<h5 id="1-pattern-of-the-rebellion">1. PATTERN OF THE REBELLION</h5> <ul> <li>The rebellion of 1857 in India occurred in a chronological order, with the news of the mutiny in one town triggering sepoys in the next town to take up arms.</li> <li>The pattern of events in each cantonment was similar.</li> <li>Specific dates and towns are not provided in the text.</li> <li>The cause of the rebellion is not discussed in the text.</li> <li>The spread of the rebellion is attributed to the sequence of events in each cantonment.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="11-how-the-mutinies-began">1.1 How the mutinies began</h5> <ul> <li>The sepoys’ mutiny began with a signal, such as the firing of the evening gun or the sounding of the bugle, and was followed by the seizure of the bell of arms and plundering of the treasury.</li> <li>They attacked government buildings, burning all records, and proclaimed upon the population to unite, rise, and exterminate the firangis.</li> <li>As ordinary people joined the revolt, the targets of attack widened to include moneylenders and the rich, who were seen as oppressors and allies of the British.</li> <li>The mutiny in the sepoy ranks quickly became a rebellion, with a general defiance of all kinds of authority and hierarchy.</li> <li>The reports from Delhi Urdu Akhbar indicate a breakdown in routine activities, such as the scarcity of vegetables and the halt of water-carriers, causing distress to the people.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="12-lines-of-communication">1.2 Lines of communication</h5> <ul> <li>The similarity in the pattern of revolt in different places can be attributed to its planning and coordination, with evidence of communication between sepoy lines of various cantonments.</li> <li>The conversation between Sisten and the tahsildar suggests that plans were communicated and discussed by the rebels in a discreet manner, with the tahsildar identifying Sisten as a potential rebel due to his origins from Awadh.</li> <li>The mutinies were organized through collective decision-making, as suggested by the panchayats composed of native officers drawn from each regiment, indicating the involvement of multiple people in the planning process.</li> <li>The sepoys, who lived in lines and shared a common lifestyle, were the makers of their own rebellion, taking decisions collectively to decide their own future.</li> <li>The terms ‘mutiny’ and ‘revolt’ have different connotations in the context of the 1857 uprising, with ‘mutiny’ referring to the disobedience of rules and regulations within the armed forces, and ‘revolt’ referring to the uprising of the civilian population.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="13-leaders-and-followers">1.3 Leaders and followers</h5> <ul> <li>The Indian rebellion of 1857 required leadership and organization to fight the British.</li> <li>Sometimes, former leaders before the British conquest were turned to for leadership, as was the case with the old Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah in Delhi.</li> <li>Elsewhere, ordinary men and women, as well as religious leaders, carried the message of rebellion, such as Shah Mal in Uttar Pradesh and Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah.</li> <li>Shah Mal, a Jat cultivator, mobilized villagers against the British land revenue system, which was seen as oppressive. He attacked government buildings and destroyed symbols of British rule.</li> <li>Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, an educated preacher, moved from village to village preaching jehad against the British and was seen as an inspired prophet by many Muslims. He fought in the famous Battle of Chinhat and was believed to have magical powers.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="14-rumours-and-prophecies">1.4 Rumours and prophecies</h5> <ul> <li>Rumors and prophecies played a significant role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.</li> <li>The sepoys were in rebellion due to the rumor that the new Enfield rifles’ cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs.</li> <li>Another rumor was that the British government had mixed cow and pig bone dust into the flour sold in the market to destroy the caste and religion of Hindus and Muslims.</li> <li>There was also fear and suspicion that the British wanted to convert Indians to Christianity.</li> <li>The prophecy that British rule would end on the centenary of the Battle of Plassey, on 23 June 1857, reinforced men to action.</li> <li>The distribution of chapattis from village to village was also seen as an omen of an upheaval.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="15-why-did-people-believe-in-the-rumours">1.5 Why did people believe in the rumours?</h5> <ul> <li>The British, under Lord William Bentinck, introduced Western education, ideas, and institutions in India from the late 1820s, which led to the establishment of English-medium schools, colleges, and universities.</li> <li>The British also established laws to abolish customs like sati and permit the remarriage of Hindu widows, and annexed territories like Awadh, Jhansi, and Satara, introducing their own system of administration, laws, and methods of land settlement and revenue collection.