7/31/2019 war 1857

1/2

War of Independence 1857

War of Independence 1857, was the last event fought and served by Indian

Muslims and Hindus together. After it both the nations started thinking on separate

lines due to defeat in this war.

Hence if the had gained victory in it they might started lliving together again. Butthe history has to take a new turn.

War of Independence 1857:

The main causes of War of Independence may be enumerated as follows:

1) British came in India with the purpose of trade by setting up East India Company

with the permission of Mughal King Jahangir, in 1719, Farkh Sair gave this

company tax-less trade facilities in subcontinent which srengthened its position. But

this company soon started bringing different states of India against each other by

assuring them the future kingship of India. Many states went on against each other

and fought against each other by thinking that East India Company would help

them which it didnt. in this way East India Company captured many states of India.

But this whole process of East India Company wasnt comprised on few years but

decades of plannings. So much so that in the end India didn't remain under the

control of one Mughal King but many states had declared themselves independent

with the back of East India Company. But East India Company never remained

faithful to any of them.

2) The attacks of Nadir Shah (Afghan Emperor) in 1739 on Delhi, the capital of

India in Mughal Period had weakened the entire structure of the Indian

Government. And making use of these attacks many Governors of the states

declared themselves indpendent. In this way several states under Mughal control

came into being in India besides the presence of Mughal Government. British

played an important role in bringing these states against each other. They with the

help of minister Mir Jafar of Bengal defeated Siraj-ud-Daula in Plassi and captured

Bengal. They defeated Tipu Sultan with the help of Marhattas and captured the

territory of Maysore. They brought Sikhs in Punjab to weaken the Mughal Empire

and after that they threw away both the Sikh's and Mughall's government.

These events were enough to bring against British the locals, who had been facing

the tyrannies of British in different states.

The War of Independence started from Meerut on 11th May, 1857. Infantry and

mounted soldiers started from Meerut, they killed the British officiers and burnt the

barracks and reached Delhi.

The background to this was that on 29th Mar. A Hindu Brahman soldier, Mangal

Pandey fired on English Seargent, who fired back on Mangal Pandey. When another

English soldier tried to help his partner, the local soldiers threatend him and asked

him to get back. When Col. Herasi came with soldiers to control the stuation,

7/31/2019 war 1857

2/2

Mangal Pandey was arrested and was sentenced to death by military court. He was

hanged on 18th April.

The soldiers of Meerut came in anger when it was tried to train them on new guns

which were used or fired after removing a type of fat being obtained from pig and

cow. This was unacceptable to both Hindus and Muslims as it damged their religious

sentiments.

Freedom fighters from all parts of the subcontinent also joined in at Delhi. The

Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar (a renowned poet also) was compelled to

lead the freedom fighters. The freedom fighters proclaimed that he was the

Emperor of whole of India.

A grand procession was taken out and civilian and ministries and other dignitaries

took the oath of allegiance to the Emperor and vowed to give their lives for the

cause of freedom.

The Emperor issued his own coins and issued his sons to key posts. But his sons

were not much capable about military tactics. Besides, the Emperor's own courtiers

were in collusion with the British and conveyed every news to them.

General Bakht Khan came from Rohelkhand with 14,000 troops and joined the army

and most of the command of the freedom fighters remained under his control. He

was a very brave, wise, capable, loyal and military planner. He with his tactics

inflicted many losses to British. But mutiny of courtiers was enough to corrupt all

plans.