Chapter 5: When People Rebel: 1857 and After
जब जनता बगावत करती है: 1857 और उसके बाद (मेरठ से दिल्ली, प्रमुख विद्रोही नेता एवं 1858 का भारत सरकार अधिनियम)
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- Immediate Catalyst: Introduction of the new Enfield rifle cartridges greased with animal fat (cow and pig fat), which sepoys had to bite off with teeth, offending both Hindu and Muslim religious sentiments. Mangal Pandey hanged at Barrackpore on 29 March 1857.
- Outbreak: On 9–10 May 1857, sepoys at MEERUT mutinied, broke open jail, killed British officers, and marched overnight to DELHI. Proclaimed elderly Mughal Emperor BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR as leader of the rebellion.
- Prominent Leaders & Centers (Guaranteed CTET Matching List):
- - Delhi: General Bakht Khan (soldier from Bareilly took charge of troops).
- - Kanpur: Nana Saheb (adopted son of late Peshwa Baji Rao II), aided by his trusted general Tantia Tope.
- - Lucknow: Begum Hazrat Mahal and her son Birjis Qadr.
- - Jhansi: Rani Lakshmibai (demanded recognition of her adopted son Anand Rao; joined forces with Tantia Tope; died fighting at Gwalior).
- - Bihar (Arrah / Jagdishpur): Kunwar Singh (elderly 80-year-old zamindar who led rebels).
- - Bareilly: Khan Bahadur (former pension-holder).
- - Faizabad: Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah (prophesied end of British rule).
- Consequences & The Government of India Act 1858:
- - Rule of East India Company abolished; British Crown assumed direct governance of India.
- - Governor-General of India was given the title of VICEROY (Personal representative of the British Crown; Lord Canning became first Viceroy).
- - Doctrine of Lapse was withdrawn; Indian rulers were assured that their territories would never be annexed and their right of adoption was recognized.
- - Military Restructuring: Proportion of European soldiers was increased, and proportion of Indian soldiers was reduced. Recruitment from Awadh, Bihar, Central India was discouraged; more soldiers were recruited from among GURKHAS, SIKHS, and PATHANS.
- Trap: Who led the 1857 rebellion in Bihar? Correct: KUNWAR SINGH (कुँवर सिंह of Jagdishpur).
- Trap: What happened to Company rule after 1857? Correct: It was ABOLISHED; direct Crown rule was instituted under the Government of India Act 1858.
- Trap: From which communities did the British recruit soldiers after 1857? Correct: GURKHAS, SIKHS, and PATHANS (recruitment from Awadh and Bihar was curtailed).
NCERT Core Facts: The 1857 Uprising & Post-Rebellion Governance Shift
Leader-city correspondences and post-1858 structural realignments in CTET Paper 2:
1. 1857 Leadership & Geopolitical Centers
| Center of Revolt | Heroic Rebel Leader | Historical Details |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Bahadur Shah Zafar & Bakht Khan | Nominal emperor exiled to Rangoon; died in 1862 |
| Kanpur | Nana Saheb & Tantia Tope | Expelled British from Kanpur; established self as Peshwa |
| Jhansi | Rani Lakshmibai | Fought alongside Tantia Tope; martyred near Gwalior |
| Lucknow | Begum Hazrat Mahal & Birjis Qadr | Camped in Awadh capital rallying peasants and sepoys |
| Bihar (Arrah) | Kunwar Singh (कुँवर सिंह) | 80-year-old feudal chieftain of Jagdishpur |
| Faizabad | Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah | Preached holy war against British across Awadh |
2. Major Changes under the Act of 1858
- 1.Transfer of Sovereignty: Powers transferred from Board of Control/Court of Directors to a Member of British Cabinet: the Secretary of State for India, assisted by the India Council.
- 2.Title of Viceroy: Governor-General redesignated as Viceroy (Lord Canning was first).
- 3.Army Recomposition: Indian soldiers reduced in proportion to European troops. Artillery placed exclusively in European hands. Recruited heavily from Sikhs, Gurkhas, and Pathans.
Test Your Mastery: When People Rebel: 1857 and After
Authentic CBSE exam questions tested directly from this NCERT chapter.
Match the prominent leaders of the 1857 uprising in List I with their main operational centers in List II: (a) Kunwar Singh - (i) Kanpur (b) Nana Saheb - (ii) Bihar (Arrah) (c) Begum Hazrat Mahal - (iii) Jhansi (d) Rani Lakshmibai - (iv) Lucknow
सूची I में 1857 के विद्रोह के प्रमुख नेताओं को सूची II में उनके मुख्य केंद्रों से सुमेलित कीजिए: (a) कुँवर सिंह - (i) कानपुर (b) नाना साहेब - (ii) बिहार (आरा) (c) बेगम हजरत महल - (iii) झाँसी (d) रानी लक्ष्मीबाई - (iv) लखनऊ
Which of the following military policy changes was enacted by the British Crown following the suppression of the 1857 revolt?
1857 के विद्रोह के दमन के बाद ब्रिटिश क्राउन द्वारा निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा सैन्य नीति परिवर्तन लागू किया गया था?
Who was the legendary leader of the 1857 rebellion from Jagdishpur, Bihar?
Kunwar Singh, an eighty-year-old zamindar who sustained relentless guerrilla warfare against the British.
What major change occurred in the governance of India through the Act of 1858?
The rule of the East India Company was terminated, and direct administrative control of India was vested in the British Crown represented by the Viceroy.