When People Rebel 1857

Question 1.
When soldiers as a group disobey their officers in the army then it is called a
__________
(a) Cartridge
(b) Sepoy
(c) Mutiny
(d) Barracks
Answer: (c) Mutiny

Question 2.
What did Lord Dalhousie announce after the death of King Bahadur Shah Zafar?
(a) The British set fire to the royal palace and killed all the family members.
(b) The family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another
place to live in.
(c) The family members were imprisoned and Company annexed the state of Delhi
(d) The family can continue staying in Red Fort and his son would be crowned as
the next king
Answer: (b) The family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given
another place to live in.

Question 3.
In 1856, which Governor General decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last
Mughal King and none of his descendants would be recognized as Kings hereafter?
(a) Lord Cornwallis
(b) Lord Canning
(c) Warren Hastings
(d) William Bentick
Answer: (b) Lord Canning

Question 4.
Who helped Colin Campbell to rescue the British holed up in the residency of
Lucknow?
(a) Kunwar Singh
(b) Nana Saheb
(c) Bahadur Shah Zafar
(d) Gurkha regiment
Answer: (d) Gurkha regiment

Question 5.
In 1824, when the sepoys were asked to go to Burma by sea route to fight for the
Company, they refused to follow the order. Why?
(a) It was widely believed that if they crossed the sea they would lose their religion
and caste.
(b) There was a belief that the sepoys will not be paid if they go to Burma.
(c) It was believed that Burma was a non- friendly country and hence did not
welcome foreigners.
(d) It was widely believed that they were taken as prisoners and will be put in a jail
there.
Answer: (a) It was widely believed that if they crossed the sea they would lose
their religion and caste.

Question 6.
What did the East India Company do from the coins minted by the Company?
(a) The name of the Mughal emperor was removed from the coins.
(b) The name India was removed from the coins
(c) The name of the Governor general was removed from the coins
(d) The name of the British King was removed from the coins
Answer: (a) The name of the Mughal emperor was removed from the coins.

Question 7.
Who was Subedar Sitaram Pande ?
(a) Sitaram Pande was a sepoy who attacked Lieutenant Baugh with a sword and
almost killed him
(b) Sitaram Pande was a Resident appointed by the British in the Bengal region.
(c) Sitaram Pande was the self proclaimed ruler who pleaded with the British to
give his fathers pension when the latter died.
(d) Sitaram Pande was a sepoy who helped the British to suppress the rebellion
even though his own son was killed by the British in front of his eyes.
Answer: (d) Sitaram Pande was a sepoy who helped the British to suppress the
rebellion even though his own son was killed by the British in front of his eyes.

Question 8.
What was the new amendment in the law in 1856 passed by the East India
Company?
(a) Every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to
agree to serve overseas if required.
(b) Every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army will be
paid only a low salary
(c) Every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to
collect the revenues set by the British.
(d) Every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to pay
a tax.
Answer: (a) Every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army
had to agree to serve overseas if required.

Question 9.
Which one of the following best describes a Resident with respect to British India?
(a) An official who administers oath to the soldiers.
(b) A local money lender collecting revenue
(c) A senior British Government administrative official positioned in a local place
and controlling the happenings of the kingdom.
(d) A local landlord to keep a check on the land revenue
Answer: (c) A senior British Government administrative official positioned in a
local place and controlling the happenings of the kingdom.

Question 10.
In what way did the Christian missionaries help the British East India Company?
From the statements given below, choose the one that is not TRUE with respect to
the missionaries.
(a) The Christian missionaries functioned freely and even owned land and
property.
(b) The Christian missionaries did not encourage education of women.
(c) An Indian converted to Christianity could inherit the property of ancestors
(d) The Christian missionaries converted the people as Christians
Answer: (b) The Christian missionaries did not encourage education of women.

Question 11.
Name the Governor General who declared that Awadh was being misgoverned and
British rule was needed to ensure proper administration.
(a) Lord Ripon
(b) William Bentick
(c) Lord Dalhousie
(d) Lord Mountbatten
Answer: (c) Lord Dalhousie
Question 12.
Among the following Residents of British India, who was forced to take refuge in a
residency and killed by the forces of Begum Hazrat Mahal?
(a) John Nicholson
(b) Sir Henry Lawrence
(c) John Lawrence
(d) Henry Havelock
Answer: (b) Sir Henry Lawrence

Question 13.
Why did the countryside peasants and zamindars resent the British?
(a) They resented the British colonization .
(b) They resented the Succession policy of the British
(c) They resented the racial discrimination policy of the British by denying high
rank jobs to Indians
(d) They resented high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue collection and many
lost the lands to the money lenders.
Answer: (d) They resented high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue collection
and many lost the lands to the money lenders.

