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Summary

Revolt—a product of character and policies of colonial rule.

Economic causes—heavy taxation under new revenue settlement, summary evictions, discriminatory tariff policy against Indian products, destruction of traditional handicrafts industry, and absence of concomitant industrialisation on modern lines that hit peasants, artisans and small zamindars.

Political causes—greedy policy of aggrandisement, absentee sovereigntyship character of British rule, British interference in socio-religious affairs of Indian public.

Military causes—discontent among sepoys for economic, psychological and religious reasons, coupled with a long history of revolts.

Centres of Revolt and Leaders

Delhi - General Bakht Khan

Kanpur - Nana Saheb

Lucknow - Begum Hazrat Mahal Bareilly - Khan Bahadur

Bihar - Kunwar Singh Faizabad - Maulvi Ahmadullah Jhansi - Rani Laxmibai

Baghpat - Shah Mal

The British Resistance

Delhi - Lieutenant Willoughby, John Nicholson,

Lieutenant Hudson

Kanpur - Sir Hugh Wheeler, Sir Colin Campbell


Lucknow - Henry Lawrence, Brigadier Inglis,

Henry Havelock, James Outram, Sir Colin Campbell

Jhansi - Sir Hugh Rose

Benaras - Colonel James Neill

Causes of Failure

Limited territorial and social base.

Crucial support of certain sections of Indian public to British authorities.

Lack of resources as compared to those of the British. Lack of coordination and a central leadership.

Lack of a coherent ideology and a political perspective.

Nature

R.C. Majumdar and S.N. Sen“Not an organised ‘national’ revolt”

R.C. Majumdar“Neither first, nor National War of Independence”

V.D. Savarkar“War of independence” Eric Stokes“Elitist in character”

Lawrence and Seeley“Mere sepoy mutiny”

T.R. Holmes“A conflict between civilisation and barbarism”

James Outram“A Mohammedan conspiracy making capital of Hindu grievances”

Percival Spear—Three phases of the revolt

Conclusion: Not quite the first war of independence but sowed the seeds of nationalism and quest for freedom from alien rule.

Effect

Crown took over; Company rule abolished. Queen’s Proclamation altered administration. Army reorganised. Racial hatred deepened.

White Mutiny.

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