REASON FOR THE FAILURE OF 1857

REVOLTDONE BY

MARIAPPAN8TH B

WHY IT FAILED?

• * NATIVE INDIAN STATES, INFLUENCED BY THE EXAMPLE OF POWERFUL HYDERABAD, DID NOT JOIN THE REBELS • * SIKH SOLDIERS OF THE PUNJAB AREA REMAINED LOYAL TO THE BRITISH

THROUGHOUT. THE SIKHS WERE A STRONG, WELL TRAINED ARMY, WHO THE BRITISH HAD CONQUERED USING INDIAN SOLDIERS. • * THE AGING BAHADUR SHAH WAS NEITHER A BRAVE GENERAL, NOR AN

ASTUTE LEADER OF THE PEOPLE

THE REVOLT AND THE REASON FOR FAILURE?•THE REVOLT OF 1857 PROVED TO BE VERY DIFFICULT

FOR THE BRITISH TO HANDLE . HOWEVER TO THE GOOD LUCK OF THE BRITISH, MANY RAJPUT RULERS AND THE RULERS OF HYDERABAD , GWALIOR ,JIND , NABHA , PATIALA ,BHOPAL, ETC. , DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE REVOLT AND SEND TROOPS TO HELP THE BRITISH.

CAUSES OF FAILURE:• LACK OF UNITY : THERE WAS NO UNITY AMONG THE REBELS. THE IDEAS OF

NATIONALISM AND UNITY HAD NOT YET DEVELOPED. THERE WAS NO COMMON PURPOSE AMONG THE REBELS. THE SEPOYS OF BENGAL WANTED TO REVIVE THE MEDIEVAL GLORIES OF THE MUGHALS. NANA SAHEB AND TANTIA TOPE TRIED TO RE-ESTABLISH THE MARATHA POWER. RANI LAKSHMI BAI FOUGHT TO REGAIN HER LOST STATE. SECONDLY, THE REVOLT WAS NOT WIDESPREAD. IT TOOK PLACE ONLY IN THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PARTS OF INDIA. EVEN BOMBAY, THE PUNJAB, SIND, RAJASTAN AND SOUTH INDIA REMAINED QUIET. THE BRITISH MANAGED TO GET THE LOYALTY OF THE SIKHS, AFGHANS AND THE GURKHA REGIMENTS. THE GURKHAS ACTUALLY HELPED THE BRITISH IN SUPPRESSING THE REVOLT.

CAUSES OF FAILURE:• LACK OF MODERN WEAPONS AND TECHNIQUES : MERE PARTICIPATION

OR HEROISM COULD NOT MATCH THE LATEST WEAPONS OF THE BRITISH. THE SEPOYS WHO JOINED WITH THE CIVILIANS COULD NOT FACE THE WELL ORGANIZED AND WELL DISCIPLINED ARMY OF THE BRITISH. THE LACK OF RESOURCES BOTH IN TRAINED MEN AND MONEY MADE THE REBELS TO GIVE UP THE STRUGGLE ON MANY OCCASIONS. THE TELEGRAPHIC SYSTEM AND POSTAL COMMUNICATIONS HELPED THE BRITISH TO SPEED UP THEIR OPERATIONS.

CAUSES OF FAILURE:

• LEADERSHIP : THERE WAS LACK OF GOOD LEADERS ON THE PART OF THE INDIANS. THERE WAS NO ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING. THE REBEL LEADERS WERE NO MATCH TO THE BRITISH GENERALS. RANI LAKSHMI BAI, TANIA TOPE AND NANA SAHEB WERE COURAGEOUS BUT THEY WERE NOT GOOD GENERALS. FINALLY THE ENGLISH MASTERY OF THE SEA ENABLED THEM TO GET TIMELY REINFORCEMENT FROM ENGLAND.

FAILURE OF MUTINYTHE MUTINY WAS LOCALIZED. MAJOR PART OF INDIA WAS UNEFFECTED.LACK OF PROPER WEAPONS.NO COMMON GOAL AMONGST THE SEPOYS.INTERNAL CHAOS AMONGST MUTINEERS.MANY COMMUNITIES LIKE RAJPUTS, GURKHAS, HOLKAR, SINDHIA SUPPORTED

BRITISH RATHER THAN TAKING PART IN THE MUTINY.THE ENGLISH GENERALS LIKE OUTRAM, HAVLOCK AND CAMPBELL WERE

EXPERIENCED AND COMPETENT MILITARY OFFICERS.THE UPRISING WAS MAINLY CONCENTRATED IN CITIES RATHER THAN VILLAGES

CAUSES OF FAILURE OF THE REVOLT

• THE REVOLT WAS LOCALIZED AND WAS POORLY ORGANIZED.• THE BRITISH HAD BETTER RESOURCES THAN THE REBELS.• THE REVOLT WAS FEUDAL IN CHARACTER.• THE LEADERS LACKED MILITARY SKILLS.• THE NATIVE PRINCES DID NOT JOIN THE REVOLT.