Question:
What are the causes of 1857 revolt?
Sure, here are the main causes of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, listed in point form:
- Economic exploitation
- Heavy land taxes and exploitation of natural resources
- Economic policies favored British merchants and traders over Indian businesses
- Religious and cultural oppression
- Christian missionaries actively sought converts and disparaged Hindu and Muslim beliefs
- Western education was seen as a threat to traditional Indian culture
- Military grievances
- Indian soldiers (sepoys) were paid less than British soldiers and were subjected to harsh discipline
- New rifle cartridges that were greased with animal fat offended both Hindu and Muslim soldiers
- Political factors
- Annexation of territories and dispossessions of Indian rulers and nobles
- British interference in local customs and traditions
- Social factors
- The caste system and discrimination against lower castes
- Limited opportunities for upward mobility for Indians
- Perception of the British
- Seen as arrogant, overbearing, and insensitive to Indian customs and traditions
- Increasing resentment against British rule and administration
These factors contributed to a growing sense of dissatisfaction and rebellion against British rule in India, ultimately leading to the outbreak of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.