CLASS VIII

SOCIAL SCIENCE
THE GIST OF THE LESSON
HISTORY
Chapter 5 - ‘When People Rebel – 1857 and After

One hundred years after the Battle of Plassey, anger against the unjust and oppressive British Government took the
form of a revolt that shook the very foundations of British rule in India.

While British historians called it the Sepoy Mutiny, Indian historians named it the Revolt of 1857 or the First War of
Indian Independence. A series of disturbances in different parts of the country had preceded the Revolt of 1857.

The first expression of organised resistance of the Indians was the Revolt of 1857. It began as a revolt of the sepoys of the
Company’s army but eventually secured the participation of various groups of the Indian people. The causes of the Revolt
lay deeply embedded in the grievances that all sections of Indian society nurtured against British rule.

Policies and the People

We have already seen in the previous chapters how the policies of the East India Company affected various groups of
Indians in different ways.

Political grievances of different sections of Indian society viz. kings, queens, peasants, landlords, tribals, soldiers, etc.
against the British rule were different and each of them reacted in their own way. The people of India resisted the policies
and actions of the British that harmed their interests or were against their sentiments.

Nawabs lose their power

• Since the mid-eighteenth century, nawabs and rajas had seen their power erode. They had gradually lost their authority
and honour. Residents had been stationed in many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their armed forces
disbanded, and their revenues and territories were taken away in stages.
• Many ruling families tried to negotiate with the Company to protect their interests.
❖ For example, Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognise her adopted son as the heir to the
kingdom after the death of her husband.
❖ Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded that he be given his father’s pension when the
latter died. However, the Company, confident of its superiority and military powers, turned down these pleas.
❖ Awadh was one of the last territories to be annexed. In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh, and
in 1856 it was taken over. Governor-General Dalhousie declared that the territory was being misgoverned and
British rule was needed to ensure proper administration. The rebel landowners supported because they
thought about some personal gains by supporting the British.
❖ The Company even began to plan how to bring the Mughal dynasty to an end.
➢ The name of the Mughal king was removed from the coins minted by the Company.
➢ In 1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of
the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place in Delhi to reside in.
➢ In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king and
after his death, none of his descendants would be recognised as kings – they would just be called princes.

The peasants and the sepoys

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• In the countryside, peasants and zamindars resented the high taxes and rigid methods of revenue collection. Many
failed to pay back their loans to the moneylenders and gradually lost the lands they had tilled for generations.
• The Indian sepoys in the employ of the Company also had reasons for discontent.
• They were unhappy about their pay, allowances, and conditions of service.
• Some of the new rules, moreover, violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs.
• Did you know that in those days many people in the country believed that if they crossed the sea they would lose their
religion and caste? So, when in 1824, the sepoys were told to go to Burma by sea route to fight for the Company, they
refused to follow the order, though they agreed to go by land route. They were severely punished, and since the issue
did not die down, in 1856 the Company passed a new law which stated that every new person who took up employment
in the Company’s army had to agree to serve overseas if required.
• Sepoys also reacted to what was happening in the countryside. Many of them were peasants and had families living in
the villages. So, the anger of the peasants quickly spread among the sepoys.

The British believed that Indian society had to be reformed.

• Laws were passed to stop the practice of Sati and
• to encourage the remarriage of widows.
• English-language education was actively promoted.
• After 1830, the Company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and
property.
• In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier. This law allowed an Indian who had converted
to Christianity to inherit the property of his ancestors.

Response to Reforms
• Many Indians began to feel that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs and their traditional way
of life.
• There were of course other Indians who wanted to change existing social practices.

A Mutiny Becomes a Popular Rebellion

• Though struggles between rulers and the ruled are not unusual, sometimes such struggles become quite widespread
as a popular resistance so that the power of the state breaks down. A very large number of people begin to believe that
they have a common enemy and rise up against the enemy at the same time. For such a situation to develop, people
have to organise, communicate, take initiative, and display the confidence to turn the situation around. Such a situation
developed in the northern parts of India in 1857.
• After a hundred years of conquest and administration, the English East India Company faced a massive rebellion that
started in May 1857 and threatened the Company’s very presence in India. Sepoys mutinied in several places beginning
from Meerut and a large number of people from different sections of society rose in rebellion. Some regard it as the
biggest armed resistance to colonialism in the nineteenth century anywhere in the world.

