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The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations
How is Rani Lakshmi Bai usually portrayed?
(i) Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi is usually portrayed as one of the bravest women of early phase of modern (or British) India.
Only a few people have the courage to stand against injustice. One can easily imagine the plight of women when even the menfolk suffer meekly the indignities and the acts of injustice. But Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi took up arms when the English annexed her kingdom of Jhansi and gave them a bitter fight. In the end she laid her life like a brave heroine on the altar of her motherland but did not bow to injustice.
(ii) Rani Lakshmi Bai was very popular among the people of her state. Most of the historians point out her as a great brave lady of the time but some unsucessfully try to this figure his brave deeds just by putting the fact in wrong manner that she was only worried about her own family and state.
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What were the measures taken to ensure unity among the rebels?
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.
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