Question 1

What was the immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857?

Accepted Answer

Enfield rifle cartridges greased with animal fat. The immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857 was the introduction of the new Enfield rifle, whose cartridges were rumored to be greased with cow and pig fat. Soldiers had to bite off the end of the cartridge before loading, which was offensive to both Hindu and Muslim sepoys. This single issue united soldiers from different religious backgrounds against British authority. The cartridge issue acted as a spark that ignited the long-standing grievances of the Indian soldiers.

Question 2

Who fired the first shot of the Revolt of 1857?

Accepted Answer

Mangal Pandey. Mangal Pandey, a sepoy of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry, fired the first shot of the revolt at Barrackpore on March 29, 1857. He attacked British officers and called upon his fellow sepoys to rise against the British. He was arrested, court-martialed, and hanged on April 8, 1857. His act of defiance made him one of the earliest martyrs and heroes of the 1857 uprising.

Question 3

At which place did the Revolt of 1857 formally begin?

Accepted Answer

Meerut. The Revolt of 1857 formally began at Meerut on May 10, 1857, when 85 sepoys who had refused to use the greased cartridges were imprisoned. Their fellow soldiers broke open the jail, freed them, and killed several British officers. The rebels then marched to Delhi and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar II as the Emperor of India. This event marked the beginning of the organized armed uprising against British rule.

Question 4

Who was proclaimed Emperor of India by the rebels during the Revolt of 1857?

Accepted Answer

Bahadur Shah Zafar II. Bahadur Shah Zafar II, the last Mughal emperor, was proclaimed the Emperor of India by the rebel sepoys who arrived in Delhi from Meerut in May 1857. Though old and reluctant, he became the symbolic leader of the revolt. He was eventually captured by the British after the fall of Delhi and was exiled to Rangoon (Burma), where he died in 1862. His proclamation as emperor gave the revolt a political and national character.

Question 5

What was the Doctrine of Lapse introduced by Lord Dalhousie?

Accepted Answer

A policy to annex states with no natural heirs. The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie that allowed the British East India Company to annex any princely state whose ruler died without a natural (biological) heir. Under this doctrine, adopted sons were not recognized as legal heirs. States like Satara (1848), Jhansi (1853), and Nagpur (1854) were annexed using this policy. This caused deep resentment among Indian rulers and was a major political cause of the 1857 revolt.

Revolt of 1857 — Set 1