Page 298 - New Medley 5 Semester 2

arrested and later hanged. Soon, the revolt spread like wildfire in many

parts of Northern and Central India.

The Indian farmers, weavers, craftsmen and workers supported and took

part in the revolt against the British. The last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur
Shah Zafar II, was made the emperor of India. The revolt was led by

Nana Sahib and Tantia Tope in Kanpur, Begum Hazrat Mahal in Awadh
and Rani Lakshmi Bai in Jhansi.

The Revolt of 1857 is considered the First War of Independence of
India. It shook the foundations of British rule in India. The British, who

had the support of many Indian kings and nawabs, were able to supress
the revolt. Many Indian villages were burnt. Thousands of Indians were

either killed or arrested.

The failure of the revolt was mainly due to the following reasons:

1. The revolt did not spread to all parts of the country.

2. People from all sections of society did not support it.

3. The Indian soldiers did not have good weapons.

The revolt was a turning point in the history of India. The rule of the

British East India Company came to an end. The rulers in England took
the administration of India into their hands. The Indian kings and nawabs

were allowed to rule over their territories, but under the control of the
English. A Governor General or Viceroy was appointed to rule over India.

The condition of India and the people
did not improve under the British

rule. The officers were cruel and
treated the people badly. The revolt

created an urge for freedom in the
minds and hearts of Indians. At that

time, Indian society was in the grip of
many evils, such as sati, the practice

of killing the girl child, child marriage Raja Rammohan Roy Ishwar Chandra
and the caste system. Vidyasagar

296