Handout
Sepoy Mutiny Reasons
The issue of cartridges was only a trigger that gave voice to multiple existing grievances.
Economic Issues
- Reduced salary
- End of allowance and foreign travel allowance
- Discrimination in promotion and pension
Social Issues
- Lack of adherence to caste rules
- Forced to travel abroad
- infringement on cultural, religious practices, esp. when travelling oceans
- Food related issues
- quality & religious permissibility of food provided
- Presence of Christian missionaries
- high influx of missionaries since Charter Act 1813
Psychological
- Rumors about grease and food contamination
- Racism and derogatory terms
Political
- Majority sepoys in Bengal Army were from Awadh. 1856 annexation of Awadh was seen as betrayal.
Agrarian
- Brit determined LR via summary settlement (not proper survey) unreasonable LR demand
- Sepoy was just Peasant in uniform
Civil Rebellion Reasons
Nobility
- Loss of kingdom due to annexations
- Doctrine of Lapse
- Awadh 1856 Maladministration
- Aristocrats of Courts also affected
- if king affected, it trickles down to ministers
- Nana Sahib in Kanpur
- Rani Lakshmi Bai in Jhansi
- Bahadur Shah Zafar was told he is prince, not king
Big Landowners
- Mahalwari System - ownership of land given to actual cultivator loss of personal estate for taluqdars
- Brit focused on strong centralized state, thus private forts and armies of Taluqdars disbanded.
- Rule of law, equality before law not positively perceived
Peasants
- High LR, indebtedness
- Loss of occupancy
- Brit courts supporting moneylenders
- Artisans lost patronage of Nawabs after inflow of British goods after Charter Act 1813
Religion
Fear that religion is under threat. This was common to all people.
- High inflow of Christian Missionaries since Charter Act 1813, forced conversions under police protection
- Socio religion reforms of Brits escalated fear that Brits wanted to destroy traditional customs, religious practices
- Sati Abolition 1829
- Widow Remarriages Act 1856
- Lex Loci Act 1850
- Brits taxing revenue free lands of religious sects
- Pandits & Maulvis spread hatred against Brits
- Feeling among Indians that Brit rule immoral
See also: