may 10, 1857 - Revolt of 1857 - The 1st Pan India war for Freedom against British

Description:

Started in Meerut and spread to even deep Southern regions of India. There was decades of anger against Brits but the spark that lit the movement was the Enfield rifle cartridge controversy: Soldiers had to bite cartridges allegedly greased with - Cow fat (offensive to Hindus), Pig fat (offensive to Muslims)

Sparked anger among sepoys.

Political Reasons:
Expansion by: East India Company
Annexation policies: Doctrine of Lapse (inheritance law for royal families imposed by EIC)

Economic reasons:
Heavy taxation
Decline of traditional industries
Peasant hardship
Destruction of Indian based trades, didn't allow Indians to industrialize in their own terms.

Religious/social fears:
Fear of forced conversion
Interference in customs by removing rituals from Hinduism (then 100yrs later saying it's part of Christianity as seen in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, North East Indian Christian converts).

major leaders: Bhadur Shah Zafar II (last rules of Mughal empire), Rani Lakshmi Bai, Nana Sahib, Kittur Chennamma (pre 1857 revolt but created fertile grounds for revolt), Tatya Tope.

Reasons for Failure:
1) EIC feared losing India during the revolt despite many Indian kingdoms supporting them so, they called the Royal Navy for support (strongest navy of the world at that time).
2) Nizam of Hyderabad remained royal to Brits as well ruler of Gorkhas, Sikh royal families (as they distrusted Mughal rulers as mughal were known for doing genocides when they had power), Punjabi Muslims and some Pathan grps supported EIC. North East saw little revolt during that time, revolts come later.
3) Industrial scale weapons used by Brits whereas Indians rebel Kings/Queens didnt hv access to it as Brits gatekeeped most of the hardware.

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Date: