NCERT Class 8 Social Science Chapter 5 When People Rebel 1857 and After

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NCERT Class 8 Social Science Chapter 5 When People Rebel 1857 and After

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When People Rebel 1857 and After

Chapter: 5

OUR PASTS – III [HISTORY PART – I]

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS

LET’S RECALL

Q.1. What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the British?

Ans. The demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the British was that she wanted Company to recognise her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband.

Q.2. What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to Christianity?

Ans. Following were the steps that the British did to protect the interest of those who converted to Christianity:

(a) After 1830, the Company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and property.

(b) In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier.

Q.3. What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?

Ans. The sepoys had raised the following objections when they were asked to use new cartridges:

(i) The cartridges used for new rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. It was a great insult to the sentiments of Indian sepoys- the Hindus as well as the Muslims.

(ii) It appeared to the Indian soldiers that the great aim of the English was to turn all the sepoys into Christians, and they had therefore introduced the cartridge in order to bring this about, since both Muslims and Hindus would be defied by using it.

Q.4. How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life? 

Ans. The last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II (or Bahadur Shah Zafar) lived a miserable life in his last time. When the British captured Delhi in September 1857 A.D. Bahadur Shah left Lucknow and from there he continued his fight against the British. At last his sons along with some other rebels were captured by the English. His two sons and a grandson were shot dead before his old eyes. Their dead bodies were hanged at the Khooni Darwaza, Delhi to create terror among the rebels. Bahadur Shah himself was deported to Rangoon where he died in 1862 A.D. His last words were “Zafar was really unfortunate for he could not get six feet grave in the street of his beloved country.”

LET’S DISCUSS

Q.5. What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857?

Ans. The reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857 were:

1. The Indian nawabs had gradually lost their power, authority and honour.

2. The British Governor Generals posted their residents in several courts, the freedom of the rulers was reduced, their armed forces disbanded and their revenue and territories were taken away stage by stage.

3. The Company was confident of its military powers.

4. In 1856, Governor General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king and after his death none of his descendant would be recognized as king. They would just be called prince.

Q.6. What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families?

Ans. Bahadur Shah Zafar’s decision to bless the rebellion changed the entire situation and it had the following impact:

1. People felt inspired and enthusiast. It gave them courage, hope and confidence to act.

2. Regiment after regiment mutinied and took off to join other troop at nodal points like Delhi, Kanpur and Lucknow.

3. Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the city. He declared himself that he was a governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

4. Birjis Qadr, the son of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was made the new Nawab in Lucknow. He too acknowledged the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Q.7. How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh?

Ans. 1. The victories against the British had earlier encouraged rebellion, the defeat of rebel forces including landowners of Awadh encouraged desertions.

2. The British also tried their best to win back the loyalties of the people. They announced rewards for those who would remain faithful to them.

3. They crushed the revolt with a heavy hand. 

4. The British military generals also tried to recapture those places which once felt to the rulers.

Q.8. In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of 1857?

Ans. The British had regained control of the country by the end of 1859, but they could not carry on ruling the land with the same policies any more. 

Following were the changes introduced by the British as a result of the rebellion of 1857:

1. The British Parliament passed a new act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.

2. A member of the British Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India and made responsible for all matters related to the governance in India.

3. All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in future. They were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge the British Queen as their sovereign paramount.

4. It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced and the number of European soldiers would be increased. It was also decided that instead of recruiting soldiers from Awadh, Bihar, Central India and South India, more soldiers would be recruited from among the Gurkhas, Sikhs and Pathans.

5. The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicion and hostility. The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in India.

6. Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over their lands.

LET’S DO

Q.9. Find out more about Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. In what ways would she have been an unusual woman for her times?

