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

Immediate, Economic and Military Causes Of Revolt of 1857

 

Besides the above political and administrative, social and religious grievances, another major cause was the unrest of the sepoys in the army of the British as well as economical disruptions due to the actions of the Company. Let us learn about these causes of revolt of 1857:

 

Immediate Causes Of Revolt of 1857

The Company administration introduced the new Enfield rifle whose cartridge had a greased paper cover. It had to be bitten off before it could be loaded into the rifle. A rumour that the cover contained cow and pig fat started doing the rounds. The cow was sacred to the Hindus, and the pig was taboo for the Muslims.

 

As a result, both religious groups felt insulted and cheated. The cartridge incident proved to be the final straw as the sepoys were already seething with discontent because of a variety of other social, economic and political policies of the British Government.

Finally, on 29 March 1857, Mangal Pandey, a sepoy at the Barrackpore cantonment, refused to use the cartridges. As a result, he was hanged to death. The news spread like wildfire and on 9 May, 85 soldiers at Meerut too refused to use the new equipment.

 

They were court-martialled and sentenced to 10 years. This resulted in the other sepoys rising in revolt. They ransacked the jail and freed their comrades and even cut off the telegraph lines to Delhi. Even the European officers were not spared and their houses were set on fire. Thus began the revolt of 1857.

 

Economic Causes Of Revolt of 1857

� Economic exploitation of India and her people became the most potent cause of unrest. The English Company and her officials carried away India�s wealth to England in several ways.

� By abolishing duties on British goods and imposing heavy duties on Indian products, Indian industries and crafts were ruined by the British.

� They would buy the raw materials from farmers and weavers at cheap rates and sent them to England to feed their factories. Cotton cloth from England flooded the markets and the local weavers were unable to compete with the machine-made cloth. Thus the Indian weavers could not earn their livelihood.

� By paying high salaries to the Company�s officials, both in the civil and military administration in British India and Princely states, India�s wealth was drained away to England. Indian states were required to pay a heavy cost for maintaining the Company�s forces and the residents in their areas. This money was sent to England as their saving.

� This economic exploitation, impoverished India and her people, which created resentment.

 

Military Causes Of Revolt of 1857

� The Indian soldiers were discriminated. They were considered inferior.
� The Indian soldiers could not hope to rise in the hierarchy of the army as the avenues of promotion were closed to them. The higher posts were reserved for the European officers.
� There was a great disparity between the salaries of Indian and European soldiers. The extra allowance which was given to the Indian soldiers during the war was withdrawn.
� Some of the new rules, moreover, violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs.

 

Did you know that in those days many people in the country believed that if they crossed the sea they would lose their religion and caste?

So, when in 1824 the sepoys were told to go to Burma by the sea route to fight for the Company, they refused to follow the order, though they agreed to go by the land route. They were severely punished, and since the issue did not die down, 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.

Read More:
The Great Uprising of 1857: Political, Social and Religious Causes