1. Mangal Pandey was hanged to death for attacking British officers in Barrackpore on ______.
A. 21 March 1857
B. 23 March 1857
C. 31 March 1857
D. 8 April 1857
Solution
The correct answer is 8 April 1857.
Key Points
- Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier who played a key part in the events immediately preceding the outbreak of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
- He was a Sepoy in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry regiment of the British East India Company.
- Due to his attack on two British officers, Mangal Pandey was hanged to death on 8 April 1857, at the age of 29.
Additional Information
- A new Enfield rifle was introduced in India by the British and the rumour going around was that the cartridges were greased with animal fat, primarily from pigs and cows.
- To use the rifle, the soldiers would have to bite off the ends of the greased cartridges in order to load the gun. Since cows are holy animals to Hindus and pigs are considered repugnant to Muslims, it’s use was considered controversial by the Indian soldiers.
- The Indian soldiers thought that the British did this on purpose to dishonour the religion of the Indian soldiers. At the Barrackpore ground near Kolkata, on 8 April 1857, Pandey was hanged to death.
2. Who was the leader of revolutionaries in Bihar during the Revolt of 1857?
A. Namdar Khan
B. Babu Kunwar Singh
C. Birsa Munda
D. Shankar Shah
Solution
The correct answer is Babu Kunwar Singh.
Key Points
- Babu Kunwar Singh was the leader of revolutionaries in Bihar during the Revolt of 1857.
- Babu Kunwar Singh:
- Kunwar Singh was a prominent leader during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
- He was associated with a family of the Ujjainiya clan of the Parmar Rajputs of Jagdispur, currently a part of Bhojpur district, Bihar, India.
- At the age of 80, he led a handpicked band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of the British East India Company.
- He was the chief contriver of the fight against the British in Bihar.
- He is popularly known everywhere as Veer Kunwar Singh.
- He died on 26 April 1858.
Additional Information
- Namdar Khan:
- Namdar Khan was a part of the Pinadari group.
- The Pindaris were irregular military plunderers and foragers in the 17th- through early 19th-century Indian subcontinent who accompanied initially the Mughal army, later the Maratha army, and finally on their own before being eliminated in 1817-18 Pindari War.
- They were unpaid and their compensation was entirely the loot they plundered during the war.
- They were horsemen, foot brigades and partially armed, creating chaos and delivering intelligence about the enemy positions to benefit the army they accompanied.
- Birsa Munda:
- Birsa Munda was a folk hero and a tribal freedom fighter hailing from the Munda tribe.
- He was a spearhead behind the Millenarian movement that arose in the Bihar and Jharkhand belt in the early 19th century under British colonisation.
- Munda rallied the tribals to fight against the forceful land grabbing carried out by the British government which would turn the tribals into bonded labourers and force upon them abject poverty.
- Known as ‘Dharti Abba’ or the Earth Father, Birsa Munda stressed the need of the tribals to study their own religion and not forget their cultural roots.
- He influenced his people to realise the importance of owning their land and asserting their right upon them.
- Shankar Shah:
- Shankar Shah was the king of the Garha Kingdom, which was situated in the Indian region of Gondwana.
- He led an uprising against the British colonial occupiers of India and was put to death along with his son.
- His son’s name was Kunwar Raghunath Shah.
- The flame of the Revolt of 1857 was burning all over India.
- He called for war to make his motherland independent from the British.
- In this struggle, Raghunath Shah greatly supported his father.
- Raja Shankar Shah was the great-grandson of Nizam Shah and the only son of Sumer Shah.
- His son’s name was Raghunath Shah.
- Raja Shankar Shah was very popular among the zamindars and the general public.
3. Which of the following was the immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857 ?
A. Economic exploitation
B. Racial discrimination
C. Social tension
D. Greased cartridges
Solution
The Revolt of 1857 was not merely a product of Sepoy mutiny but was accumulated grievances of the people against the Company’s administration and of their dislike for the foreign regime.
- The main reason for this was the ruthless exploitation of the Indian people by the British.
- The British rule which was formally established after the Battle of Plassey in 1757 in Bengal, strove to fill the coffers of the East India Company at the expense of the Indians.
- The East India Company was governed by greedy merchants and traders who could go to any extent to enrich themselves.
Important Points
- The final spark was provided by the ammunition for the new Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle.
- These rifles had a tighter fit and used paper cartridges that came pre-greased.
- To load the rifle, sepoys had to bite the cartridge open to release the powder.
- The grease used on these cartridges included tallow derived from beef; which would be offensive to Hindus, or lard derived from pork; which would be offensive to Muslims.
Thus, the correct answer is Greased cartridges
Additional Information
- On 29th March 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey, stationed at Barrackpore, revolted single-handedly attacking his British officers.