From Meerut to Delhi

• On 8 April 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey, was hanged to death for attacking his officers in Barrackpore. Some
days later, some sepoys of the regiment at Meerut refused to do the army drill using the new cartridges, which were
suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs. Eighty-five sepoys were dismissed from service and sentenced
to ten years in jail for disobeying their officers. This happened on 9 May 1857.
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• The response of the other Indian soldiers in Meerut was quite extraordinary. On 10 May, the soldiers marched to the
jail in Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys. They attacked and killed British officers. They captured guns and
ammunition and set fire to the buildings and properties of the British and declared war on the firangis. The soldiers
were determined to bring an end to their rule in the country. But who would rule the land instead? The soldiers had an
answer to this question – the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
• The sepoys of Meerut rode all night of 10 May to reach Delhi in the early hours of the next morning. As news of their
arrival spread, the regiments stationed in Delhi also rose up in rebellion. Again, British officers were killed, arms and
ammunition seized, and buildings set on fire. Triumphant soldiers gathered around the walls of the Red Fort where the
Badshah lived, demanding to meet him. The emperor was not quite willing to challenge the mighty British power but
the soldiers persisted. They forced their way into the palace and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as their leader.
• The aging emperor had to accept this demand. He wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of the country to come
forward and organize a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British. This single step taken by Bahadur Shah had
great implications.
• The Mughal dynasty ruled over a very large part of the country. Most smaller rulers and chieftains controlled different
territories on behalf of the Mughal ruler. Threatened by the expansion of British rule, many of them felt that if the
Mughal emperor could rule again, they too would be able to rule their own territories once more, under Mughal
authority.
• The British had not expected this to happen. They thought the disturbance caused by the issue of the cartridges would
die down. But Bahadur Shah Zafar’s decision to bless the rebellion changed the entire situation dramatically. Often
when people see an alternative possibility, they feel inspired and enthused. It gives them the courage, hope, and
confidence to act.

The rebellion spreads

• After the British were routed from Delhi, there was no uprising for almost a week. It took that much time for the
news to travel. Then, a spurt of mutinies began.
• Regiment after regiment mutinied and took off to join other troops at nodal points like Delhi, Kanpur, and Lucknow.
• After them, the people of the towns and villages also rose up in rebellion and rallied around local leaders,
zamindars, and chiefs who were prepared to establish their authority and fight the British.
• Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao II who lived near Kanpur, gathered armed forces and
expelled the British garrison from the city. He proclaimed himself Peshwa. He declared that he was a governor
under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
• In Lucknow, Birjis Qadr, the son of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, was proclaimed the new Nawab. He too
acknowledged the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah Zafar. His mother Begum Hazrat Mahal took an active part in
organising the uprising against the British.
• In Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British along with Tantia Tope, the general of
Nana Saheb.
• In the Mandla region of Madhya Pradesh, Rani Avantibai Lodhi of Ramgarh raised and led an army of four
thousand against the British who had taken over the administration of her state.
• The British were greatly outnumbered by the rebel forces. They were defeated in a number of battles. This
convinced the people that the rule of the British had collapsed for good and gave them the confidence to take the
plunge and join the rebellion. A situation of widespread popular rebellion developed in the region of Awadh in

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 particular. On 6 August 1857, we find a telegram sent by Lieutenant Colonel Tytler to his Commander-in-Chief
expressing the fear felt by the British: “Our men are cowed by the numbers opposed to them and the endless
fighting. Every village is held against us, the zamindars have risen to oppose us.”
• Many new leaders came up. For example, Ahmadullah Shah, a maulvi from Faizabad, prophesied that the rule of
the British would come to an end soon. He caught the imagination of the people and raised a huge force of
supporters. He came to Lucknow to fight the British.
• In Delhi, a large number of ghazis, or religious warriors came together to wipe out the white people.
• Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi. He became a key
military leader of the rebellion.
• In Bihar, an old zamindar, Kunwar Singh, joined the rebel sepoys and battled with the British for many months.
Leaders and fighters from across the land joined the fight.