Ans. Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi: The Raja of Jhansi had been originally a vassal of the Peshwa. After the defeat of Baji Rao II, Lord Hastings in 1818 had concluded a treaty with the Raja on terms of ‘subordinate co-operation’. After the death of the Raja in 1835, the Company recognized a granduncle, Raghunath Rao to succeed to the throne. After his death, his successor Gangadhar Rao was recognized as the ruler in 1838. But he died in November 1853 without leaving a male heir and the state was declared annexed by Lord Dalhousie. The claims of the adopted son were disregarded. So the Queen of Jhansi Rani Lakshmibai joined to revolt to protest against the annexation of Jhansi by the English.

When the Rani joined the revolt, General Sir Huge Rose attacked Jhansi in March 1858, but the brave Rani Lakshmibai kept the British General unnerved for quite some time. When she found that she could not able to hold the English for a long time she appealed to Tantia Tope for help which brought Tantia Tope rushing to Jhansi. But by the time he reached Jhansi her troops were severely defeated by the British on the banks of the river Betwa. Now the Rani had to hold on to her fortress above. 

The British also knew it would be difficult for them to enter into the fortress. So the British resorted to deceit and treachery and bribed the guards to open the gates of the fortress. Even then the British were unable to capture the Rani who slipped out of the fort and reached Kalpi. Here she was joined by Tantia Tope the great general of Nana Sahib, who fled to Kalpi. Now the Rani of Jhansi and the great General Tantia Tope joined together and fought many wars with the British. While fighting they had to leave Kalpi.

The ruler of Gwalior Jayaji Rao Sindhia was a dependent ruler of the British Company who was paying lots of tribute and he was also very loyal to the Company. Now the Company had the responsibility to protect their independent i.e. the ruler of Gwalior. A fierce battle was fought between the British and the revolutionaries under Rani Lakshmibai and Tantia Tope from June 11-18,1858 A.D. Even though the Rani and Tantia Tope were able Generals, their personal valour was not at all a good match the resources at the command of the British. Gwalior was recaptured by the British in June 18, 1858. The Rani of Jhansi died fighting clad in soldier’s uniform on the ramparts of the fort. Tantia Tope escaped southward. In April 1859 he was captured by one of the Sindhia’s feudatory, who handed him over to the British to be hanged on April 18, 1859.

Sir Huge Rose paid a tribute to the valour of Rani Laxmibai by saying, “Laxmibai was the bravest and the best of military leaders of the rebels”.

LET’S IMAGINE

Imagine you are a British officer in Awadh during the rebellion. What would you do to keep your plans of fighting the rebels a top-secret?

Ans. I would have used a code word Kamal (Lotus) to convey about my future plans. I knew that Kamal was being used by the rebellion, just to create confusion in the minds of the Indians.

I used to wear Indian dress of the area. I would keep a large number of troops, judging their loyalty. I would have asked the Muslim soldiers to take an oath of Holy Quran of loyalty to the British and same oath by the Hindu soldiers, telling them to put their hands on Holy Bhagwat Gita.

I would have used all four tactics of Sam, Dam, Dand and Bhed to loyalty among the rebels of the Awadh. I would have send some loyal females to know future plans of the higher British officers.

SOME OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION

VERY SHORT TYPE QUESTIONS ANSWER 

Q.1. What did Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi want from the Company?

Ans. Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognize her adopted son as heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband.

Q.2. Who was Nana Saheb?

Ans. Nana Saheb was the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II. 

Q.3. What was the law passed by the Company in 1856? 

Ans. In 1856, the Company passed a new law which stated that every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to agree to serve overseas if required.

Q.4. Which was the last territories to be annexed by the Company? 

Ans. Awadh was one of the last territories to be annexed. 

Q.5. When was subsidiary alliance imposed on Awadh and when it was taken off?

Ans. In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh and in 1856 it was taken off.

Q.6. Why was Mangal Pandey hanged to death?

Ans. Mangal Pandey was hanged to death for attacking the officers in Barrack-pore.

Q.7. When and by whom was announced that after the death of Bhahdur Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort?