- He was hanged, and not much notice was taken of this event. But it showed the resentment and anger aroused among the sepoys.
4. At Delhi, the Mughal Emperor’s wife is said to have sabotaged the work of the rebels by acting as the informer to the British. What is her name?
A. Hazarat Mahal
B. Zinnat Mahal
C . Mumtaz Mahal
D.Fatima Begam
Solution
The correct answer is Zinnat Mahal.
Key Points
- Zeenat Mehal was the wife of Bahadur Shah II.
- During the Indian rebellion of 1857, she kept her son out of contact with the rebels in an attempt to secure the throne for him.
- With the British victory, the emperor’s two other sons were shot for supporting the rebels; however, her son did not become heir.
- It’s true that Zinnat Mahal is said to have sabotaged the work of the rebels by acting as the informer to the British
- In 1858, her husband was deposed by the British, bringing the Mughal empire to an end, and she was exiled to Rangoon with her husband.
- After her husband’s death in 1862, the British banned anyone from claiming the title of Emperor in an attempt to dissolve the monarchy.
Thus we conclude that the correct answer is Zinnat Mahal.
5. Which one of the following (Place of the revolt of 1857 – Start of rebellion) is not correctly matched?
A. Lucknow – 4 June, 1857
B. Jhansi – 11 May, 1857
C. Meerut – 10 May, 1857
D. Barrack – 29 March, 1857
Solution
The correct answer is Jhansi – 11 May, 1857.
Key Points
- The Revolt was started on 29th March 1857. The 19th Infantry at Berhampur (Barrackpore), refused to use the newly introduced Enfield rifle. The infantry was disbanded.
- Mangal Pandey, a sepoy of the 34th Native Infantry at Barrackpore attacked and fired at his British Officers.
- On 10 May 1857, the Indian Rebellion started in Meerut. When news of the rebellion reached Jhansi, the Rani asked the British political officer, Captain Alexander Skene, for permission to raise a body of armed men for her own protection; Skene agreed to this.
- The city was relatively calm in the midst of the regional unrest in the summer of 1857, but the Rani conducted a Haldi Kumkum ceremony with pomp in front of all the women of Jhansi to provide assurance to her subjects, and to convince them that the British were cowards and not to be afraid of them.
- In June 1857, rebels of the 12th Bengal Native Infantry seized the Star Fort of Jhansi, containing the treasure and magazine, and after persuading the British to lay down their arms by promising them no harm, broke their word and massacred 40 to 60 European officers of the garrison along with their wives and children. Hence option 2 is not correct.
- Though Rani’s involvement in this massacre is still a subject of debate.
- The full-scale rebellion reached Lucknow on May 30, 1857, and it reached ai its peak in 4th June 1857.
6. Who was the leader of rebellion in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh during 1857?
A. Nana Saheb
B. Khan Bahadur Khan
C. Hazarat Mahal
D. Kunwar Singh
Solution
The correct answer is Khan Bahadur Khan.
Key Points
- The revolt of 1857 started on 10th May 1857 from Meerut Chhawani.
- The Revolt of 1857 is also known as India’s First War of Independence.
- Indian Sepoys refused to use the cartridges with cow and pig’s meat, so the British started torturing soldiers and the revolt started.
- They captured Delhi on 11th May and declared Bahadur Shah Zafar as the Emperor of India.
- The revolt spread in several parts of the country.
- Nana Saheb led the revolt in Kanpur along with Tantia Tope.
- Maulvi Liaquat Ali led the revolt in Allahabad.
- Khan Bahadur Khan led the revolt in Bareilly.
- The revolt in Lucknow, the capital of Awadh was led by Begum Hazrat Mahal.
- Kunwar Singh led the Indian Rebellion of 1857 at Arrah, Bihar.
7. Who was the Mughal emperor, when a massive rebellion against british rule broke out in 1857?
A. Farrukhsiyar
B. Bahadur Shah Zafar
C. Akbar II
D. Aurangzeb
Solution
The correct answer is Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Key Points
- Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor in the Indian subcontinent.
- After the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, none of his descendants was recognized as kings.
- Bahadur Shah Zafar was the son of Akbar II.
- The entry of Bahadur Shah Zafar to the 1857 rebellion gives courage, hope, and confidence to ordinary people.
- British forces recaptured Delhi from the rebel forces in September 1857.
- The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was trialled in court and sentenced to life imprisonment.
- The British exiled him to Rangoon following his involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
- Bahadur Shah Zafar and his wife Begum Zinat Mahal were sent to prison in Rangoon in 1858.
- Bahadur Shah Zafar died in the Rangoon jail in 1862.
- After the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, his family was shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place in Delhi to reside.
Additional Information
- The Revolt of 1857 was the first rebellion against the British East India Company.
