Explain the grievances of the Indian sepoys against the British rule before the revolt of 1857 with examples
Answers
Explanation:
The Sepoys complained of:
1 Low levels of pay.
2 Difficulty in getting leave.
3 Policy of racial discrimination adopted by the British officers in terms of physical abuse,promotion,pension and terms of service.
4 Rumours about the use of animal fat in cartridges, flour etc
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Answer -
(i) The Indian soldiers were given the Enfield rifles. The cartridges of this rifle were coated with the fat of cows and pigs. The soldiers felt that when they would bite these bullets, it would corrupt their caste and religion.
(ii) In many cantonments, the Indian soldiers refused to use the flour which had the bone dust of cows and pigs.
(iii) A law was passed in 1857 according to which the Indian soldiers could be sent across the sea to fight against any enemy. During those days, many Hindu soldiers considered it a sin against religion to go across the sea.
(iv) The Indian soldiers were maltreated during the parade. The Indians could not bear this humiliation and insult for long.
(v) There was discontentment among the Indian soldiers as they were paid less salary than their counterparts in the British. They also faced difficulty in getting leave.
(vi) The British officials often poked fun at the culture and civilization of the Indian soldiers. So the Indian soldiers wanted to avenge their insult.
(vii) When Mangal Pandy, a soldier, was given cartridges coated with the fat of cows and pigs, he felt infuriated and killed a British official. So he was sentenced to death for this crime. It spread a wave of anger among all Indian soldiers. As a result, they rose in rebellion against the British.