The Company Fights Back

• Unnerved by the scale of the upheaval, the Company decided to repress the revolt with all its might.
• It brought reinforcements from England, passed new laws so that the rebels could be convicted with ease, and then
moved into the storm centres of the revolt.
• Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces in September 1857.
• The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment. He and his
wife Begum Zinat Mahal were sent to prison in Rangoon in October 1858. Bahadur Shah Zafar died in the Rangoon
jail in November 1862.
The recapture of Delhi, however, did not mean that the rebellion died down after that. People continued to resist and battle
the British. The British had to fight for two years to suppress the massive forces of popular rebellion.
• Lucknow was taken in March 1858. Rani Lakshmibai was defeated and killed in June 1858.
• A similar fate awaited Rani Avantibai, who after initial victory in Kheri, chose to embrace death when surrounded
by the British on all sides.
• Tantia Tope escaped to the jungles of central India and continued to fight a guerrilla war with the support of many
tribal and peasant leaders. He was captured, tried, and killed in April 1859.
Just as victories against the British had earlier encouraged rebellion, the defeat of rebel forces encouraged desertions.
How did the British try to win back the loyalty of the people?
• They announced rewards for loyal landholders who would be allowed to continue to enjoy traditional rights over
their lands.
• Those who had rebelled were told that if they submitted to the British, and if they had not killed any white people
they would remain safe, and their rights and claims to land would not be denied. Nevertheless, hundreds of sepoys,
rebels, nawabs, and rajas were tried and hanged.

Aftermath
The British had regained control of the country by the end of 1859, but they could not carry on ruling the land with the
same policies anymore.
Given below are the important changes that were introduced by the British.

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 1. The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the
British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs. A member of the British Cabinet
was appointed Secretary of State for India and made responsible for all matters related to the governance of India.
He was given a council to advise him, called the India Council. The Governor-General of India was given the title of
Viceroy, that is, a personal representative of the Crown. Through these measures, the British government accepted
direct responsibility for ruling India.
2. All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in the future. They were
allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge
the British Queen as their Sovereign Paramount. Thus, the Indian rulers were to hold their kingdoms as subordinates
of the British Crown.
3. It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced and the number of European
soldiers would be increased. It was also decided that instead of recruiting soldiers from Awadh, Bihar, central India,
and south India, more soldiers would be recruited from among the Gurkhas, Sikhs, and Pathans.
4. The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicion and
hostility. The British believed that they were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.
5. The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in India.
6. Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over their lands.
Thus, a new phase of history began after 1857

CHAPTER 5- WHEN PEOPLE REBEL 1857 AND AFTER (FOR IDENTIFICATION)

• Meerut – On 10 May 1857, the soldiers marched to the jail of this place and released the imprisoned sepoys and
attacked the British officers.
• Other important centres of the Revolt of 1857
❖ Delhi
❖ Lucknow
❖ Faizabad
❖ Kanpur
❖ Jhansi
❖ Bareilly

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IMPORTANT DATES

• 1849: An announcement was made by Lord Dalhousie that after the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the king’s
family would be shifted out of the Red Fort and settled at some other place in Delhi.
• 1850: A new law was passed which made the conversion to Christianity easier.
• 1856: Governor General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Indian king and after his
death, his descendants would be recognized as mere princesses and not kings; The Company passed a new law
that stated that every person who agreed to be employed in the Company’s army would have to serve overseas if
required.
• 8th April 1857: Mangal Pandey, a young Indian soldier, was hanged to death for attacking British officials in
Barrackpore.
• May 1857: Sepoys revolted in several places.
• 10th May 1857: Sepoys moved towards Delhi from Meerut.
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 • September 1857: Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces.
• October 1858: Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was imprisoned in Rangoon jail along with his wife Begum
Zinat Mahal.
• 1858: Powers of the East India Company were transferred to the British Crown through a new Act passed by the
British Parliament to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.

