Question

Discuss the reason why revolt of 1857_58 failed in assam

Answer 1

Revolt of 1857 is considered as a watershed movement in history. Historians like Sir John Seeley called the revolt a mere sepoy mutiny with no popular support and native leadership. Dr. K Datta considers the revolt as a military outbreak , taken advantage of by some discontent landlords and princes who were suffering under the new political order. VD Savarkar calls it the first war of independence. On the other hand historians like Thomas Metcalf and Stanley Wolpert tries to take a middle ground by stating that it was more than a sepoy mutiny, but less than the war for independence. Marxist historians are of view that it was a struggle of soldier- peasant combine against feudal and foreign bondage. Some historians have tried to give it a religious angle by referring to it as a religious war. Thus, there are different interpretations regarding the nature of the revolt.



CAUSES:-

Economic causes:- collapse of traditional handicraft industries , increasing pressure on agriculture and land, high land revenue which was required to pay on a fixed date failing which lands were to be auctioned off .

Administrative causes:- corruption in the administration especially among petty officials, lower law courts and police.

Political causes:- policies of doctrine of lapse, subsidiary alliance and policy of Effective Control created discontentment among people. Annexation of Awadh proved that even the groveling loyalty can't satisfy British greed for territories.

Socio- Religious causes:- abolition of practices like sati, female infanticide, support to widow remarriage and female education were seen by many as an interference in their culture by the outsider.

Discontent among sepoys:- As per Laxmi Subramanian pay, pension and prospect were the main reason for discontent.

Influence of outside events:- British fought first Afghan war, Crimean war, Punjab wars and in all these wars the company had to incur huge losses. This had a great psychological repercussions.

Rumors :- Rumors such as mixing of bone dust with atta ( flour) and introduction of Enfield rifle , the catridges of which were made up of the fat of beef and pig , acted as a sparking point for the revolt.

failure


Lacked all- India participation. Southern, eastern and western part of India remained more or less unaffected.

All sections didn't participate. Those who didn't participate were modern educated Indians, moneylenders, merchants and some rulers like holkars of Indore, Scindhias of Gwalior , rulers of Patiala, sindh and other sikh chieftains.

No effective leadership.

Poor arms and equipments.

Lacked unified ideology, political perspective, forward looking programme and societal alternative. Rebels represented diverse elements and had differing grievances and concepts of current politics.

Answer 2

i) rebels were too few

ii) delay in executing the plan

iii) lack of leadership

iv) lack of popular support

v) lack of secrecy

vi) no access to arms

vii) lack of support from soldiers