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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.