The Indian Mutiny of 1857-1858 that broke out on 10 May 1857 is subject to different interpretations concerning its causes. The initial outbreak began at Meerut, sparked by native Muslim soldiers refusing to engage in fire practice, which led to what Indian soldiers, known as Sepoys, considered to be their unjustifiable trial and imprisonment, and consequently revolting against their British commanders and British rule in India that had been administered by the East India Company. This rebellion then spread as the Sepoys gathered further support for their cause. Fighting against the mutineers by British soldiers and their Indian allies continued until June 1858, when the previous resistance to the British authority was eventually suppressed.
CAUSES OF THE MUTINY
One of the early potential causes of this mutiny was the extension of British rule in India that led to the abolition of local Indian rulers under Lord Dalhousie, the governor-general of India from 1848 to 1856. The annexation policy of acquiring new territories led to charges of misgoverning as well as dispossessing local rule altogether. This in turn led to wider discontent among the indigenous populations in different regions of India.
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Economic consequences of British rule in India. Exploitative British economic policy in India crippled Indian trade and industry that was aimed at serving British economic interests alone with prejudice to local interests.
Social and religious causes of Indian discontent. British social legislation likewise affected the Indian way of life, which was considered to be pervasive interference into local culture. Legislative reforms also opened the way to facilitating conversion from Islam to Christianity, which further undermined local culture.
Military causes. The British retained command of the local military forces, and the introduction of the Lee Enfield rifle that involved biting greased cartridge tops that were believed to contain the fats of cows and pigs, which was objectionable to both Hindus and Muslims. This served as the spark of the revolt that spread throughout northern and then central India.
CONSEQUENCES OF THE MUTINY
In view of the sudden outbreak and spread of this rebellion, the British authorities required time to gather sufficient strength among Indian allied loyalists to purge resistance staged by the mutineers, while indigenous Indian units were considered to be untrustworthy. This rebellion highlighted the need for reform within the indigenous military forces. Another more lasting consequence was training a professional army that could be deployed anywhere in the world thereafter.
Institution of military reforms. Indian native military units were either disbanded or reorganized to draw recruits from regions where natives were commonly loyalists, including Sikhs and Gurkhas. However, British officers remained in control of command positions.
The dissolution of the East India Company governance. Another long term effect of this rebellion was the political reform of British rule in India. The East India Company was displaced, having been found to be irresponsible toward managing social relations while primary engaging in economic activity. This was considered to be a primary cause of the rebellion, and was thereafter superseded by direct rule from Britain under the auspices of the British monarchy.
Political consequences. Direct political rule, rather than indirectly through an economic entity, led to positive developments in terms of more effective administrative planning and development, as well as introducing improved social sensitivity toward governing the indigenous population. Local rule was hereafter allowed to be maintained in exchange for cooperation with British national authorities, and further British expansionism ceased. This new state of affairs was thus characterized by little evidence of social unrest for the next ninety years.
CONCLUSION
Morag maintains this rebellion should not be considered an aggressive movement toward Indian independence from India, considering that this was not the political aim of the mutineers. In fact, independence was later gained through peaceful means under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi (Morag 2014). The rebellion therefore constituted a series of separate events that had underlying social rather than political causes. This view appears to likewise be confirmed by Veera (Veera 2018), whose contents present how the mutineers did not possess a cohesive unified agenda with long term goals.
- Morag, Jake. “The Indian Mutiny,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2owPRaYbxWw . History Chunks. 18 November 2014. Accessed 2 Oct. 2018.
- Veera, Manohar. “The Revolt of 1857 in India – Sepoy Mutiny – First war of Indian independence.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ataW=bloIEY. 26 March 2018. Accessed 2 Oct. 2018.
