Atrocities : Cruel and violent acts Revolt : An armed protest against the ruling authority Commercial crops: Crops like cotton, jute and indigo which are grown only for selling purpose Indigo : A blue coloured substance obtained from a plant Traitor : Someone who betrays his people or country Annex : To bring a territory under one's control or possession Sati pratha : An evil social practice among some Hindus that forced a wife to immolate herself on the funeral pyre of her dead husband, now banned by the government Gentry : Well-born and well-bred people Upsurge : A rapid rise or swell. - (here) rebellion
Remember These Points
◆ The British East India Company established its first trade centre at Surat in Gujarat with the permission of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1608. ◆ After strengthening their position in India, the British forced the Indian farmers to grow commercial crops like cotton, jute and indigo. They levied heavy taxes on the farmers. ◆ Various raw materials were sent to England and the finished goods from England were sold in India by the British. This adversely affected the Indian traders and business. ◆ There spread a rumour that the bullets of the new Enfield Rifles were greased with cow and pig fat. This became the ultimate cause of revolt by the Indian soldiers in 1857. ◆ This revolt spread rapidly to other parts of India led by Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Nana Saheb and Tantya Tope. ◆ The revolt was finally crushed by the British but they had to roll back many unfair laws. The East India Company's rule was ended. India came under the direct rule of the British Crown and the British Parliament. ◆ The British historians call the revolt of 1857 as the Sepoy Mutiny. The Indian historians call it the First War of Indian Independence, the First Freedom Struggle, the Uprising of 1857 etc. because it was the first expression of organised resistance inspired by the lofty ideal of self-rule by Indians through nationalist upsurge. ◆ The English education system was introduced to provide good English speaking Indian clerks to help in the office work. ◆ The educated Indians spread the feeling of nationalism among the common Indians. ◆ Many social reformers like Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Raja Rammohan Roy educated people against social evils like sati pratha and child marriage. ◆ The Indian National Congress was founded by an Englishman named A.O. Hume in 1885. Its members were Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Surendranath Banerjee. ◆ The Indian National Congress gained popularity when Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi joined it. ◆ Alarmed by the rising nationalism, the British used the policy of divide and rule to weaken the unity of the people.
EXERCISE
Tick (✔) the correct answer.
In olden times, India was called the- a. golden bird✔ b. golden eagle c. golden lion Vasco da Gama was from- a. France b. Portugal✔ c. England The English established their first trading centre in- a. Goa b. Pondicherry c. Surat✔ The first Mughal Emperor who granted the British permission to trade in India was- a. Akbar b. Jahangir✔ c. Humayun British historians call the revolt of 1857 as the - a. Uprising of 1857 b. Sepoy Mutiny✔ c. None of these
Fill in the blanks.
Vasco da Gama came to India in 1498. The Indian National Congress was founded by A. O. Hume Mangal Panday as the first Indian soldier to attack a British officer. The English education system was introduced in India to provide English speaking Indian clerks to help in the office work. The first session of the Indian National Congress was held at Mumbai Lord Canning was th as the first Viceroy.
Short answer questions.
What was India famous for in olden times?
In olden times, India was famous for its spices, textiles. gold, pearls, silk and cotton
Which European explorer found a new Sea India?
Portuguese Sailor Vasco-da-Gama found a new sea route to India via Africa.
Why did Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah fight with the British ?
Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah was unhappy with East India Company's trading policy and wanted to remove its army from Bengal. But the company did not pay heed to his warning. Consequently a battle was fought between Nawab's and Company's army
What was the cause of defeat?
Nawab's own army general Mir Jafar betrayed him and revealed his army secrets to the Britishers. Consequently, Nawab was defeated and killed after the Battle of Plassey.
Name any four Leaders of the revolt of 1854.
Rani Lakshmi Bai, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Tantia Tope and Nana Saheb were some great leaders of the revolt of 1854.
Answer the following questions :
What happened after the British traders Landed on the Indian shores in the first decade of 1600?
With the discovery of a new sea route many European powers started coming to India. These European powers fought among themselves to get the biggest share of Indian trade. Ultimately, British traders established their supremacy by defeating others. In 1608, with the permission of Mughal ruler Jahangir, British established their first factory in Surat. In the following year they set up more trading centre with the help of succeeding rulers. Hence by The Late 17th century Britisher established trade almost over the whole Indian subcontinent.
Explain the Doctrine of Lapse.
The Doctrine of Lapse was a Policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie to annex Indian territories. According to this policy a princely state would become a part of the British Empire if the king of that state died without a male heir. An adopted child was not considered as legal heir by the British. Many Indian state including Jhansi and Nagpur were annexed under the policy.
What was the cause of Sepoy Mutiny? How did it changed into great nevole of 1857.
Two main and most significant reasons of revolt were -
ⅰ) British introduced a new rifle. It was rumored to be greased with cow fat and pig fat that infuriated both Hindu and Muslims soldiers in the British regiment. ii) Britishers annexed many princely states with their new policy called Doctrine of Lapse. Some other reasons of the revolt were- i) High taxation on the poor peasants. ii) Forced to grow commercial crops. iⅱ) Destruction of handloom industries.
The revolt of 1857 started as a revolt of Indian sepoys in this company's army. Eventually it Led to the participation of masses. The revolt spread to other parts of the country. Soon the Kings and Queens of various princely States joined the revolt and changed it into a great revolt.
What were the causes of the failure of the revolt of 1857 ?
The causes of failure of the revolt of 1857 were-
ⅰ) The revolt did not spread to all parts of India. ii) There was a communication gap among various revolutionary groups. iii) Many rulers did not support it, choosing instead to side with the British. Iv) Many traitors revealed the secrets of the revolutionaries to the British officers. v) The revolt failed to attract and win the support of intelligentsia in the other parts of the Country. vi) Our soldiers did not have good weapons and enough money to continue and win the war.
Write a few sentences about the Indian National Congress.
A few sentences about the INC are as follows-
i) The Indian National Congress was the first national movement of a political kind. ii) It was founded by Allan Octovian Hume in 1885. iii) The first session of INC was held in Mumbai with 72 delegates. iv) W.C. Bannerjee was the first president. Nao v) Dadabhai Nouraji, Firoj Shah Mehta, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Surendranath Banerjee were the early members of INC. NOTE: [A. O. Hame => Allan Octavian Hume W.C. Bannerjee - Womesh Chandra Bannerjee.]
