Revolt of 1857 — Set 9

Correct Answer: B. A shift from aggressive annexation to a more cautious policy of maintaining the status quo with Indian rulers

One of the key administrative lessons the British drew from the 1857 revolt was that the aggressive annexation policy of Dalhousie had been a major cause of the uprising. After 1857, British policy shifted toward preserving the existing Indian princely states rather than annexing them. The Doctrine of Lapse was effectively abandoned, and Indian rulers were allowed to adopt heirs. This 'change of system' was part of Queen Victoria's 1858 proclamation and represented a significant adjustment in British imperial strategy in India.

Correct Answer: B. He was the deposed Nawab of Awadh whose annexation by the British alienated his kingdom and whose wife led the revolt

Wajid Ali Shah was the last Nawab of Awadh who was deposed by the British in 1856 when Lord Dalhousie annexed Awadh. He was taken to Calcutta as a pensioner without ever having been given a proper hearing. The unjust treatment of the beloved Nawab, known for his patronage of music and arts, deeply angered the people of Awadh. While Wajid Ali Shah himself did not participate in the revolt, his wife Begum Hazrat Mahal and the people of Awadh rose in revolt in his name, making Awadh one of the strongest centers of the 1857 uprising.

Correct Answer: B. It involved sepoys, taluqdars, peasants, artisans, and minor rulers — making it broader than just a military mutiny

The 1857 revolt had a complex social composition that went beyond a simple sepoy mutiny. In regions like Awadh and Bihar, it involved taluqdars (landlords), peasants, and artisans who were affected by British economic and administrative policies. Urban craftsmen whose livelihoods had been destroyed by British goods participated, as did minor rulers who had lost their positions. The revolt thus had elements of a broader social uprising against colonial economic and political domination, though it lacked a modern nationalist ideology or unified leadership.

Correct Answer: B. Nana Sahib

Nana Sahib's key personal grievance was the British refusal to continue the pension paid to his adopted father, Peshwa Baji Rao II, after the Peshwa's death in 1851. As an adopted son, Nana Sahib was not recognized by the British as the legal heir under the Doctrine of Lapse, and the substantial pension of Rs. 80,000 per year was discontinued. Nana Sahib even sent Azimullah Khan to London to plead his case, but the British refused. This denial transformed Nana Sahib from a wealthy nobleman into a bitter opponent of British rule.

Correct Answer: B. An army of Indian soldiers (sepoys) recruited mainly from upper-caste Hindus of the Gangetic plain, commanded by British officers

The Bengal Army was one of three presidency armies (Bengal, Bombay, Madras) of the East India Company. It was composed mainly of Indian soldiers (sepoys) recruited from high-caste Hindus — primarily Brahmins and Rajputs — from the Gangetic plain of present-day Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. These soldiers were commanded by British officers. The Bengal Army had a history of asserting its caste privileges and had been subject to fewer disciplinary reforms than the Bombay and Madras armies, making it more susceptible to religious grievances that triggered the revolt.

Correct Answer: D. S.B. Chaudhuri

S.B. Chaudhuri and other Indian historians argued that the 1857 revolt had broad national characteristics beyond just a sepoy mutiny. While R.C. Majumdar took a more cautious view (calling it not a planned war of independence), other Indian scholars like S.N. Sen argued it was a genuine national revolt. The official Indian government view, and that of many nationalist historians, endorsed the 'First War of Independence' interpretation. The historical debate about the nature of 1857 reflects larger questions about Indian nationalism and the colonial period.

Correct Answer: B. After initial rebel success, British women and children were massacred at Bibi Ghar, and later the British recaptured Kanpur and carried out brutal reprisals

The Cawnpore (Kanpur) events of 1857 involved tragic atrocities on both sides. The British garrison surrendered to Nana Sahib under a safe conduct agreement, but were attacked at Sati Chaura Ghat; surviving British women and children were imprisoned in Bibi Ghar (the Ladies' House). In July 1857, these prisoners — approximately 200 women and children — were killed, with their bodies thrown into a well. When General Havelock recaptured Kanpur shortly after, the British forces carried out brutal reprisals against the local population. The massacre of civilians at Bibi Ghar became one of the most emotionally charged events of the revolt.

Correct Answer: B. He was the adopted son of the last Peshwa, Baji Rao II, giving him a claim to Maratha heritage

Nana Sahib (Dhondu Pant) was the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, the last Peshwa who had been defeated by the British in 1818 and given a pension at Bithur near Kanpur. As an adopted heir, Nana Sahib inherited the cultural and political legacy of the Maratha Peshwa tradition. The British refusal to continue his father's pension under the Doctrine of Lapse gave him a personal grievance against British rule. His participation in the revolt can thus be seen as an attempt to reassert Maratha power as well as a personal quest for recognition.

Correct Answer: A. Mangal Pandey's attack at Barrackpore

In the chronological sequence of the 1857 revolt, Mangal Pandey's attack on British officers at Barrackpore on March 29, 1857, occurred first. This was followed by the Meerut revolt on May 10, 1857, then the capture of Delhi by the rebels on May 11, 1857, and the siege of Lucknow Residency beginning on June 30, 1857. Thus, the correct chronological order is: Barrackpore (March 29) → Meerut (May 10) → Delhi (May 11) → Lucknow siege (June 30).

Correct Answer: B. Being the headquarters and stronghold of Veer Kunwar Singh

Jagdishpur in present-day Bhojpur district of Bihar was the ancestral home and stronghold of Veer Kunwar Singh, who led the revolt in Bihar. It was here that Kunwar Singh gathered his forces and from here that he conducted military operations against the British. After his death on April 26, 1858, just days after capturing Jagdishpur from the British, his brother Amar Singh continued the resistance. The town is commemorated in Bihar as a major site of the 1857 revolt and Kunwar Singh is celebrated as a hero of Bihar.