Question 14.
Who wrote the book Majhe Pravaas?
(a) Lalu Bakshi
(b) Bayjabai Shinde
(c) Vishnubhatt Godse
(d) Moropant Tambe
Answer: (c) Vishnubhatt Godse

Question 15.
A sequence of events that happened on 9 May 1857 are given below in a jumbled
up order. Pick up the correct order from the given set of statements.
(i) Other soldiers stationed at Meerut revolted and British officers release the
imprisoned soldiers.
(ii) A group of soldiers mutinied and walked out of their military barracks
(iii) The released soldiers kill the British officers and after marching to Delhi
proclaim the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar as the emperor of India
(iv) The soldiers were dismissed and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for
refusing to use the greased cartridges
(a) (ii), (iv),(iii),(i)
(b) (i),(ii), (iv),(iii)
(c) (iii), (iv),(i),(iii)
(d) (ii), (iv),(i),(iii)
Answer: (d) (ii), (iv),(i),(iii)

Question 16.
Name the able commander- in chief of Nana Saheb who led the revolt in Kanpur.
(a) Maulvi Ahmadullah
(b) Tantia Tope
(c) Bahadur Shah Zafar
(d) Mangal Pandey
Answer: (b) Tantia Tope

Question 17.
Name the ruler of Kanpur who called himself Peshwa?
(a) Nana Saheb
(b) Balaji Rao I
(c) Baji Rao II
(d) Bahadur Shah Zafar
Answer: (a) Nana Saheb

Question 18.
By the mid 18th century, what actually happened to the Nawabs and Rajas in
India?
(a) The East India Company started constructing their empire with the help of
Nawabs and Rajas.
(b) They lost their authority and honour, residents stationed in many kingdoms
(c) They became more popular and extended their kingdom
(d) Many Nawabs and Rajas were dead after a major war with the British.
Answer: (b) They lost their authority and honour, residents stationed in many
kingdoms

Question 19.
Name the Indian soldier who tried to rebel against the British at Barrackpore, but
was arrested and hanged to death on 8th April 1857.
(a) Nana Saheb
(b) Bahadur Shah Zafar
(c) Tantia Tope
(d) Mangal Pandey
Answer: (d) Mangal Pandey
Question 20.
Which one of the following options is derived from the Persian word Sipah
meaning infantry soldier ?
(a) Soldier
(b) Commander in chief
(c) Warrior
(d) Sepoy
Answer: (d) Sepoy

