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The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations
“Lord Dalhousie’s annexations created disaffection in all the areas and principalities that were annexed by him.” Justify the statement giving proper evidences with special reference to Awadh.
Lord Dalhousie’s annexations created disaffection in all the areas and principalities that were annexed by him:
(i) In 1851, Governor General Lord Dalhousie describe the kingdom of Awadh as “a cherry that will drop into our mouth one day”. Five year later, in 1856, the kindgom was formally annexed to the British Empire.
(ii) In the meantime the British became increasingly interested in acquiring the territory of Awadh. They felt that the soil there was good for producing indigo and cotton, and the region was ideally located to be developed into the principal market of upper India.
(iii) Lord Dalhousie’s annexations created disaffection in all the areas and principalities that were annexed but nowswhere more so than in the kingdom of Awadh in the heart of North India. Here, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was dethroned and exiled to Calcutta on the plea that the region was being misgoverned.
(iv) The widespread sense of grief and loss at the Nawab’s exile was recorded by many contemporary observers.
(v) This emotional upheaval was aggravated by immediate material losses. The removal of the Nawab led to the dissolution of the court and its culture.
(vi) A chain of grievances in Awadh linked prince, taluqdar, peasant and sepoy. In different ways they came to identify firangi raj with the end of their world – the breakdown of things they valued, respected and held dear. A whole complex of emotions and issues, traditions and loyalties worked themselves out in the Revolt of 1857.
(vii) The annexation displaced not just the Nawab, it also disposed the taluqdars of the region.
(viii) The British land revenue policy eliminated the position and authority of the taluqdars.
(ix) The dispossession of taluqdars meant the breakdown of an entire social order. The ties of loyalty and patronage that had bound the peasant to the taluqdar were disrupted.
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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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