The 1857 War of Independence--Part II

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THE 1857 WAR - PART II - CAUSES- I

 

The 1857 war is treated as a Sepoy mutiny by British and (most)

Indian Historians.

 

Dilip Singh Ahlawat in his Book, Jat Viron ka Ithihass presents a

different view.

 

He writes, that this was not a rebellion or a mutiny but was an

organized war of liberation. He also makes reference to a British

writer, who in his book " History of our own times Vol III' called

it " a national and religious war".

 

Veer Sarvakar and Ashok Mehta in their writings called it the " First

Indian Independence war", whose objective was to liberate India from

the British. The war was fought for independence for our Dharam. In

this war brave Indian soldiers and many people from all classes and

communities took part. The tragedy was that it did not succeed."

 

A SUMMARY OF REASONS FOR THE WAR.OF 1857.

 

In 1757 Clive the general of the British East India Company defeated

the ruler (Nawab) of Bengal, Siraj U Daulah, in the battle of

Plassey. The company then appointed Clive as the governor of Bengal.

>From 1757 to 1857 the British applied policies, administrative,

religious, social, and military, that caused the entire population to

be resentful of their rule. The entire situation was a ready for a

fire and explosion, and the pig and beef fat used in the bullets was

the match the lit the fuse.

 

(A) THE POLITICAL REASONS.

 

(1) The British felt that war and their harsh policies would enable

them to absorb the various parts of India into their empire.

Dalhousie and Hastings were spreading their foreign influences in the

domestic kingdoms.

 

Their quarries were the kingdoms of Hyderabad, Mysore, Tanjore,

Karnataka, Nagpur, Gwalior, Bhopal, Jaipur etc. In many of these

princely states they along with their influence, established their

rule. In this manner Bentinck annexed Coorg and Kachar, and

Ellenborough captured Sindh, and spread their empire. Their

atrocities started to spread. However the local kingdoms and the

people resisted, and efforts were made to remove this foreign power

from the soil of India.

 

(2) Dalhousie's doctrine of Lapse (as a method of seizing the

kingdoms).

 

Dalhousie implemented his doctrine of Lapse without pity from 1848 to

1856.The doctrine dictated that no Indian Raja or Nawab, who was

issueless could adopt an heir without the permission of the British.

Some kingdoms, estates, did not have heirs. They asked for permission

to adopt an heir, this was refused, and the British annexed their

territories. Using the Doctrine of lapse, in 1850 Satara, in 1852

Udaipur, in 1853 Jhansi, and in 1954 Nagpur were snatched away.

Dalhousie with this policy spread discontent over India, and the Rani

of Jhansi started to oppose the British. In this manner the war of

independence started to take shape.

 

(3) The stopping of the pension of Nana Sahib.

 

Dalhousie stopped the pension of Tanjore, and Karnataka. In 1852 the

last Pehwa Bajirao the second passed away. Dalhousie stopped the

pension of his adopted heir Dhondhupant or Nana Sahib. In 1857 this

Nana Sahib was the prime leader of the revolutionaries.

 

(4) AWAD ( OUDH)

 

In 1856 Dalhousie removed the Nawab of Oudh. Wazir Wajid Ali Shah

from his seat, and annexed his kingdom to the British Empire. This

Nawab and his associates became anti British and took part in the

1857 war with great enthusiasm.

 

(5) The demeaning of the last Mogul Emperor.

 

Hastings stopped sending gifts to the Mughals, and started issuing

coins in the name of the British. Ellenborough and Dalhousie started

to make conspiracies to deprive the Mogul King of his places and

fortresses. Bahadurshah became an enemy of the British. In 1857 Delhi

became the centre of the opposition.

 

(B) ADMINSTRATIVE REASONS

 

(1) Rule of the British on India

(2) The harsh behavior of the British against the Indians.

(3) Denial of high positions in the British administration to Indians.

(4) The anti- Justice attitude of the British.

 

 

© ECONOMIC.

 

(1) Economic domination of the country. The decimation of

domestic economic enterprises.

(2) Bentinck policies of seizing the lands

(3) The harsh behavior of Jackson with Oudh Talukdars.

(4) Unemployment and poverty among the people.

 

(D) DESTRUCTION ON THE INDIAN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION.

 

Prior to the time of the British arrival, the extent and development

of education in India was unsurpassed by any county in Europe.

Schools (Vidya Peeths) were extant in all towns. Little children were

taught in the Pathshalas (schools) in the Villages, which schools

were supported and funded by the Panchayats. A member of the British

Parliament, Cair Hardy, wrote in his book, ' Indica' - " Max Muller,

on the basis of the official and administrative machinery reports,

that in Bengal there were 80,000 Pathshalas (or village schools)."

 

Wherever the British " Company" established its rule and sway, there

the centuries old system of education also got wiped out. After

destroying our ancient history and literature, their false history

replaced ours, and that is still what was taught in the Indian

Schools today (1988). It is painful to note that that same false

history is till being taught in our now independent India. The

British were fanatic opponents of education for the Indians. J. C

Marshman, on June 15, 1853 gave his report to the select committee of

the British Parliament, and said " There was stiff opposition to

giving education to the Indians, long after the establishment of

British rule"

 

The British destroyed our History, our literature, and our Education

system.

 

(E) THE POLICY OF CONVERSION OF INDIANS TO CHRISTIANITY

 

Long before 1857 the British were attempting to convert the Indians

to Christianity.

 

In 1857 the representative of the East India Company, Mr. Mangles,

said in Parliament: -" God has given the vast empire of India to the

English so that from corner to corner the flag of Christ may fly.

Each one of us must devote our full power to this great cause, so

that India may be made Christian, and in this there must not the

slightest letup in determination."

 

One of his contemporaries one Reverend Kennedy wrote, " No matter

what difficulties befall us, as long as India is part of our empire,

we must always keep in mind that our prime objective is to spread the

Christian religion here. We will not rest until our mission is

accomplished. For this work we should make the necessary effort, and

for this task we must use all the resources and authority that we

have. "

 

These thoughts are also found in the writing s of Lord Macaulay, who

was responsible for the maximum damage to the Indian Education system.

 

' We must create a class among the Indians, who will act between us,

and the millions of Indians, and will create an understanding among

them. These people would remain Indian only in appearance and blood,

but in all other manners, language, and thinking would be British".

 

In India the missionaries commenced their aggressive prosetylization.

When famines occurred they converted the starving population into

Christians. The word spread among the common man, that the new

Governor General Canning was sent to India to convert Indians to

Christianity.

 

This caused resentment among the people and also on the armed forces.

 

 

(F) THE ARMY

 

(1) The Indian soldiers were considered inferior to British soldiers.

 

(2) Indian soldiers were paid less.

 

(3) The soldiers, of the armies of the kingdoms which were annexed

by the British were rendered unemployed,

 

(4) The issue of animal fat in the bullets: In 1856 the Colonial

government decided to replace the old muskets with new ones, which

were called " Enfield Rifles" In these rifles animal fat of pigs and

cows was used and the soldiers had to cut off the tip of the top of

the cartridge with their teeth. The Hindu and the Mussulman soldiers

became very upset at this. They were now convinced that the British

Government wished to destroy their religion. They with great bravery

and courage started their revolutionary activities.

 

The British historian Sir John Kaye accepts this and writes" In 1853,

Colonel Tucker, wrote in clear words, that the new bullets used Pig

and Cow fat." Kaye himself accepted this and wrote," There is no

doubt that this greasy bullet fill, used Cow and Pig fat".

 

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