Describe the political causes of first war of independence
Answers
The policy of Extension:
Following the Battle of Plassey, the British started to capturing Indian townships immediately. They subdued Indian territories by striving wars, by executing the Doctrine of Lapse, by overcoming kingdoms to approve the Subsidiary Alliance system and on the pretense of alleged mismanagement of the states by Indian kings. By 1856, almost all countries came under the British rule immediately and Indian princes became servant rulers. This generated outrage amongst the kings and their vassals.
The doctrine of Lapse: According to the Doctrine of Lapse launched by Lord Dalhousie, if any Indian king perished without leaving a male successor, his kingdom would be legislated by the British empire. Due to the Doctrine of Lapse, many kingdoms like Jhansi, Satara,etc. were appended by the Company. The rulers of those kingdoms like Rani Laxmibai thus raised in revolt against Britishers.
In the Political Causes of the First War of Independence, we can include the policies of the British government that aimed at merging the Indian regional Kingdoms into the vast British empire. Such policies include the "Doctrine of Lapse" and the "policy of Annexation". The British government under these policies made an attempt to take over the kingdoms that did not have heirs. Therefore, a number of political leaders took these policies as a threat to their sovereignty and launched rebellions in their respective states such as Rani Lakshmi Bai in Jhansi and Begum Hazrat Mahal in Lucknow.