</li> <li>These policies created a sense of uncertainty and suspicion among the people of North India, as they felt that their socio-religious customs, kings, and landholding patterns were being destroyed and replaced by an impersonal, alien, and oppressive system.</li> <li>The activities of Christian missionaries further exacerbated these fears, leading to the rapid spread of rumors in the region.</li> <li>The rumors and apprehensions are crucial to understanding the belief in prophecies and rumors during history, as they reflected the deeper fears, suspicions, faiths, and convictions of the people.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="2-awadh-in-revolt">2. AWADH IN REVOLT</h5> <ul> <li>The text “Awadh in Revolt” focuses on the 1857 rebellion in Awadh, a region in North India.</li> <li>The author discusses the political and economic factors that led to the revolt, including the British East India Company’s annexation of Awadh in 1856.</li> <li>The text also explores the social and cultural aspects of the rebellion, highlighting the role of religion and community leaders in mobilizing resistance.</li> <li>The response and aftermath of the revolt are examined, including the British government’s response and the impact on India’s future.</li> <li>The text does not provide any equations or formulae, as it is a historical and political analysis.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="21-a-cherry-that-will-drop-into-our-mouth-one-day">2.1 “A cherry that will drop into our mouth one day”</h5> <ul> <li>The kingdom of Awadh was described as “a cherry that will drop into our mouth one day” by Lord Dalhousie in 1851, and was annexed by the British Empire in 1856.</li> <li>The Subsidiary Alliance, imposed on Awadh in 1801, led to the Nawab’s dependence on the British for maintaining law and order, as he was deprived of his armed forces and became unable to assert control over rebellious chiefs and taluqdars.</li> <li>The Resident was a representative of the Governor General living in a state not under direct British rule.</li> <li>The British had an interest in acquiring Awadh’s territory due to its fertile soil and ideal location for producing indigo and cotton, as well as developing into the principal market of Upper India.</li> <li>The Subsidiary Alliance (1798) required allies to accept certain terms and conditions, including protection from threats, stationing of a British armed contingent, provision of resources for maintaining the contingent, and permission for agreements or warfare from the British.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="22-the-life-was-gone-out-of-the-body">2.2 “The life was gone out of the body”</h5> <ul> <li>Lord Dalhousie’s annexation of Awadh led to the dethronement and exile of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, which caused widespread disaffection.</li> <li>Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was a popular ruler, widely loved by his people, and his exile to Calcutta was met with grief and lamentation.</li> <li>His departure led to the dissolution of the court and its culture, causing many musicians, dancers, poets, artisans, cooks, and retainers to lose their livelihood.</li> <li>The immediate material losses and the emotional upheaval caused by his exile led to many folksongs mourning the loss of their beloved ruler.</li> <li>The Nawab’s departure from his motherland was a significant event that caused the noble and peasant alike to weep and wail.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="23-firangi-raj-and-the-end-of-a-world">2.3 Firangi raj and the end of a world</h5> <ul> <li>The annexation of Awadh led to a chain of grievances among the prince, taluqdar, peasant, and sepoy, as they identified the British rule (Firangi raj) with the end of their world.</li> <li>The annexation displaced the Nawab and dispossessed the taluqdars, who for generations controlled land and power in the countryside. The British disarmed the taluqdars and destroyed their forts, undermining their position and authority.</li> <li>The Summary Settlement of 1856, based on the assumption that taluqdars were interlopers, removed them wherever possible. This led to a decrease in the number of villages held by taluqdars from 67% to 38%. The dispossession of taluqdars disrupted ties of loyalty and patronage between them and the peasants.</li> <li>The grievances of the peasants were carried over into the sepoy lines, as a vast majority of the sepoys were recruited from the villages of Awadh. The relationship between sepoys and their superior white officers underwent significant changes, leading to mistrust and abuse.</li> <li>The taluqdars, peasants, and sepoys had reasons to be unhappy with the British annexation. In areas where resistance during 1857 was intense, the fighting was carried out by taluqdars and their peasants, many of whom were loyal to the Nawab of Awadh.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="3-what-the-rebels-wanted">3. WHAT THE REBELS WANTED</h5> <ul> <li>The British, as victors, recorded their own trials and tribulations, dismissing the rebels as ungrateful and barbaric.</li> <li>The rebellion also involved silencing of the rebels’ voices, with few opportunities for them to record their version of events.</li> <li>Most rebels were sepoys and ordinary people who were not literate.</li> <li>The only records from the rebels’ side are a few proclamations and ishtahars (notifications) issued by rebel leaders.</li> <li>Attempts to reconstruct the events of 1857 are heavily dependent on British sources, which reveal the minds of officials but tell us little about what the rebels wanted.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="31-the-vision-of-unity">3.1 The vision of unity</h5> <ul> <li>The Azamgarh Proclamation, issued during the Indian rebellion of 1857, highlights the grievances against the British rule.</li> <li>The proclamation mentions excessive revenue demands, disrespect towards zemindars, and extortionate costs in civil courts.</li> <li>It also mentions the monopolization of trade by the British, taxation on traders’ profits, and imprisonment of merchants without sufficient cause.</li> <li>The proclamation criticizes the British for low respect, low pay, and lack of influence for native public servants, and for reducing native artisans to beggary.</li> <li>The rebel sepoys’ grievances, as stated in their arzi, revolve around the issue of new cartridges rumored to be greased with cow and pig fat, which they believe is a threat to their religious beliefs.</li> <li>Both the Azamgarh Proclamation and the sepoys’ arzi express sentiments of religious protection and economic hardship under British rule.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="32-against-the-symbols-of-oppression">3.2 Against the symbols of oppression</h5> <ul> <li>The proclamations during the rebellion were against British rule and their symbols, which they referred to as “firangi raj”.</li> <li>The British were condemned for annexations, broken treaties, and land revenue settlements that dispossessed landholders, leading to dispossession of both big and small landholders.</li> <li>Foreign commerce was accused of driving artisans and weavers to ruin, and the British were feared to be destroying the caste and religions of Hindus and Muslims, aiming to convert them to Christianity.</li> <li>The rebellion widened into an attack on all those seen as allies of the British or local oppressors, with rebels seeking to humiliate elites and ransack moneylenders’ houses, reflecting an attempt to overturn traditional hierarchies.</li> <li>The proclamations sought to unify all social groups in the fight against “firangi raj”, expressing a vision of a more egalitarian society, although not explicitly articulated.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="33-the-search-for-alternative-power">3.3 The search for alternative power</h5> <ul> <li>Historians face challenges in understanding the rebel leadership’s perspective due to the short-lived nature of their authority structures.</li> <li>The rebel administration was primarily focused on war efforts, with appointments, land revenue collection, and troop payment being key aspects.</li> <li>The rebels attempted to restore the pre-British world, with a focus on the eighteenth-century Mughal culture as a symbol of what had been lost.</li> <li>In Awadh, resistance lasted longer, enabling the Lucknow court to develop counter-attack plans and maintain hierarchies of command into 1858.</li> <li>Major problems for historians include the lack of survival of most rebel administrative structures and the limited sources providing insight into the rebels’ viewpoints.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="4-repression">4. REPRESSION</h5> <ul> <li> <p>The British faced difficulties in dealing with villagers from Awadh who were part of the rebellion. These villagers were nearly intangible to Europeans, melting away and reappearing in large numbers, making it hard for the British to control them.</p> </li> <li> <p>The British recognized the symbolic value of Delhi and launched a two-pronged attack to recapture the city, which was finally taken in late September 1857 after heavy fighting and losses.</p> </li> <li> <p>The British used military power on a large scale to suppress the rebellion, but they also employed political strategies, such as trying to break unity among rebels by promising to return land to big landholders who had offered resistance.</p> </li> <li> <p>In areas with united resistance, the British attempted to break up unity by dispossessing rebel landholders and rewarding the loyal. This led to the death of many landholders in battle or due to illness and starvation in Nepal.</p> </li> <li> <p>Post-rebellion, British photographers recorded images of desolation and ruin, serving as a reminder of the futility of rebellion, such as the Secundrah Bagh in Lucknow, where British forces killed over 2000 rebel sepoys in 1857.</p> </li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="5-images-of-the-revolt">5. IMAGES OF THE REVOLT</h5> <ul> <li>The information we have about the revolt primarily comes from British accounts, including letters, diaries, autobiographies, and official histories.</li> <li>Official memos, notes, assessments, and reports provide insight into the fears, anxieties, and perceptions of the British officials regarding the rebels.</li> <li>Public feelings were inflamed, and demands for retribution and revenge were provoked by the violent stories of the revolt published in British newspapers and magazines.</li> <li>Pictorial images, such as paintings, pencil drawings, etchings, posters, cartoons, and bazaar prints, produced by the British and Indians, serve as an important record of the mutiny, providing visual information about the period.