Solutions-Class 8-History-Chapter-4-The Freedom Struggle of 1857-Maharashtra Board

(1) V.D.Savarkar named the struggle of 1857 as War of Independence

Umaji Naik united the Ramoshis to rebel against the British.

After the struggle of 1857 the post of Secretary of State was created in the British Government to look after the affairs of India.

Lord Dalhousie was the Governor General who annexed the princely states.

• The Britishers conquered Odisha in 1803.
• They confiscated the hereditary rent free land granted to Paikas by the kings.
• The life of the common man became miserable due to tax imposed on salt by the British.

This resulted in armed rebellion of the Paikas against the British in 1817.

• The British introduced long Enfield rifles in 1856, and soldiers were compelled to bite the greased coating of the rifle cartridges to open them.
• The religious emotions of the Hindu and Muslim soldiers were injured, and there was anger among them, when word spread that the cartridges' wrapping included cow and pig fat.

The Indian sepoys could not keep stand in front of the British army because

• The Indian soldiers were brave, but they lacked military strategy.
• They lacked economic strength.
• The Indians lacked modern weapons and competent army generals, unlike the British.
• On the other side, because the British had contemporary transportation and communication, they were able to move quickly.
• This demonstrated that conflicts are fought not only through bravery but also via military strategies.

There was division of military on the basis of caste because :

• The British felt that it the Indians came together they would again unite and rebel against the British rule.
• Hence, proper care was taken by dividing them on the basis of caste to avoid future conflict.

• The British implemented a new revenue structure just to enhance their revenues.
• The farmers' taxes were forcefully collected.
• Profits were made by selling British goods in India.
• They put high levies on items produced by local industries.
• As a result of this trade strategy, many craftsmen lost their jobs in the Indian handicraft and textile sectors.
• The British imposed heavy taxes on Indian industries with the sole purpose to ruin the Indian economy.

The social causes behind the struggle of 1857 were :

• The Indians felt that Britishers interfered in their culture, traditions and customs.
• The British enacted Sati Prohibition Act and the Widow-Remarriage Act.
• These were seen as an interference in the lifestyle of the Indians.
• Indians resented it as it was regarded as the destruction of the way of lite by the British government.

There are several reasons for the failure of Indians in the struggle of 1857.

They were :

• It lacked homogeneity since there was no central leadership.
• The Indian soldiers who fought in the conflict lacked modern adequate weapons.
• They were courageous, but lacked strategy.
• The British, on the other hand, possessed a cohesive leadership, a disciplined army, cutting-edge armaments, and experienced army generals.
• Because the British controlled transportation and communication, they were able to move quickly.
• The bulk of the Princely States' rulers stayed out of the liberation struggle.
• The conflict in Northern India was fierce. It did not take place all throughout India at the same time.
• Rajputana, Punjab, sections of Bengal, and northwestern India stayed neutral.

• The British government realized that there was growing dissatisfaction among the Indians due to Company's rule.
• The British Parliament passed the Government of India Act in 1858 and took over the responsibility of ruling over people of India thus bringing an end to Company's rule.
• The Queen issued a Declaration addressing the people of India
• The Governor General was designated as the Viceroy of India.
• A new post of Secretary of State was created to look after the affairs of India.
• The British changed the composition of army and its internal policies.

• The British accepted the policy of non-interference in social and religious aspects of Indians.
• They took care that Indian society did not unite on social grounds.
• They took care to see that conflicts on grounds of caste, religion, race, territory kept raging.

• They poisoned and corrupted Indian minds by implementing the 'Divide and Rule' agenda.