoys; and then came the explosion at Meerut. SPARK FROM MEERUT IGNITED THE REVOLT The Revolt began at Meerut, 58 km from Delhi, on 10th May 1857. The sepoys released their imprisoned comrades, killed their British officers, and unfurled the banner of revolt. As if drawn by a magnet they set off for Delhi after sunset. Gathering force rapidly, the rebellion spread. It soon embraced a vast area from Punjab in the north to Narmada in the south and from Bihar in the east to Rajputana in the west. Painting showing Meerut sepoys capturing a British officer.
  • 22. Major Centres of the Revolt of 1857 (First War Of Indian Independence) Symbol of The Revolt – Lotus & Chapati Symbolic Leader of The Revolt – Bahadur Shah Zafar (Mughal Emperor) Prominent Leaders / Centres of The Revolt– Mangal Pandey – Barrackpore (Bengal) Bakht Khan – Delhi Nana Saheb – Kanpur Hazrat Mahal – Lucknow Khan Bahadur – Baraeily Kunwar Singh – Arrah (Bihar) Maulvi Ahmadullah – Faizabad (Uttar Pradesh) Rani Laxmibai – Jhansi Rani Avantibai – Ramgarh (Madhya Pradesh) Liaqat Ali Khan - Allahabad
  • 23. WHEN PEOPLE REBELLED DELHI - • When the Meerut soldiers appeared in Delhi the following morning of 11th May, 1857, the local infantry joined them, killed their European officers, and seized the city. • The rebellious soldiers proclaimed the aged and powerless Bahadur Shah the Emperor of India. • Delhi was soon to become the center of the Great Revolt and Bahadur Shah its great symbol. • Bahadur Shah, in turn, under the instigation and perhaps the pressure of the sepoys, soon wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of India urging them to organize a confederacy of Indian states to fight and replace the British regime. • Bakht Khan, Subedar in the East India Company exercised real authority in Delhi. Entire Bengal Army soon rose in revolt which spread quickly. Avadh, Rohlikhand, the Bundelkhand, Central India, large parts of Bihar and East Punjab, all shook off British authority.. Bahadur Shah Zafar – the last of the Moghuls
  • 24. Rani Avantibai Ramgarh • Rani Avantibai led her troops near Mandla and to the utter shock of the Britishers, defeated their army. • Later, the British retaliated and attacked Ramgarh and set the region on fire. • Rani Avantibai still, did not give up. Utilizing guerrilla warfare techniques, she infiltrated the British camp. • Eventually, she found herself trapped by British forces, who had surrounded Ramgarh. • Knowing that her defeat was imminent, she did not want to be taken at the hands of the enemy; she fell upon her own sword and became a martyr on 20th • March 1858. What • an icon of courage • she was! Liyaqat Ali Khan Allahabad • Liaqat Ali joined British army and started indoctrinating anti-British ideas into the minds of Indian soldiers. • East India company officers then expelled him. • He created his own army and drove away East India Company force and took control of Allahabad town. • The British attacked Liaquth Ali’s head quarters on 11th June 1857. He fought the battle valiantly till the • end but left the battle field on • 17th June under adverse • circumstances Liaqat Ali was • sentenced to life • imprisonment later and was extradited to Andaman, where he breathed his last on 17th May, 1892.
  • 25. KANPUR – • At Kanpur, the Revolt was led by Nana Sahib, the adopted son of Baji Rao II, the last Maratha Peshwa. • Nana Sahib expelled the English from Kanpur with the help of the sepoys and proclaimed himself the Peshwa. He acknowledged Bahadur Shah as the Emperor of India and declared himself to be his Governor. • Fighting on behalf of Nana Sahib was Tantia Tope, his most loyal servant who has won immortal fame by his patriotism, determined fighting, and guerrilla operations. N Nana Sahib Tantiya Tope Begum Hazrat Mahal LUCKNOW – • Begum Hazrat Mahal, wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, was one of the few women who challenged the British during the revolt of 1857. • She led the revolt at Lucknow along with her young son, Birjis Kadr. • She was seen fighting with the Britishers with indomitable courage atop an elephant. • After getting defeated, she and her son fled to Nepal. • The Britishers did not allow her to return to India. Begum died in Nepal. Her tomb is in Kathmandu.
  • 26. JHANSI - THE INDOMITABLE RANI LAKSHMIBAI The fearless Queen of Jhansi was asked to dethrone in early 1858 as her adopted son was not acknowledged as an heir. Thereafter the Rani went into a battle with the Britishers. She is a legend in Indian History. Let us salute her through a poem (translated version) which describes her in the battle. From the folk singers and storytellers of Bandelkhand, we heard the tale of courage of the Queen of Jhansi; how gallantly she fought like a man against the British intruders: such was the Queen of Jhansi. Her name was Laxmibai and she was the only daughter of her parents; She had learned by heart the valorous stories of Shivaji, the great king, To ambush her prey, break their vanity were among her favorite sports, The queen got widowed early, she had no child of her own; so she adopted one to call her own. Well, let us recall the battlefields of Jhansi, Where Laxmibai stood boldly like a man among the other brave men, The British Lieutenant reached there and proceeded in the battle, Rani drew her sword, and good heavens; The British Lieutenant ran from the battlefield as Rani wounded him; He was astonished at the agility of Rani.
