Question

Explain any three reasons for the revolt of 1857

Answer 1

The causes of the mutiny are hard to pin down, and have been much argued about. Before the Rebellion, there were 50,000 British troops, and 300,000 Sepoy serving in the East India Company military.

The forces were divided into three presidency armies: Bombay, Madras, and Bengal. The make-up of these armies varied from region to region.[3]

The Bengal Army recruited higher castes, such as Rajputs and Bhumihar. They cut back the enlistment of lower castes in 1855. In contrast, the Madras Army and Bombay Army were "more localized, caste-neutral armies" that "did not prefer high-caste men".[4] The domination of higher castes in the Bengal Army has been blamed in part for initial mutinies that led to the rebellion.

There were some changes in the terms of their service which may have created resentment. As the East India Company expanded, soldiers were now expected to serve in less familiar regions, such as in Burma, and also to make do without the "foreign service" remuneration they had got previously.[5] Another financial grievance stemmed from the general service act, which denied retired sepoys a pension. This applied only to new recruits, but older sepoys suspected that it might bied apply to those already in service. Also, the Bengal Army was paid less than the Madras and Bombay Armies, which increased their fears over pensions.

Answer 2

Answer:

Discontent was brewing amongst the Indians. They felt that their kings who

were supposed to be their protectors were mere puppets in the hands of the

British. Taxes continued to ruin the peasants. There was discontent in the East

India Company’s army too. The white soldiers got huge pay, mansions to live in

and servants, while the Indian soldiers got a pittance and slow promotions. Few

Englishmen had cared to understand Indian customs or the people’s mind. The

religious sentiments of both Hindus and Muslims were also hurt. The grease on

the bullets they had to bite was made from the fat of cows and pigs.