Very Short Answer Type Question

1. Who was the last Peshwa?
Answer: Peshwa Baji Rao II
2. Who led the revolt in Kanpur?
Answer: Nana Saheb
3. Who was the mother of Birjis Qadr?
Answer: Begum Hazrat Mahal
4. Who was the leader of the mutiny as proclaimed by the sepoys?
Answer: Bahadur Shah Zafar
5. Who translated the memoirs of Sitaram Pande into English?
Answer: Norgate translated it into English.
6. Who was the son of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah?
Answer: Birjis Qadr was the son of the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
7. Name the country where the Indian Sepoys were asked to go through the sea
route.
Answer: Burma
8. Under what pretext did the British annex Awadh?
Answer: In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh, and in 1856 it was
taken over.
9. Who wrote the book Majha Pravaas?
Answer: The book Majha Pravaas was written by Vishnubhatt Godse, a Brahman
from a village in Maharashtra.
10. When was Mangal Pandey hanged to death and why?
Answer: On 29 March 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey, was hanged to death
for attacking his officers in Barrackpore.
11. What was the first step taken by the company towards ending the Mughal
dynasty?
Answer: The name of the Mughal king was removed from the coins minted by the
Company.
12. What rumour spread among the sepoys of the Meerut regiment about the new
cartridges?
Answer: The rumour spread that the new cartridges were greased with the fat of
cows and pigs.
13. Who took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi?
Answer: Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of
fighters who came to Delhi.
14. What is mutiny?
Answer: When soldiers as a group disobey their officers in the army then it is
called mutiny.
15. Who was ’Viceroy’?
Answer: The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy, that is, a
personal representative of the Crown.
16. What was Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah’s prophecy?
Answer: Ahmadullah Shah, a maulvi from Faizabad, prophesied that the rule of the
British would come to an end soon.
17. Who was the Begum Hazrat Mahal? What was her role in the 1857 rebellion?
Answer: Begum Hazrat Mahal was the mother of Birjis Qadr. She took an active
part in organising the uprising against the British.
18. What is Bakht Khan?
Answer: Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of
fighters who came to Delhi. He became a key military leader of the rebellion.
19. Who declared himself as a governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar?
Answer: Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao declared that he
was a governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
20. Which Governor-General decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last
Mughal king?
Answer: In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar
would be the last Mughal king.
21. Name the zamindar of Bihar, who joined the rebel sepoys and battled with the
British.
Answer: In Bihar, an old zamindar, Kunwar Singh, joined the rebel sepoys and
battled with the British for many months.
22. What did the Bahadur Shah Jafar do after he was declared the leader of the
rebel?
Answer: He wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of the country to come forward
and organise a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British.
23. What was the plea of Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II?
Answer: Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded that he be
given his father’s pension when the latter died.
24. What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked
to use?
Answer: The sepoys objected that the new cartridges they were asked to use were
suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. What was the immediate cause of the Sepoy mutiny and why?
Answer: Use of greased cartridges in the army was the immediate cause. They
were coated with the fat of pig and cow and offended the religious sensibilities of
the sepoys.
2. Why were the powers of the East India Company transferred to the British
crown?
Answer: The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the
powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more
responsible management of Indian affairs.
3. How Muslims were treated by the British and why?
Answer: The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and
they were treated with suspicion and hostility. The British believed that they were
responsible for the rebellion in a big way.
4. How Tantia Tope died?
Answer: Tantia Tope escaped to the jungles of central India and continued to fight
a guerrilla war with the support of many tribal and peasant leaders. He was
captured, tried and killed in April 1859.
5. What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the
British?
Answer: Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognize her adopted son
as the heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband. But the British turned
down her plea.
6. How did the revolt of 1857 affect the position of the East India Company?
Answer: The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the
powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more
responsible management of Indian affairs.
7. What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to
Christianity?
Answer: In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier.
This law allowed an Indian who had converted to Christianity to inherit the
property of his ancestors.
8. What was the new law passed in 1856 by the East India Company regarding the
employment in the Company’s army?
Answer: In 1856 the Company passed a new law which stated that every new
person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to agree to serve
overseas if required.
9. Name the governor general who announced to shift Bahadur Shah Zafar’s family
from Red Fort.
Answer: In 1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of
Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort
and given another place in Delhi to reside in.
10. On what condition the ruling chiefs could pass on their kingdoms to their heirs?
Answer: All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would
never be annexed in future. They were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their
heirs, including adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge the
British Queen as their Sovereign Paramount.
11. What was Taiping Rebellion?
Answer: It had started in 1850 and could be suppressed only by the mid-1860s.
Thousands of labouring, poor people were led by Hong Xiuquan to fight for the
establishment of the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace. This was known as the
Taiping Rebellion.
12. Name some new leaders that came to the forefront during the revolt of 1857.
Answer: Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of
fighters who came to Delhi.
Ahmadullah Shah, a maulvi from Faizabad raised a huge force of supporters and
came to Lucknow to fight the British.
13. What were the religious causes of the revolt?
Answer: 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 Indians felt that the British were
destroying their religion; thus, revolted against the British rule.
14. How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?
Answer: Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces in September 1857. The last
Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court and sentenced to life
imprisonment. His sons were shot dead before his eyes. He and his wife Begum
Zinat Mahal were sent to prison in Rangoon in October 1858. Bahadur Shah Zafar
died in the Rangoon jail in November 1862.
15. What were the social causes of the revolt?
Answer: The British believed that Indian society had to be reformed. Laws were
passed to stop the practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage of widows.
English-language education was actively promoted. Many Indians believed that the
British were meddling in their social customs and their traditional way of life; thus,
revolted against the British rule.
16. What happened to the Nawabs when the British established political power in
India?
Answer: When British established political power in India:
