Independence Day 2023: Here's list of prominent leaders associated with 1857 revolt | READ

Independence Day 2023: The British faced several instances of resistance from Indians throughout their occupation of India. One such popular resistance was the incident of the 'Revolt of 1857'. The storm-centres of the revolt were- Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Jhansi and Arrah. All these places threw up their own leaders who, for all practical purposes, remained independent, even though they accepted the suzerainty of Emperor Bahadur Shah. 

The Indian Mutiny of 1857-59 was a widespread but unsuccessful rebellion against the rule of British East India Company in India which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British crown.

In 1857 in much of northern and central India, the linkage of the revolt of the army with that of the people proved to be a dangerous combination for colonial rule. On March 29, 1857 in Barrackpore near Calcutta, there took place a disturbance when a sepoy, Mangal Pandey killed one of the European officers.

It began in the lines of the native infantry, spread very swiftly to the cavalry and then to the city. The ordinary people of the town and surrounding villages joined the sepoys. He was arrested, tried and executed. The regiments of Barrackpore were disbanded. The news of Mangal Pandey very soon reached other parts of the country and resulted in open revolts.  The most decisive uprising occurred at Meerut, where 85 sepoys of the cavalry regiment were sentenced to 2-10 years imprisonment for refusing to use greased cartridges. 

The very next day, on May 10, 1857, three regiments broke into open mutiny. They killed British officers and broke open the prison to release their comrades. They began to march towards Delhi, where they were joined by the local infantry and the common people. The rebels captured Delhi and killed many British officers. They declared the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah as the emperor of India. From Delhi, the revolt spread to other places. 

Who were the leaders of revolt of 1857? Here is the FULL LIST |

1. Mangal Pandey

Mangal Pandey was born in a high-caste Hindu family in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia. He joined the 34th Bengal native infantry as a sepoy at a young age. Pandey was enraged, knowing that the cartridge used in the New Enfield rifles were made up of animal fat, mainly from cows and pigs.

The sepoys felt their religion was in grave danger, and this is considered as one of the major sparking points of the 1857 Revolt.  Then, he fired upon Lt. Baugh the Adjutant of the 34th Bengal native Infantry at Barrackpore on March 29, 1857. 

He encouraged his fellow sepoys to join him. Mangal Pandey was later arrested in injured condition and was sentenced to death.  He was hanged on 8th April 1857, ten days before the fixed date of execution.  The daring and dashing act of Mangal Pandey triggered off a series of revolts all over the country. The Indian government issued a stamp to commemorate him in 1984. 

2. General Bakht Khan

In Delhi, Bahadur Shah was the leader. But the real power lay with the soldiers. Bakht Khan, who had led the revolt of the soldiers at Bareilly, arrived in Delhi on July 3, 1857. 
From that date, he exercised real authority in Delhi.  He formed a court of soldiers composed of both Hindu and Muslim rebels.

3. Nana Saheb

At Kanpur, the revolt was led by Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II. The rebellious sepoys also supported Nana Saheb and under his leadership, both the military and civilian elements were united. They expelled the British from Kanpur and Nana Saheb was declared the Peshwa. His troops were commanded by Tantia Tope and Azimullah.

He joined the revolt primarily because he was deprived of his pension by the British. The victory was short-lived. Kanpur was recaptured by the British after fresh reinforcements arrived. The revolt was suppressed with terrible vengeance. Nana Saheb escaped but his brilliant commander Tantia Tope continued the struggle. Tantia Tope was finally defeated, arrested and hanged.

4. Begum Hazrat Mahal

Begum Hazrat Mahal, one of the begums of the ex-king of Awadh, took up the leadership of the revolt. At Lucknow, the Begum of Awadh provided leadership and proclaimed her son, Birjis Qadr, as the Nawab of Awadh. But, the more popular leader was Maulavi Ahmadullah of Faizabad, who organised rebellions and fought the British. Therefore, in Lucknow, Begum Hazrat Mahal was assisted by Maulvi Ahmadullah.

5. Rani Lakshmibai

Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi was another great popular leader. She believed that she had been robbed of her ruling rights in defiance of recognised Hindu law. Though she showed some hesitation at the initial stage, she fought valiantly once she joined the ranks of the rebels. To read more about Rani Lakshmibai and her contribution to the freedom struggle, check the linked article.

22-year-old Rani Lakshmibai led the rebels when the British refused to accept the claim of her adopted son to the throne of Jhansi. She fought gallantly against the British forces but was ultimately defeated by the English.

After Rani Lakshmibai escaped, she was joined by Tantia Tope and together they marched to Gwalior and captured it. Fierce fighting followed where the Rani of Jhansi fought like a tigress but died, fighting to the very end. Gwalior was recaptured by the British.

6. Kunwar Singh

The revolt was led by a local zamindar in Bihar's Arrah. Kunwar Singh belonged to the royal house of Jagdishpur. Under his leadership, the military and civil rebellion were so completely fused that the British dreaded him the most.

Why did the Revolt Fail?

Although the revolt was fairly widespread, a large part of the country remained unaffected by it. The revolt was mainly confined to the Doab region. The large princely states, Hyderabad, Mysore, Travancore, and Kashmir, as well as the smaller ones of Rajputana, did not join the rebellion The southern provinces did not take part in it.

No effective leadership- the rebels lacked an effective leader. Although Nana Saheb, Tantia Tope and Rani Lakshmi Bai were brave leaders, they could not offer effective leadership to the movement as a whole.

Limited resources- the rebels lacked resources in terms of men and money. The English, on the other hand, received a steady supply of men, money and arms in India. No participation of the middle class: The English-educated middle class, the rich merchants, traders and zamindars of Bengal helped the British to suppress the revolt.

Results of revolt:

• End of company rule- the great uprising of 1857 was an important landmark in the history of modern India.
• The revolt marked the end of the East India Company’s rule in India.
• Direct rule of the British Crown: India now came under the direct rule of the British Crown.
• This was announced by Lord Canning at a Durbar in Allahabad in a proclamation issued on 1 November 1858 in the name of the Queen.
• The Indian administration was taken over by Queen Victoria, which, in effect, meant the British Parliament.
• The India office was created to handle the governance and administration of the country.
• Religious tolerance: it was promised and due attention was paid to the customs and traditions of India.
• Administrative change: the Governor General’s office was replaced by that of the Viceroy.
• The rights of Indian rulers were recognised.
• The Doctrine of Lapse was abolished.
• The right to adopt sons as legal heirs was accepted.
• Military reorganisation: the ratio of British officers to Indian soldiers increased but the armoury remained in the hands of the English. It was arranged to end the dominance of the Bengal army.

What happened in the end?

The revolt of 1857 was an unprecedented event in the history of British rule in India. It united, though in a limited way, many sections of Indian society for a common cause. Though the revolt failed to achieve the desired goal, it sowed the seeds of Indian nationalism.

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