Revolt of 1857 — Set 1

Correct Answer: B. Enfield rifle cartridges greased with animal fat

The immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857 was the introduction of the new Enfield rifle, whose cartridges were rumored to be greased with cow and pig fat. Soldiers had to bite off the end of the cartridge before loading, which was offensive to both Hindu and Muslim sepoys. This single issue united soldiers from different religious backgrounds against British authority. The cartridge issue acted as a spark that ignited the long-standing grievances of the Indian soldiers.

Correct Answer: C. Mangal Pandey

Mangal Pandey, a sepoy of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry, fired the first shot of the revolt at Barrackpore on March 29, 1857. He attacked British officers and called upon his fellow sepoys to rise against the British. He was arrested, court-martialed, and hanged on April 8, 1857. His act of defiance made him one of the earliest martyrs and heroes of the 1857 uprising.

Correct Answer: C. Meerut

The Revolt of 1857 formally began at Meerut on May 10, 1857, when 85 sepoys who had refused to use the greased cartridges were imprisoned. Their fellow soldiers broke open the jail, freed them, and killed several British officers. The rebels then marched to Delhi and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar II as the Emperor of India. This event marked the beginning of the organized armed uprising against British rule.

Correct Answer: B. Bahadur Shah Zafar II

Bahadur Shah Zafar II, the last Mughal emperor, was proclaimed the Emperor of India by the rebel sepoys who arrived in Delhi from Meerut in May 1857. Though old and reluctant, he became the symbolic leader of the revolt. He was eventually captured by the British after the fall of Delhi and was exiled to Rangoon (Burma), where he died in 1862. His proclamation as emperor gave the revolt a political and national character.

Correct Answer: B. A policy to annex states with no natural heirs

The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie that allowed the British East India Company to annex any princely state whose ruler died without a natural (biological) heir. Under this doctrine, adopted sons were not recognized as legal heirs. States like Satara (1848), Jhansi (1853), and Nagpur (1854) were annexed using this policy. This caused deep resentment among Indian rulers and was a major political cause of the 1857 revolt.

Correct Answer: B. Peshwa Baji Rao II

Nana Sahib, whose real name was Dhondu Pant, was the adopted son of the last Peshwa, Baji Rao II. After Baji Rao II's death, the British refused to continue his pension to Nana Sahib as he was an adopted son. This denial of pension and title turned Nana Sahib against the British, and he became the leader of the revolt at Kanpur (Cawnpore) in 1857. After the failure of the revolt, he disappeared and was never captured.

Correct Answer: B. A general who fought alongside Nana Sahib and Rani Lakshmibai

Tantia Tope, whose real name was Ramchandra Panduranga, was one of the most capable military commanders of the 1857 revolt. He served Nana Sahib and later fought alongside Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. After the fall of Jhansi and Gwalior, he continued guerrilla warfare against the British for months. He was eventually betrayed by a zamindar, captured, and hanged by the British at Shivpuri in April 1859.

Correct Answer: C. Kotah-ki-Serai near Gwalior

Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, one of the most celebrated leaders of the 1857 revolt, died fighting the British at Kotah-ki-Serai near Gwalior on June 17, 1858. She had escaped from Jhansi when it fell to the British and joined forces with Tantia Tope to capture Gwalior. British General Hugh Rose reportedly remarked that she was the best and bravest of the rebel leaders. Her death became a symbol of heroic resistance against colonial rule.

Correct Answer: B. Begum Hazrat Mahal

Begum Hazrat Mahal, the wife of the deposed Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, led the revolt at Lucknow in 1857. She proclaimed her minor son Birjis Qadar as the Nawab and organized resistance against British forces. She fought valiantly but the British eventually recaptured Lucknow. After the revolt failed, she fled to Nepal, where she died in 1879, never returning to India.

Correct Answer: C. Bihar

Veer Kunwar Singh was the leader of the 1857 revolt in Bihar, particularly in Jagdishpur, Arrah, and surrounding areas. He was about 80 years old when he led his forces against the British, making his contribution extraordinarily remarkable. Despite his age and a severe wound to his arm (which he reportedly cut off himself), he continued to fight. He died on April 26, 1858, just days after winning a battle at Jagdishpur.