</li> <li>These images can be analyzed to understand the perspectives of both the British and the Indians regarding the revolt.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="51-celebrating-the-saviours">5.1 Celebrating the saviours</h5> <ul> <li>British pictures, like “Relief of Lucknow” by Thomas Jones Barker, often depicted events to evoke specific emotions.</li> <li>The painting commemorates the defense of the Residency in Lucknow during the rebellion, where Henry Lawrence was killed and Colonel Inglis took command.</li> <li>James Outram and Henry Havelock reinforced the British garrisons, and Colin Campbell later came to rescue the besieged troops, re-establishing British power.</li> <li>The composition of the painting directs the viewer’s focus to the central British heroes, with the damaged Residency and signs of struggle in the background and foreground.</li> <li>These types of paintings provided reassurance to the British public, signaling the end of the rebellion and the triumph of British power.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="52-english-women-and-the-honour-of-britain">5.2 English women and the honour of Britain</h5> <ul> <li> <p>Newspaper reports and artworks can significantly influence public sentiment, often inciting strong emotions such as anger and calls for revenge, especially when they involve violence against women and children.</p> </li> <li> <p>An example is the painting “In Memoriam” by Joseph Noel Paton, which depicts English women and children as helpless and innocent, while suggesting but not showing graphic violence. This work aims to provoke anger and fury towards the unseen rebels.</p> </li> <li> <p>In contrast, some artworks portray women as heroic figures defending their honor. An illustration from Punch magazine shows a woman, Miss Wheeler, defending herself against rebels, symbolizing a deeper struggle to protect Christianity.</p> </li> <li> <p>The British government faced pressure to protect the honor of innocent women and ensure the safety of children, reflecting the public’s outrage and desire for justice.</p> </li> <li> <p>The background of these depictions is often a contrast between the perceived violence and brutishness of the rebels and the heroism and innocence of the British women and children.</p> </li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="53-vengeance-and-retribution">5.3 Vengeance and retribution</h5> <ul> <li>The text discusses the desire for vengeance and retribution in Britain following the Indian Rebellion of 1857.</li> <li>Visual representations, such as images and cartoons in the British press, justified brutal repression and violent reprisal.</li> <li>One image depicts a female figure of justice with a sword and shield, aggressively trampling sepoys (Indian soldiers) and instilling fear in Indian women and children.</li> <li>Another image is captioned “The British Lion’s Vengeance on the Bengal Tiger,” symbolizing British power overcoming the rebellion.</li> <li>The images of the lion and tiger represent Britain and India, respectively, with the woman and child possibly symbolizing the vulnerable population affected by the conflict.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="54-the-performance-of-terror">5.4 The performance of terror</h5> <ul> <li>The text describes the brutal execution of rebels during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 as a form of vengeance and retribution.</li> <li>The executions were often carried out in public, with images widely circulated through popular journals, as a means to instill fear and obedience among the people.</li> <li>Two examples of such public executions are provided: one involving the blowing of rebels from guns, and another involving the hanging of 12 mutinous sepoys in a row with cannons around them.</li> <li>These public executions served as a form of theater, communicating the brutal power and consequences of rebellion to both the soldiers and civilians who witnessed them.</li> <li>The text suggests that the theatrical nature of these public punishments was intentional, as it served to amplify the terror and control exercised by the authorities.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="55-no-time-for-clemency">5.5 No time for clemency</h5> <ul> <li>The text discusses the opposition faced by Governor General Canning’s plea for leniency and mercy towards the sepoys during a time of calls for vengeance.</li> <li>Canning’s proposal was met with ridicule and mockery in the British press, with one cartoon in Punch magazine depicting him as a protective father figure over a sepoy holding a blood-stained sword and dagger.</li> <li>The caption of the cartoon reads “Governor General: ‘Well, then, they shan’t blow him from nasty guns; but he must promise to be a good little sepoy’.”</li> <li>This imagery of Canning and the sepoy can be found in a number of British pictures from that time period.</li> <li>An example of the cartoon can be found at this link: <a href="https://folder.s3.amazonaws.com/sathee.prutor.images/sathee_image/..." target="_blank" rel="noopener">folder.s3.amazonaws.com/sathee.prutor.images/sathee_image/…</a>.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="56-nationalist-imageries">5.6 Nationalist imageries</h5> <ul> <li>In 1801, the Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by Wellesley in Awadh.