Question

The Sepoys had helped the British to establish their empire in india but instead of receiving
awards or promotions, they were humiliated by the British There was discrimination between
the Indian and the British soldiers. The highest pay given to an Indian sepoy as subedar was less
than the minimum pay of a European recruit. The Act of 1856, made it compulsory for new indian
recruit to serve overseas. It hurt the feelings of the soldiers as Hindus believed that overseas
travel would lead to the loss of caste.
Military Causes
Immediate Causes
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Answer 1

A great cause of contention between the Indians and the British can be traced to the treatment of the sepoys in the British army and the ways in which they were mistreated.

• The first major cause of contention was the rule to send Indian soldiers to fight wars overseas. Under Hindu religious beliefs, crossing the ocean was seen as a sign of losing one's religion. The British soldiers were not sensitive to the belief system of the people within the army.
• This continued on with the case of the bullets which were provided to the soldiers. These bullets were encased in pig fat which was again, something that was against the Hindu belief system, a lot of the differences that occurred between the two parts of the British army stemmed from this lack of empathy and an understanding of the people they had colonized.
• This all culminated in the revolt of 1857 which caused a lot of violent bloodshed, and the murder of several British and Indian soldiers.

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