Ans. In 1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the fort and given another place in Delhi to reside in.

Q.8. Who was Bakht Khan? 

Ans. He was the commander-in-chief of the Indian troops in Delhi during the revolt against the British rule.

Q.9. When and by whom it was decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal emperor? 

Ans. Governor-General Canning in 1856 decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal emperor.

Q.10. Define the term ‘Mutiny’. 

Ans. Mutiny means rebellion against authority. Mutiny is derived from the word ‘mutine’, which means revolt. 

Q.11. How did the Revolt of 1857 affect the position of the East India Company?

Ans. The Company’s rule in India was abolished and the British Government began to rule their Indian empire directly.

Q.12. Where did the sepoys of East India Company revolted which triggered the biggest armed resistance to colonisation in the 19th century anywhere in the world?

Ans. It began at Meerut and spread to other regions of Northern India.

Q.13. List the important centres of the revolt, along with their leaders.

Ans. Meerut – Mangal Pandey. 

Kanpur – Tatya Tope, Nana Sahib. 

Lucknow – Begum Hazrat Mahal. 

Jhansi – Rani Laxmi Bai. 

Bihar – Kunwar Singh. 

Faizabad – Ahmed Ullah Shah. 

Bareilly – Bakht Khan. 

Delhi – Bahadur Shah II.

SHORT TYPE QUESTIONS ANSWER 

Q.1. What were the reforms introduced by the British?

Ans. Reforms or laws introduced by the British were:

1. Laws were passed to stop the practice of sati and to encourage widow remarriage.

2. English language education was actively promoted.

3. After 1830, the company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and property.

4. In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to christianity easier. This law allowed an Indian who had converted to christianity, to inherent the property of his ancestors.

5. Many Indians thus, began to feel that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs and their traditional way of life.

Q.2. Describe the immediate causes of the revolt.

Ans, The introduction of enfield rifle, with greased cartridges, in the army by the British was the immediate cause of the revolt. In order to load these enfield rifles, the greased cartridges were to be bitten off which were rumoured to be made of cow and pig fat.

Q.3. What happened to the Nawabs when the British established political power in India?

Ans. When the British established their power in India, the power of nawabs and rajas began to erode:

(a) The nawabs and rajas gradually lost their authority and honour.

(b) Residents had been stationed in many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their armed forces disbanded and their revenues and territories taken away by stages.

Q.4. Discuss the events of revolt at Jhansi.

Ans. In Jhansi, the revolt was led by Rani Lakshmibai. The British commander attempted to suppress the revolt but failed. Jhansi was invaded in April 1858, and this time a few companions of Rani Lakshmibai deserted her and joined the British. The fort of Jhansi came under the control of the British. Rani died on June 1858, fighting bravely till the end.

Q.5. What were the reforms made in the British army after the Revolt of 1857? 

Ans. Reforms in the Army: (a) There was a feeling that the Indian Army had been mainly responsible for the revolt, so it was thoroughly reorganized and built up on the policy of division and counterpoise. 

(b) The British reduced the strength of the Indian sepoys and fixed up the ratio as two sepoys to one European soldier. 

(c) The discipline in the army was improved. The Company army was dissolved and all the army men became the servants of the Crown directly.

Q.6. Who was Nana Sahib? What did he wanted from the British? 

Ans. Nana Sahib was the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao 11. He pleaded that he be given his father’s pension when the latter died. However, the company, confident of its superiority and military powers, turned down these please. 

Q.7. What were the grievances of the sepoys?

Ans. Sepoys had the following grievances from the British government: 

(a) They were unhappy about their pay, allowances and conditions of service.

(b) Some of the new rules violated their religious beliefs and sensibilities. For e.g. in those days many people in the country believed that if they crossed the sea they would loose their religion and caste. So when in 1824 the sepoys were told to go to Burma by the sea route to fight the company, they refused to follow the order. 

