What
were the immediate causes of
1857 revolt?
Answers
Answer:
The introduction of the 'Enfield Rifle' was the immediate cause of the Revolt 1857 because it was of the opinion that the cartridge of the Enfield Rifle had to be bitten before using it. The cartridge was made up of pork and beef.
Explanation:
The immediate cause of the revolt of 1857:-
By 1857, the country was seething with a discontent. All that was needed was a spark to trigger off an explosion. The issue of the greased cartridges provided that spark. The British had introduced a new rifle known as the Enfield rifle in the army.
The cartridge had a greased paper cover which has to be bitten off before loading the rifle.
In January 1857 a rumour started at the Dumdum cantonment in Calcutta that the cartridges was greased with the fat of animals, which was taboo for both Hindus and Muslims.
The rumour spread like wildfire among the Hindu and Muslim sepoys. They were convinced that the government was deliberately trying to defile their religion. A wave of indignation and anger swept through all the military stations. On 29 March 1857 Mangal Pandey a sepoy at Barrackpore, refused to use the cartridge and attacked his senior officers. He was hanged to death. In the eyes of his fellow sepoys, Mangal Pandey was not a rebel but a martyr. On 9 May, 85 soldiers in Meerut refused to use the new Rifles and were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. they were publicly stripped of their uniforms, put in fetters in the presence of the entire brigade and thrown into jail.