A2 Historical enquiry: India and the British Empire,

Why was there a mutiny in 1857?

The White Man’s Burden – Rudyard Kipling In groups of 2 or 3, you are going to analyse a passage of the poem to try to work out what the message is What was the White Man’s Burden? The perceived duty to govern so-called inferior races and countries

Why was there a mutiny? Use the hand out to briefly explain the long term, short term and trigger factors in your table

Long-term factors Changing nature of British rule: William Bentinck as an example Military expansion Attempt to impose Western cultural values High taxation Introduction of Western technology Repression of unrest

Short-term factors Lord Dalhousie as governor general Widow Remarriage Act Doctrine of Lapse Annexation of Oudh

Trigger factors Cartridge crisis Recruitment policy New army regulations Mutiny began with sepoys but spread …..

Ferguson’s view 6rEc (start at 5mins9) 6rEc ture=endscreen&v=RGQ_OYB2Lm4http:// ture=endscreen&v=RGQ_OYB2Lm4

1857: key questions 1. Who rebelled and why? 2. Was this a merely a mutiny, India’s 1 st War of Independence or an essentially conservative reaction to British innovation? 3. How did the British react? Use information from the documentary and the hand out to help you answer these questions

1). Who were the rebels? Which of the grievances were they reacting to? Sepoys in the Bengal army, many of whom belonged to the Brahmin caste Peasants Indian princes such as the displaced prince of Oudh Their figurehead was the 82 year old Mughal emperor

3). How did the British react? Repression and military control Severe punishments Defined it as a ‘mutiny’ Ratio of India and British troops changed from 9:1 to 3:1 Sepoys recruited from ‘loyal’ areas Concession and a new policy in India After a debate in Parliament: Abolition of the BEIC Crown control under the viceroy Policy as laid down in Royal Proclamation of 1858: ‘it is our will that our subjects, of whatever race or creed, may be admitted to our service, [in the] duties which they are qualified by their education, ability and integrity to discharge.’