Discuss the causes of the Revolt of 1857. Why did it fail?

One of the primary and severe outbursts of resentment against the British rule came in the form of the Indian revolt of 1857. This revolt followed the battles of Plassey and Buxar and the main cause was resentment against setting up of British rule in Bengal. It is called the first war of independence by many historians though it is a debatable topic. The British historians termed it Sepoy Mutiny and Jawaharlal Nehru called it a feudal revolt which was much more than just a Sepoy Mutiny. Read further about the causes of revolt of 1857 in India.

The revolt was basically started by the soldiers who worked for the East India Company and later was spread across the country by peasants, artisans and soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the sake of others. Different religions of India came together and fought united for one cause. There were many different reasons for the outbreak of the revolt of 1857. Exploitation by the British, imposing of their faith forcefully on Indians, etc. were just some causes. Some of the other causes are discussed below.

Thousands of soldiers were rendered jobless when the northern states were annexed. The able soldiers of kingdoms like Oudh were very frustrated by this move and were waiting to seek revenge.

The Indian soldiers employed under the British were made to use a special type of cartridge that was to be bitten off before being loaded in a rifle. It was rumored that the cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat. This angered the Hindus and Muslims as it hurt their religious sentiments.

The policy of annexation introduced by Lord Dalhousie was received with much discontent among Indians. Due to the introduction of the new policy, Baji Rao's adopted son Nana Sahib was dispossessed of the pension his father was receiving. It was announced that Bahadur Shah Zafar will not be allowed to stay in the Red Fort anymore and they would have to move to a place near Qutub Minar. It was also announced that the successors of Bahadur Shah would not be given the title of king.

The British started to impose Christianity to provoke people further. Taxes were collected form temples and mosques and Hindu and Muslim soldiers were asked to accept the faith of Christianity.

The Revolt of 1857 could not be successful on account of the following factors (reasons):

a) Lack of unity and cohesion:

Many state rulers e.g. the Scindias, Holkars, Nizam of Hyderabad, Nawab of Bhopal, Rajas of Patiala, Nabha, Jind Jodhpur etc., big Zamindars and traders actively supported the British. The Sikh, Rajput and Gorkha Battalions remained loyal to the British to suppress the Revolt.

b) The rising was not widespread:

The Revolt was limited to U.P., Delhi and West Bengal. It did not assume a national character.

c) No common aims and ideals:

The Hindus and the Muslims wanted to establish their separate empires. There was no unified programme.

d) Lack of discipline, resources and organization:

The revolutionaries lacked resources (men and money), discipline and organization. They were brave and patriotic but lacked leadership qualities.

An unplanned early start: An unplanned early start (Much before the scheduled date i.e. May) alerted the British rulers. The revolt was crushed and failed miserably.