The Revolt of 1857 (Modern History) for UPSC Prelims: Notes, Flashcards and PYQs

Pre-Study: What to Study

9 Subtopics · 65 Concepts

Cumulative Discontent and Uprisings Before 1857
Importance 2/5 What to Study

Economic Causes
Peasants, Revenue Settlement and Rural Indebtedness
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Ruin of Artisans and Handicrafts (Karl Marx's View)
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Tariff Policy and the Indian Trading Class
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Zamindars and the Dispossessed Taluqdars of Awadh
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Political Causes
Annexation Policies and the Princes (Effective Control, Subsidiary Alliance, Doctrine of Lapse)
Importance 5/5 What to Study
Humbling of the Mughals (Prince Faqiruddin's Succession)
Importance 2/5 What to Study
Administrative Causes
Corruption and "Absentee Sovereignty"
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Socio-Religious Causes
Racial Attitude and Missionary Activity
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Social Reforms and Laws Seen as Interference
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Influence of Outside Events
British Losses in Outside Wars (Afghan, Punjab, Crimean)
Importance 2/5 What to Study
Discontent Among Sepoys
Religious Restrictions and the General Service Enlistment Act, 1856
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Pay, Foreign Service Allowance (Bhatta) and the Annexation of Awadh
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Racial Discrimination and the Sepoy as a "Peasant in Uniform"
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Earlier Revolts in the Company's Army (Bengal to the Afghan Wars)
Importance 3/5 What to Study

The Spark
Enfield Rifle and the Greased Cartridges
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Starts at Meerut
Unrest Before Meerut (Berhampore, Mangal Pande at Barrackpore)
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Outbreak at Meerut and the March to Delhi
Importance 5/5 What to Study
Choice of Bahadur Shah as Symbolic Head
Seizure of Delhi and the Choice of an Emperor
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Why Raising the Mughal Emperor Mattered
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Bahadur Shah's Call for a Confederacy and the Spread of the Revolt
Importance 2/5 What to Study
Civilians Join
Civilian Participation and What the Rebels Attacked
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Storm Centres and Leaders of the Revolt
Delhi: Bahadur Shah and General Bakht Khan's Court of Soldiers
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Kanpur: Nana Saheb
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Lucknow: Begum Hazrat Mahal and the Siege of the Residency
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Bareilly: Khan Bahadur
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Bihar: Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Faizabad: Maulvi Ahmadullah
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Jhansi: Rani Laxmibai
Importance 5/5 What to Study
Tantia Tope and the Capture of Gwalior
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Shah Mal of Baghpat
Importance 3/5 What to Study

Recapture of Delhi and the End of the Mughal Dynasty
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Fall of the Other Leaders (Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi and Beyond)
Importance 3/5 What to Study
British Officers Who Suppressed the Revolt (Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Benaras)
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Re-establishment of British Authority by 1859 and Its Cost
Importance 3/5 What to Study

Limited Territorial Spread (All-India Participation Was Absent)
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Classes That Stayed Away or Opposed the Revolt
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Indian Rulers Who Did Not Join the Revolt
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Poor Arms and Equipment (Enfield Rifle, Electric Telegraph)
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Lack of Coordination and Leadership (Uncoordinated and Poorly Organised)
Importance 3/5 What to Study
No Unified Ideology and the Absence of Modern Nationalism
Importance 4/5 What to Study

Evidence of Hindu-Muslim Cooperation in the Revolt
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Maulana Azad's View of the Rising of 1857
Importance 3/5 What to Study

The "Sepoy Mutiny" View and Its Limits
Importance 4/5 What to Study
K. Datta's View of the Revolt
Importance 2/5 What to Study
V.D. Savarkar's View of the Revolt
Importance 5/5 What to Study
S.N. Sen's View of the Revolt
Importance 3/5 What to Study
R.C. Majumdar's View of the Revolt
Importance 4/5 What to Study
The Marxist Interpretation
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Feudal-Uprising Views (Nehru, M.N. Roy, R.P. Dutt)
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Dismissive Colonial Views (L.E.R. Rees, T.R. Holmes, James Outram)
Importance 2/5 What to Study
S.B. Chaudhuri's View of the Revolt
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Other Assessments (Eric Stokes, Tara Chand, Percival Spear, Stanley Wolpert, John Lawrence)
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Was the Revolt National? Weighing the Evidence
Importance 5/5 What to Study

