10th Standard, Social, HISTORY Chapter 17 – THE FIRST WAR OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE (1857)

10^th Standard, Social, HISTORY Chapter 17

THE FIRST WAR OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE (1857)

EXERCISES

I Fill in the blanks with suitable words:

1. British historians refer to the 1857 revolt as ‘The Sepoy Mutiny’.

2. During the 1857 revolt, at Barakpura, British officer was killed by Mangal Pandey.

3. Jhansi Rani fought against British and took Gwalior under her control.

4. The declaration passed by the British Queen in 1858 is called ‘Magna Carta’.

II Discuss the following in groups and answer them:

5. The political factors inspired the revolt of 1857. How?

Answer: The political factors which inspired the revolt of 1857 are,

1. Many kingdoms lost their rights due to the promulgation of Doctrine of Lapse brought about by the British. Satara, Jaipur, Jhansi, Udaipur and other kingdoms came under British control.
2. Dalhousie cancelled the princely titles of the Nawabs of Tanjore and Carnatic kingdoms. The Mughal sultans, the Nawab of Oudh and other kings were dethroned.
3. Consequently, lakhs of soldiers who were dependent on these kings, became unemployed. This became a strong cause for the protest of 1857 against the British.

6. The economic changes of the time were responsible for the 1857 revolt. How?

Answer: The economic changes of the time which were responsible for the 1857 revolt are as follows.

1. Due to the industrial revolution in England, Indian handicrafts and cottage industries suffered heavily.
2. England, instead of being a trading country, became a hub of industries. The Indian craftsmen became unemployed.
3. Primarily, the textile and wool industries became sick and people lost their jobs. The cottage industries too suffered a death blow.
4. The British imposed a heavy tax on sale of Indian goods in England.
5. Because of the zamindari system, the landlords, acting as commission agents between the Government and the farmers, exploited the farmers. The right given to the taluks to collect tax was withdrawn.
6. An ‘Inam Commission’ was appointed and all the gifted lands without documents (‘Inam lands’) were taken back. Due to this, the farmers felt insulted and experienced many financial problems. This too led to the revolt of farmers against the government.
7. What were the factors that disturbed the religious sentiments of the soldiers during the 1857 revolt?

Answer: The Indian soldiers in the British army were being given new rifles called ‘Royal Enfield’. A rumour spread among the soldiers that the cartridges used in these rifles were greased with the fat of cow and pigs. While cows were sacred to the Hindus, pigs were blasphemous for Muslims. This incident became the immediate cause for the revolt. When the British officers ordered the Indian soldiers to pull the safety catch with the help of their teeth, the soldiers rejected the command and revolted against their superiors. At this juncture, an Indian soldier named Mangal Pandey killed a British official. This was the factors that disturbed the religious sentiments of the soldiers during the 1857 revolt.

8. What were the immediate causes for the First War of Independence?

Answer: Most of the Indian soldiers in the British army believed that if they fought together, they could drive away the British from India. In this situation, the soldiers were being given new rifles called ‘Royal Enfield’. A rumour spread among the soldiers that the cartridges used in these rifles were greased with the fat of cow and pigs. While cows were sacred to the Hindus, pigs were blasphemous for Muslims. This incident was the immediate causes for the First War of Independence.

9. Make a list of the reasons for the failure of the revolt.

Answer: The reasons for the failure of the First War of Independence of 1857 are as follows.

1. The movement did not spread to the whole country. This struggle was intended to protect the interests of a few rather than getting freedom for the country.
2. Instead of being an organized struggle, it erupted due to certain unexpected reasons.
3. The unity among the British forces and lack of it among the Indian soldiers also led to the failure.
4. There was no proper direction or proper leadership. In addition, there was a lack of strategy, expertise among soldiers, effective leadership, discipline and direction.
5. Many provincial kings, on account of their loyalty to the British, did not support the struggle.
6. The people lost confidence in the soldiers due to their arson and looting.

10. What were the features of the declaration of the British Queen in 1858?

Answer: The features of the declaration of the British Queen in 1858 are as follows.

1. The agreements made by the East India Company with the kings were accepted.
2. Ambitious expansion plans had to be given up.
3. A stable government had to be provided to Indians.
4. There would be equality before law.
5. The government would exhibit religious tolerance and not to interfere in religious matters of the country.

III Activities:

1. On the Indian map, mark the kingdoms which were taken over by the British with the help of the Doctrine of Lapse.

2. Organise a speech from an expert on “The 1857 revolt was the First War of Independence”.