Causes of Failure of Revolt of 1857: Lack Of Unity, Ideology and Leader

Causes of Failure of Revolt of 1857

The rising of 1857 was unmatched and the unexpected rising of the sepoys forced the British officials to leave some of the places like Delhi, Awadh, etc. but British recovered them and succeeded.

 

The Rising of 1857 Unprecedented

 

The rising of 1857 which took place between 1765 and 1857 was fast and wise in extent. The people of all castes and religions were a part of the revolt which shook the foundation of the East India Company.

 

All the people, be it peasants, landlords, princes, educated or uneducated were affected by the rising. It was the first rising which was carried on with planning and was called the First War of Independence.

 

Though the rising of 1857 was an extraordinary event, there were many causes which led to the failure of the revolt. Let�s have a look at the causes of failure of Revolt of 1857.

 

Here are the main causes of failure of revolt of 1857

 

Unorganized Revolt:

 

The Revolt of 1857 was poorly organized. The communication facilities were not good so the sepoys could not act in a concerted manner. Bombay and Madras regiments were loyal to the British. States like Kashmir, Punjab, Sindh stayed away from the revolt. Even the eastern, western and southern parts of India were not affected by the rising.

 

No clear leader:

 

As many parts of India were not supporting the revolt, there was a requirement of a leader who could bring all the military and political power together to fight against the British. Nana Saheb lacked military leadership while Bahadur Shah II lacked organizing ability.

 

Other local leaders like Kunwar Singh, Rani Lakshmi Bai and the Begum of Awadh could not lead the entire nation. Thus, it was one of the reasons for the failure of the revolt.

Lack of Unity:

 

Common people were passive and indifferent to the revolt. Sepoys did not get the support of the common people. People of Punjab stayed away from the revolt as they did not want the return of Islamic rule.

 

Educated people believed that the British would lead the nation to modernization so they stayed away from the revolt. The leaders were indulged in fights among themselves which suppressed the strength of the revolt.

 

No support of ruling princes:

 

The sepoys did not get the support of the ruling princes. The ministers of Nepal, Hyderabad and Afghanistan helped the British. Indian soldiers were not equipped with enough guns and weapons to fight against the British.

 

Important rulers like Scindia, Holkar, Raja of Jodhpur did not join the revolt and supported the British. The British had experienced Generals who could lead them and gain success against the Indians.

Lack of Ideology:

 

The British system of government was removed from India but the rebels had no idea of its replacement. The leaders like Nana Saheb, Begum of Awadh, etc. did not have any forward-looking plans. Did you know about the reasons of the rebel by the leaders of Bengal, Jhansi, etc.?

 

Nana Saheb and Tantya Tope tried to reestablish Maratha power, Rani Lakshmi Bai wanted to regain Jhansi and the sepoys of Bengal wanted to bring back the glories of the Mughals.

 

Read More:
Causes Of Revolt of 1857: Immediate, Economic and Military Causes