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The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations
Discuss the extent to which religious beliefs shaped the events of 1857.
(i) The Christian missionaries were assuring material benefits to Indians to convert them to Christianity. So many people of India became antagonistic towards the British.
(ii) Lord William Bentinck, the Governor-General of India, initiated reforms in the Indian society. He abolished customs like sati and permitted remarriage of the Hindu widows. Many Hindus viewed these steps against the ideology of Hinduism.
(iii) The British introduced western education, western ideas and western institutions in India. They set up English-medium educational institutions. But many Hindus considered these steps as attempts to encourage religious conversion.
(iv) Many people felt that the British were destroying their sacred ideals that they had long cherished.
(v) Many Hindus were enraged when the Christian missionaries criticised their scriptures or religious books.
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What steps did the British take to quell the uprising?
Why was the revolt particularly widespread in Awadh? What prompted the peasants, taluqdars and zamindars to join the revolt?
What did the rebels want? To what extent did the vision of different social groups differ?
What do visual representations tell us about the revolt of 1857? How do historians analyse these representations?
Examine any two sources presented in the chapter, choosing one visual and one text, and discuss how these represent the point of view of the victor and the vanquished.
Why did the moneylenders and the rich people become victims of the wrath of mutineers in the Revolt of 1857?
Who led the Revolt of 1857 in following places–Kanpur, Jhansi, Bihar and Lucknow (Awadh).
Which people propagated the Revolt of 1857?
Give any two social reasons for the Revolt of 1857.
Give any two political causes for the Revolt of 1857.
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