History

Rajkumar T M
1857 Revolts

• VD Savarkar called it as First war of Independence

• Concentrated on central and Northern India

• Each region fought for their seperate interests

Causes
Economic Causes

• Colonial policies destroyed the economic fabric of the country

• Unpopular revenue settlement and heavy taxation

• Usurious rates of loans from money lenders

• Misery to Indian artisans and craft man

 Political Cause

• East India Company ‘s greedy policy

• Companies broken pledges and oaths diminished its political prestige

• Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse

• Loss of right of succession of Hindu rulers

Administrative causes

• Rampant corruption in Company’s administration

• Character of British rule imparted an alien feeling to Indians

Socio Religious Cause

• Racial overtones and superiority complex characterised British Administration

• Activities of Missionaries

• Socio religious reforms such as widow remarriage , abolition of sati etc

• Govt’s decision to tax mosque and temple lands and measures such as Religious
Disabilities act 1857
Discontent among Sepoys

• Restrictions on wearing caste and sectarian marks

• Crossing of seas to Burma

• Use of latest En eld ri e cartridges and news of mix of bone dust in atta

• The Annexation of Awadh , home of many sepoys in amed the issue

• Discrimination in matters of promotion and privileges

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Course

• Started at Meerut when the 19th native infantry Berhampur refused to use newly
introduced En eld ri e

• Mangal Pandey who red a Major was executed to become the rst martyr

• Bahadur Shah was chosen as the symbolic head

• Civilians also joined and the revolt spread to di erent regions

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Storm centres and leaders

• General Bakt Khan : Bareily / Delhi

• Kanpur. : Nana Saheb

• Lucknow. : Begum Hazrat Mahal

• Patna. : Kunwar Singh

• Maulavi Ahmadullah. : Faiza bad

• Rani Laxmibhai. : Jhansi

Causes of failure

• All India Participation was absent

• All classes did not join

• Poor arms and Equipment

• Uncoordinated and poorly organised

• No uni ed ideology
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 The Struggle Begins
Factors in Growth of Modern Nationalism
• Uni cation - Administrative , economical and political

• Economic backwardness

• Western Education

• Press and Literature

• Rediscovery of India’s past

• Socio religious Movements

• Reactionary policies against British

• International- Rise or nationalist world wide , liberation of Italy, Greece etc and French
Revolution
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 Political Association before Congress
• First half of 19th century were dominated by wealthy and aristocratic elements ,
local or regional in character and through long petitions demanded

• Administrative reforms

• Association of Indians with the administration

• Spread of Education

• In the second half of 19th century it was dominated by educated middle class -
lawyers, journalists doctors etc and had a wider perspective and a larger
agenda
 Bengal
• Banga Basha Prakasika Sabha (1836 ) - associates of Raja Ram Mohan Roy

• Zamindari Association / Land holders society - Dwarakanath & Prasanna Kumar Tagore

• Bengal British India Society (1843 )

• ZA + BBIS ———> British Indian Association ( 1851 )

• Indian League (1875 ) - Sisir Kumar Ghosh

• Indian Association of Calcutta (1876) - Surendranath Banerjee and Anand Mohan Bose
Bombay

• Poona Sarvajnanik Sabha (1867) - MG Ranade and JV Joshy

• The Bombay presidency association (1885) - Badruddin Tyabji , Pherozshah

Mehta and K T Telang
Madras

• The Madras Mahajan Sabha ( 1884) - M Viraraghavachari , B Subrahmanya

Iyer , P Ananda Charlu
Abroad

• The East India Association (1866) - Dadabhai Naoroji in London , Later

branches in Indian cities
• As a prelude to Indian National Congress , Indian national Conference was
met for two sessions in 1883 and 1885.

• Surendranath Banerjee and Anand Mohan Bose were the chief architects
 Regulating Act 1773

1. Designated the Governor-General of Bengal

2. Created an Executive Council of four members 

3. Lord Warren Hastings was the rst Governor-General of Bengal.

4. Governors of Bombay and Madras presidencies subordinate to the Governor-general of

Bengal.

5. Establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) with one Chief Justice and three other
Judges.

6. Prohibited the servants of the Company from engaging in any private trade or accepting
presents or bribes from the natives.
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Pitts India Act 1784

• For better management of company a airs

• Established board of control for separating administrative responsibilities from

court of directors

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Charter Act 1813

1. De ned the Crown’s sovereignty over British India

2. Empowered the local governments to impose taxes

3. Financial provision was made to encourage a revival in Indian literature and

for the promotion of science.

4. Allowed missionaries for spreading the Christianity in India.

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Charter Act 1833

1. British East India Company became a purely administrative body.

2. The o ce of Governor-General of Bengal replaced with the Governor-General

of India.

3. Lord William Bentinck became the “First Governor General of British India”

4. This was the nal step towards centralisation in India

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Government of India Act 1858

• The rule of Company was replaced by the rule of the Crown in India.

• The powers of the British Crown were to be exercised by the Secretary of State for India

• He was assisted by the Council of India, having 15 members

• He was vested with complete authority and control over the Indian administration
through the Viceroy as his agent

• The Governor-General was made the Viceroy of India.

• Lord Canning was the rst Viceroy of India.

• Abolished Board of Control and Court of Directors.

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Charter Act 1853

1. Envisions the Parliamentary system of Government

2. Enshrines that the o ce of Governor-General assisted by 6 members

3. Introduces Indian Civil Service as an open competition. Macaulay made

Chairman of the Committee.

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