(c) The introduction of enfield rifles greased with the fat of cow and pig triggered the revolt of 1857, as this was seen against the religious sentiments of Indian sepoys.

LONG TYPE QUESTIONS ANSWER 

Q.1. What were the political causes of the Revolt of 1857?

Ans. Following were the political causes of the revolt of 1857:

1. The policy of annexations by the British angered the Indians. For example, Awadh was annexed on the charge of misgovernance.

2. Lord Dalhousie implemented the Doctrine of Lapse. Under this doctrine when the ruler of an Indian state died without a natural successor, the state was to become a part of the British domain Satara, Nagpur and Jhansi were annexed through doctrine of Lapse.

3. The Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II was told that his successors would lose the imperial title and would no more be called princes.

4. The annexations affected not only the rulers but also the various classes employed by them like the soldiers, scholars, craftsman and the nobles. Thus, the annexations ended the administrative machinery of the states and created a feeling of insecurity among all the classes that nothing was sure under the British rule.

Q.2. What happened after the revolt of 1857?

Or

What were the effects of the Revolt of 1857?

Ans. 1. The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.

2. All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in future.

3. It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced and the number of European soldiers would be increased.

4. The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicion and hostility. The British believed that they were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.

5. The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in India.

6. Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over their lands. Thus a new phase of history began after 1857. 

Q.3. What were the main causes of failure of the Revolt of 1857?

Ans. The main causes that were responsible for the failure of Revolt of 1857 were:

1. The revolt was not widespread. Sindh, Rajputana, Kashmir, East Bengal and most of the Punjab did not take part in it.

2. The Sikh, Rajput and Gurkha battalions remained loyal and helped the British to suppress the revolt. 

3. There was no unity and common ideals among the revolutionaries. The Hindu wanted to setup a Maratha rule while the Muslims wanted to receive the Mughal kingdom.

4. The revolutionaries had no common plan of action.

5. The British could gather immense resources and weapons to suppress the sheer bravery and courage of the sepoys.

6. The revolt broke out prematurely with incomplete preparations.

7. The British adopted the policy of ‘Divide and Rule’ and prevented most of the Indian rulers to join together for a common cause.

HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILL QUESTIONS

Q.1. 1857 Revolt was not a sepoy mutiny. Comment.

Ans. The sepoys had played an active role in 1857 revolt and they were the first to revolt against the rule of the East India Company. Still it cannot be called a sepoy mutiny since the revolt was not confined to them. Several other sections of the society had also taken part in the revolt.

Q.2. How was the Revolt of 1857 suppressed by the British?

Ans. The Revolt of 1857 was suppressed by the British through many inhuman brutalities:

1. Many rebels were hanged, others were tried to the mouth of connons and blown off.

2. Several villagers were razed and harvests destroyed by British army.

Q.3. Why is the revolt of 1857 known as Sepoy Mutiny?

Ans. In this revolt, all the sepoys marched to the Britisher’s buildings, houses, police station and burnt them. They killed the britishers. The main role in these deeds was of sepoys.

Therefore, the Revolt of 1857 is also called ‘Sepoy Mutiny’. Sepoy means soldiers and mutiny means ‘march’.

Q.4. Why is the revolt of 1857 known as the First war of independence?

Ans. The revolt of 1857 is known as the First war of independence as before this war, no one was so united in battles. But in this battle, many social groups of the country came together to fight. Zamindars, rajas and peasants, all came together to fight this battle.

Q.5. Why were the country side peasants and zamindars not happy with East India Company?

Or

Explain the economic causes of the revolt of 1857.

Ans. The country side peasants and zamindars were not happy with the East India Company because of the following reasons:

(a) High taxes were imposed on them. 

(b) Rigid methods were used in revenue collection.

(c) Many failed to pay back their loans and finally lost their lands to moneylenders.