- The first war of Indian Independence started on 10th May 1857.
- The revolt was started at Meerut.
- It began as a revolt of the sepoys of the British East India Company’s army but eventually secured the participation of the masses.
- The issue of greased cartridges and military grievances has been over-emphasized, as the factor for the Revolt of 1857.
- In March 1857, Mangal Pandey, a sepoy in Barrackpore, refused to use the cartridge and attacked his senior officers.
- He was hanged to death on 8th April 1857.
- On 9th May 1857, 85 soldiers in Meerut refused to use the new rifle and were sentenced to ten years imprisonment.
- The revolt is known by several names: the Sepoy Mutiny (by British Historians), the Indian Mutiny, the Great Rebellion (by Indian Historians), the Revolt of 1857, the Indian Insurrection, and the First War of Independence (by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar).
- Lord Canning is the British viceroy during the revolt of 1857.
8. Who was proclaimed “Emperor of Hindustan” by the sepoys on 11th May, 1857?
A. Wajid Ali Shah
B. Bahadur Shah Zafar
C. Mirza Mughal
D. Bakht Khan
Solution
The correct answer is Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Key Points
- The mutinying soldiers reached Delhi, the seat of the Mughal Emperor on 11th May.
- They captured the city and declared the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar as the Emperor of Hindustan.
- The rebellion spread to many places in Northern India including Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Gwalior, and Bihar
- Bahadur Shah is well known as India’s last Mughal Emperor and for his role in the 1857 Indian Revolt. There was also no other Indian king left at the time the rebels approached him. Bahadur Shah Zafar was the only person who could lead all of the states
Additional Information
- Mirza Wajid Ali Shah was the eleventh and last King of Awadh, holding the position for 9 years, from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856. Wajid Ali Shah’s first wife was Alam Ara who was better known as Khas Mahal because of her exquisite beauty. She was one of two Nikahi wives.
- Sultan Muhammad Zahir ud-din, better known as well Mirza Mughal, was a Mughal prince. He played a significant role during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was one of the Mughal princes shot dead at one of the gates of Old Delhi, which gate thereafter came to be known as “Khooni Darwaza”
- General Bakht Khan was commander-in-chief of the Indian independent forces in the region of Delhi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the East India Company.
Thus, Bahadur shah Zafar was proclaimed “Emperor of Hindustan” by the sepoys on 11th May 1857.
9. Who was the main leader of Kanpur in the revolution of 1857?
A. Nana Saheb
B. Rao Saheb
C. Khan Bahadur Khan
D. Kunwar Singh
Solution
The correct answer is Nana Saheb.
Key Points
- Nana Saheb Peshwa II, born Dhondu Pant, was an Indian Peshwa of the Maratha empire, aristocrat, and fighter, who led the rebellion in Kanpur during the Great Revolt of 1857.
- Nana Saheb led the revolt of 1857 from Kanpur.
- The rebellion of 1857 was spread across the areas of Meerut, Agra, Mathura, and Lucknow near Kanpur.
- Nana Saheb, the adopted heir of Baji Rao II joined the struggle as he was denied the pension and honors on the ground that he was not the natural-born heir.
Additional Information
- Khan Bahadur Khan Rohilla was the grandson of Hafiz Rahmat Khan, who was the Nawab of Rohilkhand in Uttar Pradesh. He formed his own government in Bareilly in the 1857 Indian revolt against British rule. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Bareilly, too, was captured by the British.\
- Kunwar Singh, also known as Babu Kunwar Singh, was a leader and military commander during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He led a selected band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of the British East India Company. He was the chief organizer of the fight against the British in Bihar.
- Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, was an Indian queen, the Maharani consort of the Maratha princely state of Jhansi from 1843 to 1853 as the wife of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao. She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and became a symbol of resistance to the British Raj for Indian nationalists
Thus, Nana Saheb was the main leader of Kanpur in the revolution of 1857.
10. Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi battling against the British laid her life near Gwalior in the year _______ .
A. 1860
B. 1857
C. 1859
D. 1858
Solution
The correct answer is 1858.
Key Points
- In 1858, Rani Lakshmibai, also known as the Rani of Jhansi, died fighting the British colonial rulers at a place called Kota-ki-Sarai near Gwalior.
- She was one of the first women freedom fighters in India who revolted against the British in 1857.
Additional Information
| Centre | Indian Leader of the 1857 revolt | British Suppressor |
| Delhi | Bahadur Shah Zafar and General Bakht Khan | John Nicholson |
| Kanpur | Nana Saheb and Tantia Tope | Colin Campbell |
| Lucknow | Begum Hazrat Mahal | Colin Campbell |
| Jhansi | Rani Lakshmi Bai | Huge Rose |
