The Rebellion of 1857The Rebellion of 1857

Dawn of New Imperial EraDawn of New Imperial Era

Origins of the RebellionOrigins of the Rebellion

• Military Causes:Military Causes:

• Grievances over pay and Promotion among SepoysGrievances over pay and Promotion among Sepoys

• Special Allowance and Overseas DutiesSpecial Allowance and Overseas Duties

• Enfield Rifle and Concern over the Cartridge Enfield Rifle and Concern over the Cartridge

• Concerns of Civilian PopulationConcerns of Civilian Population

• Theory of Doctrine of LapseTheory of Doctrine of Lapse

• Unemployed Artisans and Court EmployeesUnemployed Artisans and Court Employees

• Occupation of Avadh: Local Patriotism Occupation of Avadh: Local Patriotism

• Land Tax PoliciesLand Tax Policies

• Progressive Imperialism and Concern over Religious IdentitiesProgressive Imperialism and Concern over Religious Identities

Time Line of 1857 RebellionTime Line of 1857 Rebellion

• On On February 26, , 1857 Disconent among the Disconent among the 19th Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) regiment.19th Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) regiment.

• At At Barrackpur near near Calcutta, on , on March 29, , 1857, , Mangal Pandey of the 34th BNI attacked and of the 34th BNI attacked and injured his injured his British sergeant on the parade on the parade ground.ground.

• On On 9 May, 85 troopers of the 3rd Light Cavalry , 85 troopers of the 3rd Light Cavalry at Meerut refused to use their cartridges. They at Meerut refused to use their cartridges. They were imprisoned, sentenced to ten years of hard were imprisoned, sentenced to ten years of hard labour, and stripped of their uniforms in public. labour, and stripped of their uniforms in public.

• On On 11 May the rebels reached the rebels reached Delhi, where they , where they were joined by other Indians from the local were joined by other Indians from the local bazaar, and attacked and captured the Red Fort , and attacked and captured the Red Fort ((Lal Qila), killing five British, including a British ), killing five British, including a British officer and two women. Lal Qila was the officer and two women. Lal Qila was the residence of the residence of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II and the sepoys and the sepoys demanded that he reclaim his throne. At first he demanded that he reclaim his throne. At first he was reluctant, but eventually he agreed to the was reluctant, but eventually he agreed to the demands and became the leader of the demands and became the leader of the rebellion.rebellion.

• Rebellion erupted in the state of Awadh (also Rebellion erupted in the state of Awadh (also known as Oudh, in modern-day Uttar Pradesh) known as Oudh, in modern-day Uttar Pradesh) very soon after the events in Meerut. The British very soon after the events in Meerut. The British commander of Lucknow, Henry Lawrence, had commander of Lucknow, Henry Lawrence, had enough time to fortify his position inside the enough time to fortify his position inside the Residency compound. British forces numbered Residency compound. British forces numbered some 1700 men, including loyal sepoys. some 1700 men, including loyal sepoys.

• Rebellion in Kanpur in June 1857Rebellion in Kanpur in June 1857

Suppression of RebellionSuppression of Rebellion

• Absence of Military LeadershipAbsence of Military Leadership

• Lack of Co-ordinationLack of Co-ordination

• Limited Area of the RebellionLimited Area of the Rebellion• Conflicting Aims and Conflicting Aims and

Confusing MobilizationConfusing Mobilization• Sikhs, Gurkhas and Loyal Sikhs, Gurkhas and Loyal

Punjabi TroopsPunjabi Troops• Bengali Elites, Bombay Bengali Elites, Bombay

Businessmen and Tamil Businessmen and Tamil Educated Elites supported Educated Elites supported British Rule British Rule

• Failure to Dismantle British Failure to Dismantle British Line of InformationLine of Information

• Massive RepressionMassive Repression

Interpretations of RebellionInterpretations of Rebellion

• Sepoy MutinySepoy Mutiny

• War of National War of National IndependenceIndependence

• Restorative Restorative RebellionRebellion

• Subaltern RebellionSubaltern Rebellion

• Rebels without Rebels without CausesCauses

Restorative Rebellion: Restorative Rebellion: Leadership of RebellionLeadership of Rebellion

• Bahadur Shah Jafar Bahadur Shah Jafar ((1775-1862)((1775-1862)

• Nana Saheb Nana Saheb (1824-)(1824-)

• Tantia TopeTantia Tope

• Rani Lachmibai Rani Lachmibai (1830-1858)(1830-1858)

• Kunwar SinghKunwar Singh

Rebellion of Subaltern: Sepoys, Rebellion of Subaltern: Sepoys, Peasants and ArtisansPeasants and Artisans

•Bakth KhanBakth Khan•Moulavi Moulavi

ImdiadullahImdiadullah•Nature of Nature of

Peasant Peasant RebellionRebellion

•Rebellion of Rebellion of ArtisansArtisans

Administrative ChangesAdministrative Changes

• The Transfer of Power The Transfer of Power • Declaration of Queen VictoriaDeclaration of Queen Victoria• No rise in Land RevenueNo rise in Land Revenue• Decline of Muslim Aristocracy in Decline of Muslim Aristocracy in

Indo-Gangetic PlainsIndo-Gangetic Plains• Military Changes and the Idea of Military Changes and the Idea of

Martial RaceMartial Race• Indian Army for Imperial CauseIndian Army for Imperial Cause• Arms Act and Vernacular Press Arms Act and Vernacular Press

Act of 1878Act of 1878• Criminal Tribes Act of 1871Criminal Tribes Act of 1871• Technocratic StateTechnocratic State• Alliance with conservative forcesAlliance with conservative forces• Racial TensionsRacial Tensions• New Empire New Empire