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ICSE Class X Notes 2019 : History and Civics

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Pulkit Singla
Barnes School & Junior College, Devlali, Nashik
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Barnes School & Junior College, Devlali CHAPTER 1 THE FIRST WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (1857) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1) Why is the Revolt of 1857 sometimes referred to as the Sepoy Mutiny? The soldiers of the East India Company were discontented with their salary and status. Further, the introduction of the Enfield Rifle hurt their religious sentiments. They, therefore, were the first to break out in open revolt and were later joined by the sections of the society. Hence, the revolt was referred to as the Sepoy Mutiny. 2) Why is the Revolt of 1857 called the First War of Independence? The Revolt, though started by the Indian soldiers in the service of the East India Company, spread like wild fire throughout the length and breadth of the country. All sections of the population, including princes, jagirdars, farmers, artisans and soldiers joined in the struggle for independence. Hindus & Muslims fought shoulder to shoulder to throw out the British. Hence, the 1857 Revolt is called the First War of Independence. 3) What was the immediate cause of the Revolt? The immediate cause of the Revolt was the order to use the Enfield Rifles, the cartridges of which were greased with the fats of cows and pigs. The sepoys were required to remove the greased cover of the cartridges with their teeth before loading them into the rifles. The emotions ran high and the Hindu & Muslim sepoys unanimously refused to use these cartridges. They felt that the English were defiling their religions. 4) Name two leaders of the Revolt. Why did they join the Revolt? The two leaders were Nana Sahib and the Rani of Jhansi. Nana Sahib became an enemy of the British because they refused to acknowledge him as the heir. Further, they stopped the annual pension of 80,000 Pounds Sterling due to him. The adopted son of the Rani of Jhansi was not accepted as the heir to the throne and Jhansi was being annexed. 5) Who became the first Viceroy of India? Lord Canning became the first Viceroy of India under the Act of 1858. 6) Which new laws made the Indians feel that the British were favouring conversions to Christianity? The concerned laws were: a) Imposition of tax on properties belonging to temples and mosques. b) Conversion to Christianity enabled a person to inherit ancestral property. As a result, Indians felt that they were being coerced into conversion. 7) What was the Doctrine of Lapse ? Who introduced this doctrine for the first time in India? According to this doctrine, if a ruler died without an heir to succeed him, his adopted son could neither inherit the throne or the title. Further, in such a case the British Empire in India would annex the state. Lord Dalhousie introduced the Doctrine of Lapse for the first time in India to annex the states and expand the British Empire. 8) Name four states annexed by the British using the Doctrine of Lapse. The four states annexed by the British, under the Doctrine of Lapse were Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur and Udaipur. 9) Under what pretext did the British annex Oudh? The British annexed Oudh on the pretext that the state was not governed properly. 10) Why were the people of Oudh angry with the British? The people of Oudh were angry because: The British annexed Oudh on the pretext that the state was not governed properly. They disbanded the army of the annexed state and confiscated the land from the talukdars. The soldiers had to pay higher taxes on the land owned by them. No better governance was provided by the British after annexation. 11) Which announcement of Lord Dalhousie humiliated the Mughals? Lord Dalhousie announced in 1849 that the successors of Bahadur Shah Zafar II would not be permitted to use the Red Fort as their palace. This humiliated the Mughals. 12) Which announcement of Lord Canning adversely affected the Mughal Dynasty in India? In 1856, Lord Canning announced that, following the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar II, his successors would not be allowed to use the imperial titles attached to their names. Accordingly, the British decided to put an end to the titular (nominal) sovereignty of the Mughal emperor following the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar II. 13) What was the General Service Enlistment Act and its consequences? According to the GSEA, no sepoy, enlisted under the Act, could refuse to fight across the sea. The sepoys protested because crossing the sea was considered a taboo. 14) Who passed the General Service Enlistment Act and when? Lord Canning passed it in 1856. 15) Why was the Revolt of 1857 considered as a forerunner of the national struggle for freedom? The 1857 Revolt, saw the Hinuds & Muslims, men & women fight together for the independence of India. It, therefore, left an everlasting impression on the Indian people and became a symbol of challenge to the mighty British power in India. This challenge paved the way for the rise of a strong national movement. 16) Name the Act that transferred the Government of India from the Company to the Crown. The Act for a better Government if India was passed on August 2, 1858. India was, therefore, to be governed by and in the name of Her Majesty. 