Consequences of The Revolt Of 1857

The revolt of 1857 left a deep mark on the history of Modern India. British policy changed after the revolt of 1857. The revolt of 1857 played a key role in shaping the Indian Empire during the early nineteenth century. The display of unity among the masses and revolting led the British to rethink their very existence in India and their way of working. There are mainly five significant consequences of the revolt of 1857. These consequences will be covered here.

The main five consequences of the revolt of 1857

The main consequences of the revolt of 1857 include:

The British crown took over as the rule of East India company ended 

The revolt of 1857 caused the transfer of powers from the hands of the East India Company to the crown of England. This was achieved under the better government of India act of 1858. Under this act, India came into direct control under the crown, which started acting through a state secretary. The secretary was directly responsible to the British crown. An Indian council consisting of 15 members was created, out of which at least nine should have served India for at least ten years. The state secretary presided over this council. However, the central administration continued to remain in the hands of the governor-general. The governor-general also became the viceroy to the queen of England.

New structure for the Indian government 

Under the better government act, the home government in India has to exercise the crown’s power. The Indian council was formed by 15 members, of which nine should have been serving India for at least ten years. This consisted of the state secretary, assisted by the Indian council. The court of directors elected the other six members of the Indian council. In 1907, two Indians were also selected as part of the Indian council. With this, the framing of a new government with different rules began in India.

Indian army reconstruction

The 1857 revolt instilled fear in the minds of the British government. They no longer assumed that Indian people would stand by the British government when the need arose. The British elements in the Indian army were improvised to ensure loyalty and support from the military. Hence, the number of Indian soldiers in the Indian army was drastically reduced from a total of 2,38,000 in 1857 to a total of 1,40,000 in 1863. Simultaneously, the number of England soldiers increased from 45,000 to 65,000.

The policy of annexation ended

The revolt of 1857 made the British government realize the importance of the princely states and hence wanted to gain their support. Also, the British were suspicious of the Russian invasion of India under the ongoing circumstances. They felt the need to unite the princely states and use them during times of need. Hence, the policy of annexation of the princely states was given up. 

Beginning of the divide and rule policy

After the revolt of 1857, the British realized that the unity amongst the Indians could be dangerous for their existence and hence started the policy of divide and rule between different castes and classes. The Muslims were made to fight against the Hindus, and the upper caste Hindus were made to fight with the lower caste Hindus. This led to a division of the country’s people and deteriorated unity.

Conclusion

The revolt of 1857 was a turning point in the history of India. Although it was suppressed, it gave the national leaders of our country a way to push Britishers away from us. Many leaders like Mangal Pandey and Bahadur Shah Zafar lost their lives to the revolt. After the revolt, Britishers had to consider revising their policies because they grew suspicious of the loyalty of Indian soldiers and other men. The army was reorganized, the Indian government was given a new structure, and the annexation of princely states was given up.