(Online Course) GS Concepts : Mordern Indian History - Reasons of the Failure of the Revolt of 1857

Topic: Reasons of the Failure of the Revolt of 1857.

Question : Briefly discuss the reasons of the failure of the revolt of 1857?

Answer:

1. The revolt of 1857 failed because it suffered from weak leadership and was hardly organized. This proved a major handicap when dealing with the well trained and equipped British troops.

2. The revolt failed to extend to all parts of the country, and large sections of the population did not support it. And some sections infact threw their support behind the British. Some of the loyalists were the Nizam of Hyderabad, Sikander Begum of Bhopal, Sir Jang Bahadur (Minister of Nepal) and Maharaja Sindhia of Gwalior. There was absence of support from the intelligentsia.

3. The different groups of rebels fought for different reasons and served their respective leaders. Each sought restoration of the order of their leaders. By hailing Bahadur Shah as the Emperor of Hindustan, the rebels sought to revert back to the medieval political order rather than replace it with an alternate political authority. Nana Sahib and Tantia Tope sought to revive the Maratha power while Rani Lakshmibai, her own control over the lost territories.

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