VALUE BASED QUESTION

Q. How did the Company plan to bring the Mughal dynasty to an end?

Ans. The Company took the following steps to bring the Mughal dynasty to an end:

1. The name of the Mughal King was removed from the coins minted by the Company.

2. In 1849, Governor General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place in Delhi to reside in.

3. In 1856, Governor General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be last Mughal king and after his death none of his descendants would be recognized as kings-they would just be called princes.

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

A. Multiple Choice Questions Tick (✔ the correct option:

1. When was Mangal Pandey hanged to death?

(a) 28 August,1853.

(b) 29 June, 1857.

(c) 29 March,1857.

(d) 29 March,1757.

Ans. (c) 29 March,1857.

2. Who was the mother of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah?

(a) Begum Hazarat Mahal.

(b) Rani Lakshmibai.

(c) Rani Avanti Bai.

(d) None of these.

Ans. (a) Begum Hazarat Mahal.

3. Which of the following statement is incorrect?

(a) The massive rebellion started in May 1857.

(b) In Lucknow Birjis Qadr was proclaimed the new Nawab. 

(c) Rani Lakshmibai was defeated and killed in April 1857.

(d) A new phase of history began after 1857.

Ans. (c) Rani Lakshmibai was defeated and killed in April 1857.

4. In ____________ a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier.

(a) 1840.

(b) 1850.

(c) 1856.

(d) 1750.

Ans. (b) 1850.

General

5. In 1856 Governor General _____________ decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal King.

(a) Dalhousie.

(b) Canning.

(c) Clive.

(d) Tytler.

Ans. (b) Canning.

6. Who was the faithful lieutenant of Nana Sahib who helped Rani Jhansi in her struggle against the English?

(a) Kunwar Singh.

(b) Maulvi Ahmadullah of Faizabad.

(c) Tantia Tope. 

(d) Baji Rao.

Ans. (c) Tantia Tope. 

B. Fill in the blanks with the help of words given below:

England, Mughal, laws, Meerut, Tantia Tope, Muslims

(a) On 10 May 1857, the soldiers marched to the jail in _______________ and released the imprisoned sepoys.

Ans. Meerut.

(b) _________________ escaped to the jungles of Central India and continued to fight a guerrilla war with the support of many tribal and peasant leaders.

Ans. Tantia Tope.

(c) The name of the _______________ king was removed from the coins minted by the Company.

Ans. Mughal.

(d) The Company brought reinforce- ments from ______________, passed new _____________ so that rebels could be convicted with ease.

Ans. England, laws.

(e)) The British believed that the _______________ were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.

Ans. Muslims.

C. Fill in the crossword to complete the names of places and persons linked with 1857 rebellion:

Down:

1. Bahahdur Shah Zafar died in the _______________ jail in November 1862.

3. The Revolt of 1857 started at this place.

4. This was one of the nodal points of 1857 revolt.

Across:

2. Lakshmibai was the queen of this place.

5. Peshwa Baji Rao lived near this city.

6. After the initial victory in Kheri, she embraced death when surrounded by British on all sides.

Ans. 

PICTURE BASED QUESTIONS

Q.1. Look at the ruins of a residency in the given picture and answer the questions that follow:

(a) To which city did the residency belong to?

Ans. The residency belonged to the city of Lucknow.

(b) Who had taken the shelter there?

Ans. A large number of British women men and children had taken shelter in the buildings there.

(c) What did the rebels do?

Ans. The rebels surrounded the compound and bombarded the building with shells.

(d) Name the chief commissioner of Awadh who was hit by a shell and died there.

Ans. Henry Lawrence.

Q.2. Look at the picture given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. What does the picture depict?

Ans. It depicts the Ruins of the Residency in Lucknow.

2. When was Residency Designed by British forces?

Ans. In June 1857, the rebel forces began the reign of the Residency.

3. Who took shelter in this building?

Ans. A large number of British women, men and Children had taken shelter in the buildings.

MAP TIME

Q.1. On an outline map of India show the main centres of the revolt of 1857.

Ans.