</li> <li>In 1856, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was deposed and Awadh was annexed by the British. Summary revenue settlements were also introduced in Awadh by the British during this period.</li> <li>The Mutiny started in Meerut on May 10, 1857, and spread to Delhi on May 11-12, where the garrisons revolted and Bahadur Shah accepted nominal leadership.</li> <li>By the end of May, sepoys had mutinied in Aligarh, Etawah, Mainpuri, and Etah, and a rising in Lucknow had taken place.</li> <li>From May to June, the mutiny turned into a general revolt of the people. The British suffered defeat in the battle of Chinhat on June 30, 1857.</li> <li>In June 1858, Rani Jhansi was killed in battle, marking the end of the rebellion.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="answer-in-100-150-words">ANSWER IN 100-150 WORDS</h5> <ul> <li> <p>The mutinous sepoys turned to erstwhile rulers for leadership due to their belief that the rulers had a better understanding of local conditions and could provide effective leadership against the British.</p> </li> <li> <p>The evidence of planning and coordination among the rebels includes: the simultaneous outbreak of rebellion at multiple locations, the coordinated attacks on British cantonments, and the establishment of a joint Hindu-Muslim leadership.</p> </li> <li> <p>Religious beliefs played a significant role in shaping the events of 1857. For instance, the rumor that the new cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat, which were offensive to Hindu and Muslim religious sensibilities, sparked the rebellion.</p> </li> <li> <p>The rebels took measures to ensure unity by establishing a joint Hindu-Muslim leadership, which helped to overcome religious differences and unite them against a common enemy.</p> </li> <li> <p>The British took several steps to quell the uprising, including the deployment of more troops, the use of brutal tactics such as public executions and the destruction of rebel strongholds, and the implementation of reforms aimed at addressing the grievances of the sepoys.</p> </li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="write-a-short-essay-250-300-words-on-the-following">WRITE A SHORT ESSAY (250-300 WORDS) ON THE FOLLOWING:</h5> <ul> <li> <p>The Revolt of 1857, also known as the Indian Mutiny, was particularly widespread in Awadh due to the region’s history of heavy-handed British rule. The annexation of Awadh in 1856 by the East India Company had stripped the local taluqdars (landlords) and zamindars (rent collectors) of their estates, leading to widespread discontent. The Doctrine of Lapse, a British policy that automatically transferred control of princely states to the East India Company when the ruler was unable to produce a male heir, further fueled resentment.</p> </li> <li> <p>The rebels’ demands were varied and often region-specific. However, a common thread was the desire for the British to leave India and restore Mughal rule. The peasants were driven to revolt due to the loss of their land and livelihoods, while the taluqdars and zamindars sought to regain their estates and power. The vision of different social groups did differ to some extent. For instance, some rebel leaders like the Nawab of Awadh sought a restoration of Mughal rule, while others like the sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British army) wanted better treatment and pay.</p> </li> <li> <p>Visual representations of the Revolt of 1857, such as paintings and photographs, provide valuable insights into the event. Historians analyze these representations to understand the perspectives of the victors and the vanquished. For instance, a painting might depict the British as heroic and the rebels as barbaric, while a photograph might show the devastation caused by the revolt.</p> </li> <li> <p>Two sources from the chapter, a visual and a text, can be examined to understand the point of view of the victor and the vanquished. The visual, a painting titled “The Relief of Lucknow,” depicts the British as heroic saviors, while the text, a letter from a British officer, describes the rebels as savage and unruly. Both sources represent the British point of view, highlighting their victory and downplaying the rebels’ grievances.</p> </li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="map-work">MAP WORK</h5> <ul> <li>The text provides information about the Revolt of 1857 in India, with a focus on three major British centers: Calcutta (Kolkata), Bombay (Mumbai), and Madras (Chennai).</li> <li>It is suggested to mark these cities and the areas where the revolt was most widespread on an outline map of India, using Maps 1 and 2 as references.</li> <li>For a project, the text proposes to read a biography of a revolt leader, examining the sources used by the biographer, such as government reports, newspaper accounts, and regional language stories. The biography may have varying viewpoints from different sources.</li> <li>Another project idea is to watch a film about the revolt, analyzing its representation of the British, rebels, and loyalists. The film may also depict various social groups and aim to evoke a specific response from the audience.</li> <li>Equations or formulae are not provided in the text.</li> <li>Examples and their solutions are not included in the text.</li> </ul> <p>======</p>