Main causes of the revolution of 1857 are:
1. Political causes:
(a) The Anti Indian British policies: Robert Clive played a diplomatic role and the trading company i.e. East India company was converted to a political institution. Wellesley and Hastings adopted unfair means to expand their empire. Later on Dalhousie framed a new policy for the expansion of his empire He merged the states of the Indian rulers who had no successor with the British empire. Dalhousie banned the policy of adoption according to which the rulers having no, successor could adopt his successor to the kingdom. It was known as Doctrine of lapse. This policy of Dalhousie affected many Indian states as Sambalpur, Jaitapur, Satara, Nagpur, Bithoor and Jhansi.
(b) Anti expansion policy towards the native rulers: Theoretically, the Mughal emperor was still the Badshah of India but was insulted. The coins were inscribed with the name of the king of England rather than that of the Mughal emperor. Similarly the Maratha Peshwa was deprived of his empire and instead was given pension. Later on his sons and Pesha Nanasaheb’s pension too was withdrawn. This policy of the British annoyed the Indian masses.
(c) Expansionist policy of the British: Through their treaties and alliances with the Indian Princes, the British emperors had assured them to follow the policy of nonintervention, in their (personal or internal) matters, but they, through their political agents, continued intervention, and later captured some states as Avadh under the pretext of administrative disorder.
(d) The feudal class autocrats: This class was annoyed with the British. The feudals collected tax from the people and gave to the king. Hence the feudals were accorded respect in the royal court. But after the subsidiary alliances the rulers were no longer dependent on the feudals and their powers were curtailed. The feudals blamed the British for this, for example Rawat Kesari Singh, the feudal of the war blamed the British for Maharan’s misbehaviour. Thakur Ajit Singh of Jodhpur was not happy with the political agent. Jhuntharam (Diwan) in Jaipur, on insistence by the British deprived Jagirdars of their hereditary rights. The feudals of Auwa, Aasop, Gular and Aalniyawas were not happy with the ruler. During the period of East India Company the rulers and the feudals lost their freedom to take independent decisions.
2. Social and Religious causes:
1. The British intervened in the Indian’s lives in the name of social reforms and often insulted them.The Indian customs and traditions were mocked and the Indians were not appointed for the high posts.
2. Government allowed freedom to Christian to preach and propagate Christianity and the Christian missionaries started converting the weaker sections to Christianity. The prisoners in the prisons were forced to accept Christianity. Those who accepted Christianity their punishment was remitted and they were given more facilities in comparison to others. The converts were posted in higher ranks. At the same time the Hindu gods and goddesses and their ways of worship were looked down upon. Thus the Indians became annoyed and were compelled to revolt.
3. Economic Causes: Prior to the company rule, India was predominantly an agricultural and industrial country. She was the main centre of the world trade and was known as the ‘Golden bird’ because of her economic prosperity. The British, after coming into power degraded India’s economy.
1. East Bengal prior to the company rule, was a prosperous province. The British policy of loot, compelled the people to live a life of hunger and misery. They charged very heavy land revenue to the farmers, compelling them to leave farming and other old professions.
2. The British taxed Indian clothes heavily with the intention to create market in India for their own goods and the artisans were illtreated to the extent they that had to leave their family profession.
3. In Rajasthan too the British imposed heavy duty and controlled all the economic resources. They etablished their full control over the trade in opium and salt. After reaching pacts with all the Indian (native) states, the British introduced Octroi, which annoyed the people. In order to establish their hold over the production of opium in Hadauti, the British imposed taxes on the opium in Hadauti heavier than those in Bengali opium. Consequently smuggling was encouraged and there were food crises. The British earned a good profit from the salt trade in the whole of Rajputana. Many other industries of Rajputana were ruined.
4. Military Causes: The British army had the Avadh army in a large number. The Avadh military personnel were deeply shocked when Avadh was merged with the British empire. The British imposed many restrictions on their original ways of dining, dressing up etc. They felt highly insulted, especially when they were forced to go to foreign countries against their will. The Indian forces got less salary, and had to pay themselves, for their uniforms. Their free postal correspondence was banned. At the top of all they were given cartridges greased with the cow and pig-fat to open with their teeth. All these were enough causes to annoy the Indian forces.
