Military Causes of Revolt of 1857 Explained In Detail

The Revolt of 1857 was the conscious beginning of the independence struggle against the colonialism of the British. It was a prolonged period of armed uprising as well as rebellions in Northern and Central India against the British occupation of that part of the subcontinent. The Revolt started on May 10, 1857, at Meerut as a Sepoy Mutiny. This was started by Sepoys in the Bengal Presidency against the British Officers. India’s War of Independence marked the end of rule by the British East India Company. 

The military causes of revolt of 1857 is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination. It falls under General Studies Paper 1, particularly in the Modern History section.

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Also, read about the Political & Economic Causes of the Revolt of 1857.

Revolt Of 1857 – Military Causes- Download PDF here! 

Revolt Of 1857 – Military Causes

The military causes for the Revolt of 1857 can be summarized as follows:

Lack of professional status

The Indian military was not considered a professional force. They were referred to as "Peasants in Uniform."

Adverse policies

Policies implemented by Lord Dalhousie and Lord Canning had a negative impact on the sentiments of Indian sepoys.

Discrimination in salaries and promotions

The Indian military faced discrimination in terms of salaries, pensions, and promotions. They were treated unfairly compared to their European counterparts.

Limited promotion opportunities

Indian sepoys had restricted avenues for promotion. They could only rise to the rank of subedar. The higher positions were reserved for Europeans.

Introduction of Enfield rifles

The introduction of Enfield rifles was seen as interference with the religious beliefs of the sepoys. This ignited the outbreak of the Revolt of 1857.

During the tenure of Lord Canning, two important acts were passed in 1856.

• General Service Enlistment Act
• Religious Disabilities Act

General Service Enlistment Act

The General Service Enlistment Act was passed in 1856 by the British Parliament. As per the provisions of the act, any Indian sepoy would have to give the undertaking to serve overseas. This was not seen by the Indians in a good light. Crossing the sea meant the loss of one’s caste and was forbidden by one’s religion.

Religious Disabilities Act

The act was introduced in 1850. It changed the Hindu Law of Property and enabled a Hindu to convert to another religion. This would not forgo his right to inherit the property of his father. The political situation got highly affected because of this Act. The Hindus regarded this as an incentive to give up one’s religious faith.

Learn about the Social Causes of the Revolt of 1857 to have a better understanding of the topic!

UPSC Previous Year Questions on Military Causes Of Revolt Of 1857

Which one of the following places did Kunwar Singh, a prominent leader of the Revolt of 1857 belong to?

– A) Bihar

– B) Madhya Pradesh

– C) Rajasthan

– D) Uttar Pradesh

Which one of the following territories was not affected by the Revolt of 1857?[CSE 2005] ]

– A) Jhansi

– B) Chittor

– C) Jagdishpur

– D) Lucknow

With reference to the ‘revolt of 1857’, who of the following was betrayed by a ‘friend’ captured and put to death by the British? [IAS (Pre) 2006] ]

– (A) Nana Saheb

– (B) Kunwar Singh

– (C) Khan Bahadur Khan

– (D) Tatya Tope

The educated middle class in India [IAS (Pre) 1998]

– (A) Opposed the revolt of 1857

– (B) Supported the revolt of 1857

– (C) Remained neutral to the revolt of 1857 

– (D) Fought against native rulers

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