What are the causes of failure of first war of independence
Answers
Answer:
1. Weak leadership.
Bahadur Shah Zafar was weak and incapable to lead the revolt. There was no centrality of command. There were strong regional leaders but the revolt lacked a central figure who could co-ordinate the fight against british.
2. Lack of Pan-India Character
Even though spread over a vast territory and widely popular among the people, the Revolt of 1857 could not embrace the entire country or all the groups and classes of Indian society.
Madras, Bombay, Bengal, and the Western Punjab remained undisturbed.
3. The modern educated Indians also did not support the Revolt. They were repelled by the rebels' appeals to superstitions and their opposition to progressive social measures. The intelligentsia considered British rule to be good as they had had enacted social legislations such as Widow Remarriage Act 1829 (Regulation XVII, Bentinck) Abolition of Sati (1856, Dalhousie) due to which they supported british rule.
4. The zamindars of Bengal also remained loyal to the British. They were after all a creation of the British.
5. The money-lenders were the chief targets of the villagers' attacks. They were, therefore, naturally hostile to the Revolt.
6. The Kings/Royalties supported the British. They acted as 'Breakwaters in the storm'. (Canning)
The Sindhia of Gwalior, the Holkar of Indore, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Raja of Jodhpur and other Rajput rulers, the Nawab of Bhopal, the rulers of Patiala, Nabha, Jind, and Kashmir, the Ranas of Nepal, and many other ruling chiefs, and a large number of big zamindars gave active help to the British in suppressing the Revolt. In fact, no more than one per cent of the chiefs of India joined the Revolt.
7. The Peasant militia wasn't capable to keep up against the well trained troops/army.
8. The british had access to technologies such as telegraph for better communication and well developed railway network to mobilise quick support.