REVOLT OF 1857

1. Causes Of The Revolt

1.1. Political Causes: The British expansion had led to the propagation of unjust policies that led to the loss of power of the Nawabs and Zamindars residing at various places of India. Therefore, those rulers, who lost their states to the British, were naturally against the British and took sides against them during the revolt

1.2. Religious & Social Causes: Discrimination was believed to be a major reason for the revolt of 1857 wherein Indians were exploited and were kept away from mixing with Europeans. The whites also started interfering in the religious and cultural affairs of Indians and tortured them as well.

1.3. Economic Factors: There were various reforms in the taxation and revenue system that affected the peasants’ heavily. British Government had imposed and introduced various administrative policies to expand their territory.

2. The most significant result of the uprising of 1857 was the end of the rule of the East India Company and assumption of the Government of India directly by the Crown. This was done by the Government of India Act of 1858.

3. Began on May 10, 1857, at Meerut as a sepoy mutiny

4. Impact of Revolt

4.1. 1. Government of India Act, 1858: Under this Act, the rule of the EIC was abolished and the British Parliament had taken direct responsibility towards ruling India. The EIC returned to being just a trading organization.

4.2. 2. The role of the Governor-General became more pronounced and his profile was now counted as the Viceroy as well.

4.3. 3. The difference between Governor-General and Viceroy was that the Viceroy would act as the representative of the Queen and the Governor-General was the representative of the British Parliament whose authority was restricted to that of British India itself and not on the Princely States.

4.4. 4. The Board of Control (established under the 1784 Pitt’s India Act) was abolished. A new ministry was created known as ‘India House’, headed by the Secretary of State for India who was a minister of cabinet rank.

4.5. 5. There were 15 advisors to the ‘India House’, who had wide experience of working in India. Thus the British Parliament was trying to create a mechanism to avoid any further chances of revolt. The India House was the apex body to govern India and was a connecting link between the British Parliament and the Indian governing system.