1. Describe the political causes of the Revolt of 1857.
Answers
The main political cause for the great revolt of 1857 was the policy of Doctrine of Lapse. It was an annexation policy purportedly used by Lord Dalhousie as per which any princely state or territory under the British East India Company would automatically be annexed if the ruler died without a male heir.
Answer:
Causes of Revolt
Social
Economical
Political
Military
Immediate Factor
Social Factors
Racial discrimination was the prime factor. Indians suffered badly in the hands of the Europeans. There was visible racial exploitation wherein Indians were not allowed to mix with the Europeans. There was discrimination that was also carried out in public places. This generated gross discontentment against the domination of the whites in India.
The British were also circumspect about interfering in the religious and cultural affairs of Indians. And that if there was to be any interference in their religious and cultural affairs, then that would generate widespread revolts against the British rule and the newly established British rule would be uprooted very easily.
Until 1800, the British were thus not keen to interfere in the social and religious affairs of Indians. But, at the beginning of the 19th Century, the British began to support their bid of social reforms by the methods of legislation.
Thus, it can be summarized that Indians began to doubt the objectives of the British since the advent of these legislations. Some glaring examples of this period are the 1813 Charter Act which conservative Indians viewed as an imposition of Christianity over them. Therefore, they sharply reacted.
At the same time, when some of the social legislations were passed, like, the abolition of Sati, 1829 was passed by Lord William Bentinck (which was implemented across all presidencies across British India), Prohibition of child marriage, widow remarriage, etc. were all understood by Indians as a bid to impose Christianity over them.