The Nawabs and Rajas lost their authority and honour.
British Residents were stationed in all the courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced,
their armed forces disbanded and territories taken away by stages.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Why did the chiefs and rulers support the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar
in the revolt?
Answer: The Mughal dynasty had ruled over a very large part of the country. Most
smaller rulers and chieftains controlled different territories on behalf of the Mughal
ruler. Threatened by the expansion of British rule, many of them felt that if the
Mughal emperor could rule again, they too would be able to rule their own
territories once more, under Mughal authority.
2. What efforts were made by the British to win back the loyalty of the people?
Answer: The British tried their best to win back the loyalty of the people.
They announced rewards for the loyal landlords who would be allowed to continue
to enjoy traditional rights over their lands.
Those who had rebelled were told that they submitted to the British, and if they
had not killed any white people, they would remain safe and their rights and claims
to land would not be denied.
3. How did other Indian soldiers in Meerut participate in the revolt of 1857?
Answer: The response of the other Indian soldiers in Meerut was quite
extraordinary. On 10 May, the soldiers marched to the jail in Meerut and released
the imprisoned sepoys. They attacked and killed British officers. They captured
guns and ammunition and set fire to the buildings and properties of the British and
declared war on the firangis.
4. How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners
of Awadh?
Answer: The British also tried their best to win back the loyalty of the people.
They announced rewards for loyal landholders would be allowed to continue to
enjoy traditional rights over their lands. Those who had rebelled were told that if
they submitted to the British, and if they had not killed any white people, they
would remain safe and their rights and claims to land would not be denied.
5. What did the British do to suppress the revolt of 1857?
Or
How did the Company suppress the revolt?
Answer: The Company decided to repress the revolt with all its might. It brought
reinforcements from England, passed new laws so that the rebels could be
convicted with ease, and then moved into the storm centres of the revolt. Delhi was
recaptured from the rebel forces in September 1857. Lucknow was taken in March
1858. Rani Lakshmibai was defeated and killed in June 1858. Tantia Tope was
captured, tried and killed in April 1859.
6. Who was Subedar Sitaram Pande?
Or
Write a short note on Subedar Sitaram Pande.
Answer: Sitaram Pande was recruited in 1812 as a sepoy in the Bengal Native
Army. He served the English for 48 years and retired in 1860. He helped the
British to suppress the rebellion though his own son was a rebel and was killed by
the British in front of his eyes. On retirement he was persuaded by his
Commanding Officer, Norgate, to write his memoirs. He completed the writing in
1861 in Awadhi and Norgate translated it into English and had it published under
the title From Sepoy to Subedar.
7. What were the main provisions of the Act of 1858?
Answer: Main provisions of the Act of 1858 were:
Powers of the East India Company were transferred to the British Crown in order
to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.
A member of the British Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India and
made responsible for all matters related to the governance of India.
The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy, that is, a personal
representative of the Crown.
8. Why were the Indian sepoys unhappy with the British rule?
Or
Why did the Indian soldiers get angry at the British?
Answer: They were unhappy about their pay, allowances and conditions of service.
Some of the new rules violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs. Those were
the days many people in the country believed that if they crossed the sea they
would lose their religion and caste. So when in 1824 the sepoys were told to go to
Burma by the sea route to fight for the Company, they refused to follow the order,
though they agreed to go by the land route. They were severely punished, and since
the issue did not die down, in 1856 the Company passed a new law which stated
that every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to
agree to serve overseas if required.
9. How did British plan to bring Mughal dynasty to an end?
Answer: The Company even began to plan how to bring the Mughal dynasty to an
end.
The name of the Mughal king was removed from the coins minted by the
Company.
In 1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur
Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given
another place in Delhi to reside in.
In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the
last Mughal king and after his death none of his descendants would be recognized
as kings – they would just be called princes.
10. What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their
position in India before May 1857?
Answer: The reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in
India before May 1857 were:
Nawabs and rajas had lost 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 taken away by stages.
Awadh was one of the last territories to be annexed. In 1801, a subsidiary alliance
was imposed on Awadh, and in 1856 it was taken over.
In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the
last Mughal king and after his death none of his descendants would be recognized
as kings – they would just be called princes.
11. What reforms did the British introduced in the Indian society? How did people
of India respond to them?
Answer: British introduced the following reforms in the Indian society.
Laws were passed to stop the practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage of
widows.
English-language 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 Indians began to feel that the British were destroying their religion, their
social customs and their traditional way of life.
12. What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion have on the
people and the ruling families?
Answer: Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion boosted the morale of the
people and the ruling families.
The people of the towns and villages also rose up in rebellion and rallied around
local leaders, zamindars and chiefs who were prepared to establish their authority
and fight the British.
Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao, gathered armed forces
and expelled the British garrison from the city.
In Lucknow, Birjis Qadr, the son of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, was
proclaimed the new Nawab. He too acknowledged the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah
Zafar.
In Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British along
with Tantia Tope, the general of Nana Saheb.
13. In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of
1857?
Answer: Following are the important changes that were introduced by the British.
The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the
East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible
management of Indian affairs.
All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be
annexed in future. They were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs,
including adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge the British
Queen as their Sovereign Paramount.
It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced
and the number of European soldiers would be increased. It was also decided that
instead of recruiting soldiers from Awadh, Bihar, central India and south India,
more soldiers would be recruited from among the Gurkhas, Sikhs and Pathans.
The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were
treated with suspicion and hostility. The British believed that they were responsible
for the rebellion in a big way.
The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the
people in India.
Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of
rights over their lands.