Causes of the Indian Rebellion of 1857

The Revolt of 1857 is an important landmark in the history of India which occurred 
during the governor generalship of Lord Canning.


CAUSES OF REVOLT .


1. Grievances of Native Rulers


•  Dalhousie’s annexation of States through Doctrine of Lapse.
•  Abolition of titles and suspension of pensions.


2. Grievances of Sepoys


• Discrimination in payment and promotions.
• Ill-treatment of the sepoys by the British officials.
• Refusal of the British to pay foreign service allowance (Bhatta) while

            fighting in remote regions such as Punjab or Sindh.

• Religious objections of the high caste Hindu sepoys to Lord Canning’s 

            General Service Enlistment Act (1856) ordering all recruits to be ready for

              service both within and outside India.

• All these led to disaffection among the sepoys which manifested 

            itself on a number of occasions in the form of mutinies before 1857. They were:

•  
(i) Mutiny of the sepoys in Bengal in 1764.
(ii) Vellore Mutiny in 1806.
(iii) Mutiny of the sepoys of the 47th Regiment at Barrackpore in 1824.
(iv) Mutinies of the 34th Native Infantry (NI), the 22nd NI, the 66th Ni and the 37th NI in 1844, 1849, 1850 and 1852 respectively.


3. Grievances of Orthodox & Conservative People
•  Fear of the Indians (both Muslim and Hindu) due to the

                                activities of the Christian missionaries and the protection and
                                encouragement given to them by the British government.

• Humanitarian measures introduced by the government, e.g.

                             abolition of sati (1829), legalization of widow remarriage (1856), 
                              protection of the civil rights of converts from Hinduism 

                              (by the Religious Disabilities Act of 1856), spread of western education.

4. Grievances of the Craftsmen, Peasants and Zamindars
• Destruction of village industries and handicrafts due to 

                                the one-way free trade policy of the British.

• Loss 0f peasant’s lands to the moneylenders due the

                               land and land-revenue policies of the British.

5.Military causes
• Jolts given to the British armed strength by certain events like

                               the First Afghan War (1838-42), AngloSikh War (1845-49), 

                                  Crimean War (1854-56) and the Santhal Uprising (1855-57).

• The disproportionate ratio of the sepoys to the Europeans in

                               the British Indian Army (6:1).

6. Immediate cause
• Introduction of the Enfield rifle (January, 1857) with greased 

                              (supposedly with the fat of cows and pigs) cartridge, whose and had to 

                               be bitten off before loading it into the rifle caused, disaffection 

                               among the sepoys and led to disobey of orders by the sepoys 

                               of the 19th Native Infantry stationed at Berhampur of February 26, 1857, 

                                  and its disbandment by the  British Government 

                                  (Colonel Mitchell-its commanding officer).

•  It also led to the mutiny of Mangal Pandey, a sepoy of the 34th Native

                                Infantry stationed at Barrackpore, on 29th March, 1857 

         (Pandey severely wounded Lt. Baugh, Adjutant to the C.O. of Barrackpore, General Hearsey).