Omitted Portions
• All the activities
• The Khurda uprising – a case study
• Let’s Imagine
• Let’s do

Included - All sources, pictures, and maps are included

What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?
Ans:
Objections the sepoys had to the new cartridges were:
• The cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs.
• The sepoys had to use their mouth to remove the covering of the cartridges.
• They termed the cartridges to be a violation of religious sentiments.
• Hence they rebelled.

What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857?
Ans.
Reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857
• The traditional rulers failed to develop independent leadership.
• They also failed to have independent social, economic, and political aims of their own.
• They fought among themselves and could not present a united front against foreign rule.
• A section of the people practiced inhuman social practices. They did not rise in revolt against the Britishers.

What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support for the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families?
Ans:
Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support for the rebellion boosted the morale of the people and the ruling families. They became
united to fight the British authority with double spirit.
People of the towns and villages rose up in rebellion and rallied around local leaders, zamindars, and chiefs. Nana Saheb,
the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao, who lived near Kanpur, gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison
from the city. He proclaimed himself Peshwa.
He declared that he was a Governor under emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. In Lucknow, Birjis Qadr, the son of the deposed
Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, was proclaimed the new Nawab. He too acknowledged the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah Zafar. In
Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British along with Tantia Tope, the general of Nana Saheb.

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_______________________________________________________________________________________________

CLASS VIII
HALF-YEARLY EXAMINATION SYLLABUS (2024-2025)
SOCIAL SCIENCE

HISTORY (OUR PASTS - III)

Chapter 1: How, When and Where
Chapter 2: From Trade to Territory -The Company Establishes Power
Chapter 3: Ruling the Countryside.
Chapter 4: Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age {From A Closer Look (Page 47) till the end of Birsa
Munda (Page 49) are included. The rest of the chapter is omitted}
Chapter 5: When People Rebel 1857 and After.

CIVICS (SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE - III)

Chapter 1: The Indian Constitution
Chapter 3: Parliament and the Making of Laws
Chapter 4: Judiciary

GEOGRAPHY (RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT)

Chapter 1: Resources
Chapter 2: Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources
Chapter 3: Agriculture

SYLLABUS FOR MAP POINTING

(Map pointing should be practised on an outline political map of India)

HISTORY
Chapter 2: From Trade to Territory -The Company Establishes Power
(For identification only)

Some important centres during the British rule.

• Lahore
• Lucknow

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 • Benaras
• Calcutta
• Madras

B S

Chapter 5: When People Rebel 1857 and After. (For identification only)

Some important centres of the Revolt of 1857

1. Meerut- On 10 May 1857, the soldiers marched to the jail of this place and released the imprisoned
sepoys, and attacked the British officers.
Other important centres of the Revolt of 1857
2. Delhi
3. Lucknow
4. Faizabad
5. Kanpur
6. Bareilly
7. Jhansi

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GEOGRAPHY

Chapter 2: Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources

Soils of India (For identification only)

• Alluvial soil region
• Black soil region
• Laterite soil region
• Arid soil region
• Red and Yellow soil region
• Forest and Mountainous soil region

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Wildlife Reserves (For location and labelling)

1. National Park
a) Corbett
b) Ranthambore
c) Gir
d) Kaziranga
e) Kanha

2. Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary

3. Vedanthangal (Bird Sanctuary)

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Chapter 3: Agriculture (For location and labelling)

The leading crop-producing states of India

• Rice – West Bengal
• Wheat – Uttar Pradesh
• Cotton – Gujarat
• Jute – West Bengal
• Tea – Assam
• Coffee – Karnataka

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PLEASE NOTE

• Students must read the prescribed NCERT textbooks thoroughly, along

with the selected portions from the reference textbooks.

• Students will also refer to the Gists.

• Geography -Chapter 2

a) Soil Map is for identification only

b) Map of National Park, Wildlife Reserves, and Bird Sanctuary is for
Location and Labelling.
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