The Reasons For The Rise Of 1857 Revolt

The policy of aggrandizement of the British East India Company in the British Indian region was included in the Political causes of revolt of 1857. The vows, as well as fake promises of the British East India Company, led the common people to join in a revolt against British rule in India. Apart from that, effective control over the British Indian region and regulation of several subsidiary alliances had a great impact on the Nawabs and the zamindars in India. The major loss of the political position of the native rulers also caused the revolt of 1857.

Political causes of revolt of 1857

1. Regulation of the “Doctrine of Lapse” by the British East India Company in the British Indian region was considered one of the political causes of revolt of 1857.
2. The death of Prince Faqiruddin in the year 1856 and the beginning of the rule of Lord Canning were also the political causes of revolt of 1857.
3. The rapid collapse of the ancient nobility in the British Indian region caused the revolt of 1857 that affected the cultural and religious activity of the Nawabs as well as the zamindars in India.
4. Regulation of several humiliating policies of the British East India Company emerged from the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny.
5. Governing by the foreign land along with the suspension of pension inspired the native rulers to revolt against British rule in India.

Economic causes of revolt of 1857

1. The Grant of Diwani in 1765 mainly looked after the land-revenue-collection system in India as one of the economic causes of the revolt of 1857.
2. After the permanent settlement of Bengal, the British East India Company regulated several policies for the farmers and the small traders to suppress their power and reduce their revenue collection for trading activities.
3. “Drain of Wealth” that emerged after the Ryotwari settlements of British rulers had a great impact on the permanent settlements in Bengal of the British East India Company.
4. Other economic causes of the revolt of 1857 included Mahalwari settlements in the central provinces of the British Indian region.
5. After the power loss of Nawabs and the zamindars in India, the landless peasants along with the rural indebtedness were mostly suffered by the regulation of several taxes of the British East India Company.
6. After the implementation of multiple tax systems in India, the artists and handicrafts people mostly suffered as the policies of the British East India Company discouraged the native handicrafts by focusing the foreign items in the regional market.

Military causes of revolt of 1857

1. Multiple military causes of revolt of 1857 were seen in the background of the emergence of this rebellion. The lower scale of salary and poor promotional prospects led the sepoys to revolt.
2. Discrimination between Indian sepoys and British sepoys emerged as the inspiration for the revolt of 1857.
3. Another military cause that was commonly seen during the revolt of 1857 was the distance between the Lieutenant Officers of the Indian army and soldiers. For that reason, a general vague grievance was increased in the mind of Indian soldiers.
4. The loss of prestige of the British general in the Afghan War influenced the Indian soldiers to revolt against British rule.
5. The regulation of the “General Service Enlistment Act” indicated not to enlist the Indians for sending to overseas the British army.
6. For the Indian soldiers, the British general regulated the “Religious Disabilities Act” which reduced their freedom and it was one of the significant military causes of revolt of 1857.

Conclusion

The rebellion of 1857 had an immense effect on contemporary society such as the regulation of the “Government of India Act, 1858” which banned the power of attorney in the Indian provinces, and the transfer of the power of India to the British Government without any political representative. The main reason for the failure of the revolt of 1857 was a proper administrative arrangement among the leaders, as they had no relevant military training. After the revolt, the dynamics of different British Rule were transformed forever and the annexation, as well as expansion of the power of the British East India Company, had an end. Different princely states emerged within the British Indian region and they became important for the native administration system.