The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, also known by other names including the Rebellion of 1857 was a watershed event in British colonial history in India. It was the beginning of the end of British rule, even though it would continue for almost another century. And, it set in motion policies whose effects still reverberate today.
Diverse reasons and repercussions are linked to this event. It is a notable fact that it began in Bengal, the colonial base of power. The Bengal Presidency imposed direct oppression on its native population with the ruling presence most crudely imposed here. The continuing poverty of the states formerly part of its territory is a reflection of this past.
Several underlying causes provided a fertile soil for resistance. The shared element tying these factors together was a perceived threat to the leading religions of the native population. This threat was tied to a change in the tone of policies. This change was an increasingly religious factor in the foreign presence.
In the past, the East India Company had a principally commercial focus through the 18th century. But, in the 19th century, religion took on greater significance. EIC personnel became more religiously intrusive and supported missionaries in propagating their faith. This increase in religiosity was noticeable to their native subordinates and local population alike. The result was an alliance of Hindus and Muslims against this propagation.
Some of this insensitivity to native feelings was because the English were losing touch with the natives. After the eighteenth century, newer generations of officers spent more time amongst their own kind. By then, there was also an increase in their number which made it easier for them to continue a like minded circle of association.
The growing distance between the English and Indians reduced understanding of native cultures. Local traditions were viewed as more foreign and strange. There was a decline in language capacity of English officers which impacted their ability to communicate with local subordinates. With the arrival of families from England, local contacts were further diminished as socializing with them became even more constrained.
There were other factors that weakened the connection, but, the eventual trigger for the conflagration was the use of animal fat in a new form of cartridge. It contained a combination of beef and pork that was abhorrent to both Hindu and Muslim sensibilities. The beef component was offensive to the Hindu sepoys and the pork component offended the Muslim sepoys. The 19th Native Infantry was the first to resist and was disbanded in punishment. Subsequently, a young sepoy named Mangal Pande killed two officers and called on his comrades to rebel for their religion. He was unsuccessful and was instead court marshaled and hanged. Subsequently, 85 sepoys in Meerat refused to accept the cartridges. After they were court-martialed and sentenced to imprisonment and hard labor, the mutiny took off.
However, since the mutiny was not a widely followed event colonial forces were able to rigorously subdue the rebels. Numerous repercussions followed. Among these repercussions was the termination of any remnant of Mughal governance, replacement of EIC governance by direct British government rule. A documented policy of divide and rule was implemented which was physically also reflected in the territorial division of Bengal along religious lines. Continuation of communalism today is a direct result of this policy. The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 was a transformative event for many reasons.
Diverse reasons and repercussions are linked to this event. It is a notable fact that it began in Bengal, the colonial base of power. The Bengal Presidency imposed direct oppression on its native population with the ruling presence most crudely imposed here. The continuing poverty of the states formerly part of its territory is a reflection of this past.
Several underlying causes provided a fertile soil for resistance. The shared element tying these factors together was a perceived threat to the leading religions of the native population. This threat was tied to a change in the tone of policies. This change was an increasingly religious factor in the foreign presence.
In the past, the East India Company had a principally commercial focus through the 18th century. But, in the 19th century, religion took on greater significance. EIC personnel became more religiously intrusive and supported missionaries in propagating their faith. This increase in religiosity was noticeable to their native subordinates and local population alike. The result was an alliance of Hindus and Muslims against this propagation.
Some of this insensitivity to native feelings was because the English were losing touch with the natives. After the eighteenth century, newer generations of officers spent more time amongst their own kind. By then, there was also an increase in their number which made it easier for them to continue a like minded circle of association.
The growing distance between the English and Indians reduced understanding of native cultures. Local traditions were viewed as more foreign and strange. There was a decline in language capacity of English officers which impacted their ability to communicate with local subordinates. With the arrival of families from England, local contacts were further diminished as socializing with them became even more constrained.
There were other factors that weakened the connection, but, the eventual trigger for the conflagration was the use of animal fat in a new form of cartridge. It contained a combination of beef and pork that was abhorrent to both Hindu and Muslim sensibilities. The beef component was offensive to the Hindu sepoys and the pork component offended the Muslim sepoys. The 19th Native Infantry was the first to resist and was disbanded in punishment. Subsequently, a young sepoy named Mangal Pande killed two officers and called on his comrades to rebel for their religion. He was unsuccessful and was instead court marshaled and hanged. Subsequently, 85 sepoys in Meerat refused to accept the cartridges. After they were court-martialed and sentenced to imprisonment and hard labor, the mutiny took off.
However, since the mutiny was not a widely followed event colonial forces were able to rigorously subdue the rebels. Numerous repercussions followed. Among these repercussions was the termination of any remnant of Mughal governance, replacement of EIC governance by direct British government rule. A documented policy of divide and rule was implemented which was physically also reflected in the territorial division of Bengal along religious lines. Continuation of communalism today is a direct result of this policy. The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 was a transformative event for many reasons.
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