Act for the Better Government of India, 1858
Importance 5/5 What to Study
Queen's Proclamation of 1858 (and Bernard Cohn's View)
Importance 5/5 What to Study
Reorganisation of the Army
Importance 4/5 What to Study
Army Amalgamation Scheme, 1861 and European Control of Higher Posts
Importance 2/5 What to Study
End of the Era of Reforms
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Divide and Rule and Economic Exploitation After 1857
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Indian Civil Service Act, 1861
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Racial Hatred as the Worst Legacy
Importance 3/5 What to Study
White Mutiny
Importance 2/5 What to Study

Significance for the British
Importance 3/5 What to Study
Significance for Indians and the Later Freedom Struggle
Importance 4/5 What to Study

Study, Revise and Test

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Flashcards10 Cards to Revise With The Revolt of 1857 · MCQ Test15 Questions with Answers and Explanations UPSC Previous Year Questions7 Questions · 5 Years, 1998–2026

The Revolt of 1857

Pre-Study: What to Study

Cumulative Discontent and Uprisings Before 1857

Economic Causes

Peasants, Revenue Settlement and Rural Indebtedness

Ruin of Artisans and Handicrafts (Karl Marx's View)

Tariff Policy and the Indian Trading Class

Zamindars and the Dispossessed Taluqdars of Awadh

Political Causes

Annexation Policies and the Princes (Effective Control, Subsidiary Alliance, Doctrine of Lapse)

Humbling of the Mughals (Prince Faqiruddin's Succession)

Administrative Causes

Corruption and "Absentee Sovereignty"

Socio-Religious Causes

Racial Attitude and Missionary Activity

Social Reforms and Laws Seen as Interference

Influence of Outside Events

British Losses in Outside Wars (Afghan, Punjab, Crimean)

Discontent Among Sepoys

Religious Restrictions and the General Service Enlistment Act, 1856

Pay, Foreign Service Allowance (Bhatta) and the Annexation of Awadh

Racial Discrimination and the Sepoy as a "Peasant in Uniform"

Earlier Revolts in the Company's Army (Bengal to the Afghan Wars)

The Spark

Enfield Rifle and the Greased Cartridges

Starts at Meerut

Unrest Before Meerut (Berhampore, Mangal Pande at Barrackpore)

Outbreak at Meerut and the March to Delhi

Choice of Bahadur Shah as Symbolic Head

Seizure of Delhi and the Choice of an Emperor

Why Raising the Mughal Emperor Mattered

Bahadur Shah's Call for a Confederacy and the Spread of the Revolt

Civilians Join

Civilian Participation and What the Rebels Attacked

Storm Centres and Leaders of the Revolt

Delhi: Bahadur Shah and General Bakht Khan's Court of Soldiers

Kanpur: Nana Saheb

Lucknow: Begum Hazrat Mahal and the Siege of the Residency

Bareilly: Khan Bahadur

Bihar: Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur

Faizabad: Maulvi Ahmadullah

Jhansi: Rani Laxmibai

Tantia Tope and the Capture of Gwalior

Shah Mal of Baghpat

Recapture of Delhi and the End of the Mughal Dynasty

Fall of the Other Leaders (Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi and Beyond)

British Officers Who Suppressed the Revolt (Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Benaras)

Re-establishment of British Authority by 1859 and Its Cost

Limited Territorial Spread (All-India Participation Was Absent)

Classes That Stayed Away or Opposed the Revolt

Indian Rulers Who Did Not Join the Revolt

Poor Arms and Equipment (Enfield Rifle, Electric Telegraph)

Lack of Coordination and Leadership (Uncoordinated and Poorly Organised)

No Unified Ideology and the Absence of Modern Nationalism

Evidence of Hindu-Muslim Cooperation in the Revolt

Maulana Azad's View of the Rising of 1857

The "Sepoy Mutiny" View and Its Limits

K. Datta's View of the Revolt

V.D. Savarkar's View of the Revolt

S.N. Sen's View of the Revolt

R.C. Majumdar's View of the Revolt

The Marxist Interpretation

Feudal-Uprising Views (Nehru, M.N. Roy, R.P. Dutt)

Dismissive Colonial Views (L.E.R. Rees, T.R. Holmes, James Outram)

S.B. Chaudhuri's View of the Revolt

Other Assessments (Eric Stokes, Tara Chand, Percival Spear, Stanley Wolpert, John Lawrence)

Was the Revolt National? Weighing the Evidence

Act for the Better Government of India, 1858

Queen's Proclamation of 1858 (and Bernard Cohn's View)

Reorganisation of the Army

Army Amalgamation Scheme, 1861 and European Control of Higher Posts

End of the Era of Reforms

Divide and Rule and Economic Exploitation After 1857

Indian Civil Service Act, 1861

Racial Hatred as the Worst Legacy

White Mutiny

Significance for the British

Significance for Indians and the Later Freedom Struggle

Study, Revise and Test