Chapter 7 : The Revolt of 1857

The Revolt of 1857

Simmering Discontent

• Context: The period between 1757 (after the Battle of Plassey) and 1857 saw the British take power in northern India, leading to the major 'Revolt' of 1857.
• Affected Groups: The cumulative effect of British expansionist policies, economic exploitation, and administrative innovations adversely affected rulers of Indian states, sepoys, zamindars, peasants, traders, artisans, pundits, and maulvis.
• Pre-1857 Uprisings: The century was not peaceful; it witnessed sporadic religio-political violence, tribal movements, peasant uprisings, agrarian riots, and civil rebellions.
• Causes of early discontent:
• Enhanced revenue demands even during famine years.
• Movements against local moneylenders turned into rebellions against Company rule (as police supported moneylenders).
• British interference in native religious/traditional customs.
• Spread: Major revolts occurred in the south, east, west, and north-eastern regions, which were brutally suppressed by the East India Company. Some movements continued even after the 1857 Revolt.

Key Terms

📌 Exam Tidbits

• 1757: Battle of Plassey marked the first step towards British power in northern India.
• 1857: The violent storm of the Revolt shook the British Empire to its foundations.
• Causal Chain: Local grievances against moneylenders → police support for moneylenders → local riots turning into anti-Company rebellions.

The 1857 Revolt: Major Causes

The causes emerged from all aspects of daily existence—socio-cultural, economic, and political—cutting across all sections and classes.

Economic Causes

• Peasantry & Agriculture:
• Traditional economic fabric was destroyed by East India Company policies.
• Peasants were impoverished by heavy taxation and a highly unpopular new revenue settlement.
• Causal Chain: Heavy taxation → peasants took loans from moneylenders/traders at usurious rates → eviction on non-payment → moneylenders emerged as new landlords → surge in landless peasantry and rural indebtedness.
• The older system of zamindari was forced to disintegrate.
• Artisans & Handicrafts:
• Annexation of Indian states cut off major patronage (native rulers and nobles).
• British policy discouraged Indian handicrafts and promoted British goods.
• Destruction of handicrafts was not accompanied by modern industrial development,…