What did the rebels want? To what extent did the vision of different social groups differ?
The rebels wanted to uproot the British rule. It was to be replaced by the rule of Indian, but nwhat would be the nature of that governance is something the rebels were not sure of. They were definitely not fighting to establish a democratic government.
The salient points of the vision of the rebels were as follows:
1.Hindu-Muslim Unity: The rebels were not clear about the idea of Hindu-Muslim Unity. But they were definitely cherished the ideals of Hindu-Muslim unity. The religious sentiments of both the parties were respected so much so whenever a new territory fell to rebels , cow slanghter was banned.
2.Preserving Indian Culture: Many believed that the company was pushing European culture and Christianity on the Indians. The rebels wanted to reverse this process. Some of the measures by the company to reform our society were also seen with the same vein.
The vision of the different social groups:
Zamindars: Many of them did not like the provision of auction of their estate by the company to recover losses. They considered themselves as rulers who could not be dispossessed of their estate. Hence, many of them wanted to give governance that suited their interest.
Merchants: They were a mixed lot. They liked the rule of company as it maintained peace and law across vast areas of India. However, they also looked upon the company rule as partisan that promoted British trade interest at the cost of that of Indian’s, for the end of Company rule could translate into a favourable environment.
Artisans: Most artisans were struggling to survive as they suffered due to policies of Company that pumped manufactured goods of England.
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What were the concerns that influenced town planning in the nineteenth century?
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
What do visual representations tell us about the revolt of 1857? How do historians analyse these representations?
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How did women experience Partition?
In what way was the livelihood of the Paharias different from that of the Santhals?
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Why was British India partitioned?
How did ordinary people view Partition?
To what extent are census data useful in reconstructing patterns of urbanisation in the colonial context?
Discuss the different arguments made in favour of protection of the oppressed groups.
What were the ideals expressed in the Objectives Resolution?
To what extent were social relations transformed in the new cities?
Discuss the extent to which religious beliefs shaped the events of 1857.
How did the American Civil War affect the lives of ryots in India?
On an outline map of the subcontinent, mark out the areas described in this chapter. Find out whether there were other areas where the Permanent Settlement and the ryotwari system were prevalent and plot these on the map as well.
Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?