  • 27. The Rani proceeded further and reached Kalpi after taking a hard journey of hundreds of miles. In the field of Yamuna again Rani was seen defeating the British. The victorious Rani went further and took control of Gwalior. The British thus left and their rule ended in Gwalior. Although the freedom fighters had won for a while; The British army was again getting organized, this time General Smith was in command, Kaana and Mandra (the associates of Rani) were also accompanying her in the war zone. In the battlefield they both were fighting furiously along with the valiant Rani, But a British commander, Hugh Rose came from the backside to help his soldiers – Alas! The British soldiers surrounded the Rani from all sides. Though Rani was deeply wounded, still she was fighting and had managed to get through the British army, But she got stuck because a sewage canal was there at the other end, Her horse got stuck there - the horse was untrained, to come out of the drain; In the mean time, the British soldiers, riding on their horses reached there. Rani was all alone while enemies were attacking her with their sword from all sides, Rani, who was fighting like a lioness, succumbed to the wounds and fell down. She then had to achieve a glorious death in war ( Martyrdom ). She was only thirty years of age. She showed us the path of freedom, and taught us the lesson of courage,- Jhansi’s Rani Laxmibai tuly reminds us to achieve a respectable life of freedom and light! The original poem on the Queen of Jhansi is in Hindi written by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan. Feel the patriotic fervour all the more by reciting the original poem in class. Link to the original poem: झााँसी की रानी: सुभद्रा क ु मारी चौहान की वीर रस कववता - Kids Portal For Parents (4to40.com)
  • 28. Arrah, Bihar Bareilly, U.P. Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah Veer Kunvar Singh Khan Bahadur Khan Faizabad, U.P. Click on the links below to watch the stories of the gritty and courageous freedom fighters – A maulvi from Faizabad, an 80 year old Guerilla warrior from Arrah and a patriot who ran a parallel government in Bareilly! Sadly we found out that very few videos have been featured on them. https://youtu.be/OL4TbAPaaMU https://youtu.be/Rjrml04bWaQ https://youtu.be/FaiaBqXRCzU The Unsung Heroes of 1857
  • 29. THE AFTERMATH – 1858 o In the end, the Britishers, the power-hungry imperialists, with a developing capitalist economy worldwide and at the height of industrial and technological power the world over, and supported by many of the Indian princes and chiefs, proved militarily too strong for the freedom fighters of 1857. o The British government poured immense supplies of men, money and arms into the country, though Indians had later to repay the entire cost of their own suppression! o The rebels (freedom fighters) were dealt an early blow when the British captured Delhi after prolonged and bitter fighting. o The aged Emperor Bahadur Shah was taken prisoner. His sons, the Royal Princes were captured and butchered on the spot. o The emperor was tried and exiled to Rangoon where he died in 1862, bitterly lamenting the fate which would have him buried far away from the city of his birth. o Thus the great House of the Mughals was finally and completely extinguished by the British. o Watch the Video: https://youtu.be/lJiPLyyuvK8 The heroic and patriotic struggle of 1857, and the series of rebellions preceding it, left an unforgettable impression on the minds of the Indian people, established valuable local traditions of resistance to British rule, and served as a perennial source of inspiration in their later struggle for freedom. The heroes of the Revolt soon became household names in the country.
  • 30. REFLECTION TIME POUR YOUR EMOTIONS OUT ON THE FOLLOWING TWO STATEMENTS – W H. Russel, who toured India in 1858 and 1859 as the correspondent of the London Times, wrote that: In no instance is a friendly glance directed to the white man’s carriage…. Oh! that language of the eye! Who can doubt? Who can misinterpret it? It is by it alone that I have learnt our race is not even feared at times by many and that by all it is disliked. In this patriotic struggle, the Indians sacrificed even their deep religious prejudices. They had revolted on the question of the greased cartridges but now to expel the hated foreigner they freely used the same cartridges in their battles! The role of Hindu-Muslim unity in the Revolt was indirectly acknowledged later by Aitchison, a senior British official, when he bitterly complained: “In this instance we could not play off the Mohammedans against the Hindus.” In fact, the events of 1857 clearly bring out that the people and politics of India were basically not communal in medieval times and before 1858.
  • 31. 1. What impression has the Revolt of 1857 left in your mind after going through the accounts and videos of the freedom fighters? Express in your own words. 2. What are the innate qualities that we can imbibe after reading about our freedom fighters of 1857? 3. What made the Indians ultimately lose the battles against the Britishers? 4. Describe the immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857. 5. Why did Bahadur Shah Zafar remain a symbolic leader of the REVOLT? Who ably supported him in the battle at Delhi? 6. Why and where was the last Mughal Emperor sent? 7. What is Imperialism? 8. On a political outline Map of India, locate and label any six centres of the First War of Indian Independence.
  • 32. In memory of the revolutionaries of 1857 HISTORIC POINT JHANSI, U.P. COMMEMORATIVE COIN MANGAL PANDEY PARK, BARRACKPUR, W.B. HAZRAT MAHAL PARK, LUCKNOW TOMB OF BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR, YANGON, MYANMAR STAMPS BY GOVT. OF INDIA