How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh?

 

How did the Company suppress the revolt?

Read the following extract taken from the NCERT textbook (page 53) and answer the questions that follow:

The list of eighty-four rules

Given here are excerpts from the book Majha Pravaas, written by Vishnubhatt Godse, a Brahman from a village in Maharashtra. He and his uncle had set out to attend a yajna being organised in Mathura. Vishnubhatt writes that they met some sepoys on the way who told them that they should not proceed on the journey because a massive upheaval was going to break out in three days. The sepoys said:

the English were determined to wipe out the religions of the Hindus and the Muslims ... they had made a list of eighty-four rules and announced these in a gathering of all big kings and princes in Calcutta. They said that the kings refused to accept these rules and warned the English of dire consequences and massive upheaval if these are implemented ... that the kings all returned to their capitals in great anger ... all the big people began making plans. A date was fixed for the war of religion and the secret plan had been circulated from the cantonment in Meerut by letters sent to different cantonments.

Vishnubhatt Godse, Majha Pravaas, pp. 23-24.

Questions:

(i) Who was Vishnubhatt Godse? Where was he going and for what purpose?

(ii) Whom did he meet on the way? What did they tell him?

(iii) What further information did they give to Vishnubhatt?

Study the picture given below taken from NCERT textbook (page 60) and answer the questions that follow:


Questions:

(i) What do you see in the above picture?

(ii) What does the artist want to show?

On an outline political map of India, locate the important centres of Revolt in North India.

What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?

How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?

What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers abou their position in India before May 1857?

What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar's support to the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families?