Answer the following question in brief.

What were the social causes behind the struggle of 1857?

The Revolt of 1857 is called as ‘Sepoy Mutiny’, ‘Great Revolt’ and the ‘First War of Indian Independence‘ is the turning point in the account of pre-independent and early colonial India. The revolt was the result of religious insult to the sepoys. Dissatisfaction at the workspace and the continuing abuse and low wages also marked important reasons for the revolt.

The social causes behind the revolt are:

(1) Political and organizational

• Under British rule, each region became a scene of resistance and revolt. The landholders and peasants, the scattered soldiers, the landlords were so depressed and unsatisfied

• The expansionist and annexationist policies of the British power in India made all the Indian rulers, big and small, Hindu and Muslim look with doubt and developed hate towards the British power in India.

(2) Economic

• The economic policies of the British resulted in ruin all the segments of the Indian society.

• Due to their colonial policies of economic abuse, industry, trade commerce, and agriculture suffered, and India became de-industrialized, broken and in debt.

(3) Social and religious

The social and religious partiality of the British was unbearable. Viewing the Indians as racially inferior and culturally backwards made many problems in Indians.

(4) Military and the immediate causes

• Mangal Pandey, a sepoy of Barrackpore near Calcutta on 29 March 1857 initiated the revolt of sepoys, and it started as the revolt of the people.

• Mangal Pandey was a spokesperson of the totality of the sepoys’ anger against the British. The unrest of the sepoys in the army of the British is the spontaneous outburst against the British officer, and it was a peak of burning displeasure in sepoys.

• On May 11, 1857, Indian sepoys revolted against the British in Meerut over the use of cartridges greased with pig and cow fat.

Though a failure, the revolt of 1857 made an immense influence on the mindset of Indian people, and they became conscious about the racial discrimination and exploitation of the British. The British could easily suppress the revolt as they had enough armed forces. The sepoys were unorganized, but they could create the sensation of the need for independence among Indians.