17) What was the new title of the Governor-General when the East India Company rule ended? The Governor-General received the title of Viceroy . The new title marked the new position of the GovernorGeneral as the Representative of the Crown in India. 18) How was the expansionist policy of the British responsible for the Revolt of 1857? a) The British used deceitful means to expand their territories. They annexed the states of Satara, Jhansi and Nagpur by using the policy of Doctrine of Lapse, according to which the adopted son could not inherit the throne. b) They annexed states on the pretext of mismanagement e.g., Oudh. No Indian ruler, therefore, felt safe under the British and thus joined the Revolt. 19) How were the social reforms responsible for the Revolt? The social changes that affected the religious traditions of the people e.g., a) The practice of sati was made illegal and b) Laws were made forbid infanticide, permit remarriage of widows and stop polygamy. The people in India saw these changes as being imposed by the British. They saw it as a strategy to destabilize the Indian religious customs and replace them with Christian beliefs and practices. All these factors were seen as being responsible for the Revolt. 20) How was the economic exploitation of India responsible for the event? a) The Company purchased textiles, indigo, spices and food grains from India and sold them abroad at exorbitant prices. b) Restrictions were put on the import of Indian textiles into England. c) The wealth of the country was transferred to England. Thousands of Indian craftsmen became unemployed. d) The British officers were paid huge salaries that were repatriated to England. In addition to all the above, several famines crippled the life of the people. Their frustrations increased so much that their only solace lay in forcing the British to leave India. 21) What were the political causes that led to the Revolt of 1857? a) The policy of annexation followed by Lord Dalhousie: The Indian people and their rulers knew too well, how the English Company had taken recourse to treachery and intrigue in order to establish and expand its empire in India. Lord Dalhousie s policies added fuel to the fire. The Doctrine of Lapse, which led to the annexation of Indian states (Jhansi, Nagpur and Satara). Doctrine of Lapse stated that (If a ruler died without a natural male heir the kingdom would lapse (fall) into the hands of the British.) b) Disrespect shown to Bahadur Shah Zafar II: Lord Dalhousie announced in 1849 that the successors of Bahadur Shah Zafar would not be permitted to use the Red Fort as their palace. This humiliated the Mughals. In 186, Lord Canning announced that, following the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, his successors would not be allowed to use the imperial titles attached to their names. Accordingly, the British decided to put an end to the titular (nominal) sovereignty of the Mughal emperor following the death of Bahadur Shah. c) Disrespect shown to Nana Sahib and the Rani of Jhansi: Baji Rao II, the last Peshwa, adopted Nana Sahib as his son. However, following the death of the Peshwa, the English refused to acknowledge Nana Sahib as the ruler of the Marathas. Similarly, Rani of Jhansi was not allowed to adopt the son and, therefore, they became bitter enemies of the British. d) Annexation of Oudh: Lord Dalhousie annexed Oudh on grounds of mismanagement. Consequently, it threw thousands of nobles, officers and soldiers out of jobs, the British also confiscated the lands of the Zamindars and Taluqdars. All these led to dissatisfaction amongst the people of Oudh. e) Disbanding of armies of the annexed states: The armies of the annexed state were disbanded. As a result, thousands of families lost their livelihood. Consequently, the hatred against the British rose sharply. f) Corrupt and inefficient administration: The British administration in India was corrupt and inefficient. They constantly aired a feeling of superiority and contempt for the Indians. 22) What were the social and religious causes that led to the Revolt of 1857? The interference in the social and religious life of the Indians also led to the Revolt of 1857. The principal causes were: a) Adoption of undignified methods to spread Christianity: The British made violent attacks on Islam and Hinduism by hurting the sentiments, customs and beliefs and condemning Hindu Gods and Muslim prophets. They began to convert Hindus/Muslims to Christianity by offering them jobs, rewards and promotions. The government supported the activities of the Christian missionaries and encouraged the preaching and spread of Christianity in government schools and jails. b) Social Reforms: Widow Re-marriage Act in 1856, forbidding child marriage, female infanticide and polygamy. These were no doubt salutary reforms but the people felt that their religion and social fabric were in imminent danger. c) Resentment amongst Brahmins and Mullahs: The spread of Western culture and education was a severe blow to the honour, influence and privilege of the orthodox Brahmins and the Mullahs. They, therefore saw this as a grave danger to their respective faiths. d) Introduction of Railways and Telegraphs: Introduction of railways and other innovations were regarded as measures to disrupt the social order. 1. The introduction of Railways and Telegraph had created suspicion and fear in the minds of the people. 2. They thought that these measures were introduced to propagate [spread] Christianity and those who were reluctant to embrace Christianity would be thrown before the railway engines or hanged by the telephone poles. 3. In the railway compartment Brahmins and the untouchables were made to sit side by side. 4. This practice some people thought was intentionally introduced to defy their caste and religion. 5. Thus modern innovation threatened the old social rules and produced unrest among many common people. e) Introduction of New Laws: The laws allowing converts from Hinduism to Christianity to inherit their ancestral property. Law to charge Tax on property held by temples and mosques. Introduction of the English education and encouragement given to the Christian missionaries, especially to translate the Bible into Indian languages made some Indians feel that their religion was in danger. f) Ill-treatment of the Indians: The English aired a feeling of superiority, treated Indians with contempt and insulted them by calling them niggers and swines. 23) What were the military causes for the Revolt of 1857? There were several causes that aroused discontent amongst the sepoys as well as those who started the Revolt. The principal causes among them were: a) Il treatment of the Indian sepoys: Even though the Indian soldiers helped the English establish their empire in India, they were treated with contempt by the British officers who went to the extent of kicking and abusing them during training. b) Low jobs and salaries: The wages of the Indian soldiers were too low to support their families. An English soldier was paid eight times the salary of an Indian sepoy who performed similar duties. Chances for promotion were limited as no India could rise beyond the post of a subedar. c) General Service Enlistment Act: General Service Enlistment Act 1856, passed by Lord Canning state that: No sepoy enlisted under the Act, could refuse to fight across the sea. The sepoys protested because crossing the sea was considered a taboo. d) Loss of British Prestige in the Afghan War: A myth prevailed among the soldiers that the English were invincible. However, the defeat of the British in this war gave the Indians the confidence that the British could be defeated. e) Annexation of Oudh: The Bengal Army was very strong and well armed and consisted mainly of the soldiers drawn from Oudh. However, the annexation of Oudh in 1856 created resentment among them and fanned their feelings. f) Numerical strength of the Indian soldiers: The number of Indian soldiers was five times that of the British troops. It, therefore encouraged the Indian soldiers to take up arms against the English. g) A wild rumour!!: It was a common belief that Delhi changed her ruler once every hundred years. The British had been ruling in India since 1757 following their victory in the Battle of Plassey. So, the Indians thought that the British rule was on its last legs! 24) What was the outcome of the Revolt of 1857 with respect to the following aspects? a) Administrative or Political changes: The Govt. Of India was transferred to the Crown by the Act of 1858 The President of the Board of Directors was replaced by a Secretary of State for India, who was directly responsible to the British Parliament. The designation of the Governor General was changed to Viceroy. Lord Canning became the first Viceroy of India under the Act of 1858. b) Reorganization of the Indian Army: The British element was strengthened to ensure loyalty and efficiency. The new army got rid of the Brahmins and Rajputs of Oudh and replaced them with Sikhs from Punjab, Gurkhas from Nepal and Pathans from the Frontier Provinces. English men held all key positions. All effective weapons of warfare were reserved only for the British troops in India. c) Racial Bitterness: The English subjected the Indians to insults, humiliation and contempt. This created a feeling of hatred between the English and the Indians. d) Divide & Rule Policy: During the Revolt, the Hindus & Muslims fought together. The British tried to create a wedge between the two communities by instigating one against the other. They tried to keep the India princes away from the masses. e) End of the Peshavas & Mughals: a) The office of the Peshava was abolished. The title of the Mughal Emperor was abolished with the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar II. f) Rise of Nationalism: The sacrifices of the Indian people and leaders like Nana Sahib, Rani of Jhansi and Bahadur Shah gave birth to the spirit of nationalism. The Revolt became a symbol of challenged and the British could not subdue the desire for freedom. 25) What were the promises made by Queen Victoria in the Proclamation of 1858? The Proclamation of 1858 had the following promises: a) To the Indian Rulers: All treaties entered into with the Company would be honoured. Territories would not be annexed to the British Crown. They had the right to adopt sons & successors. The British would not interfere in internal matters except cases of misconduct. b) To the People: The people of India would be eligible for all public offices irrespective of their caste, creed or colour. The people were guaranteed full religious freedom & were assured that the government would not interfere in their religious beliefs. The government would promote works of public utility. The government would set up industries. **************************************************************************************************************

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