what are the political, social and economic causes of 1857 revolt?
Answers
Since the mid eighteenth century, nawabs and rajas had seen their authority and honour.
Residents had been stationed in many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their armed forces disbanded, and their revenues and territories were taken away by stages.
Many ruling families tried to negotiate with the company to protect their interests.
Ex: - Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the company to recognize her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband. Nana sahib, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded that he be given his fathers pension when he later died. However, the company, confident of its superiority and military power, turned down these please. 2. Economic Cause
In the countryside peasants and zamindars resented the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue collection. Many failed to pay back their loans to the moneylenders and gradually lost the lands they had tilled for generations.
Some of the new rules, moreover, violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs.
Sepoys also reacted to what was happening in the countryside. Many of them were peasants and had families living in the villages. So the anger of the peasants quickly spread among the sepoys.
3. Social Cause:-
The British believed that Indian society had to be reformed laws were passed to stop the practice of sati and encourage the remarriage of widows. English language and education was actively promoted.
After 1830, the company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and property.
In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier. Many Indian began feeling that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs and their traditional way of life.
4. Military Cause:-
The Indian sepoys in the employ of the company also had reason for discontent as their pay, allowances and conditions of service.
They also didnt get enough promotional avenues and overseas allowances.
5. Immediate Cause
New cartridges were being coated with the fat of cows and pigs which the Indian thought was destroying their traditional culture.
The following are the economic, political and social causes for the revolt of 1857:
1. Economic Causes: the high revenue demand and the strict policies adopted by the colonial government for the collection of taxes adversely affected the peasants and other section of Indian society. The machine made goods from Britain ruined the local artisans and craftsmen.
2. Political Causes: the British government adopted the "Doctrine of Lapse" and the "policy of Annexation" to merge many Indian kingdoms under the colonial territory. For this many of the leaders such as Rani Lakshmi Bai and Begum Hazrat Mahal fought to save their territories from the occupation of the British.
3. Social Causes: The revolt got the support of common people as the Colonial government made attempts to change the existing social systems for instance, through various acts they abolished the prevalent system of Sati and introduced the Widow Remarriage act.