The sepoy armies, the outbreak of the 1857 rebellion and war of independence

Question 1

What were the three Presidency armies of the EIC?

Answer 1

Bengal, Bombay, and Madras armies.

Question 2

Which two presidency armies were more diverse and had higher base pay?

Answer 2

Bombay and Madras armies.

Question 3

Which presidency army recruited mainly high-caste Hindus?

Answer 3

The Bengal army.

Question 4

Which high castes were the main recruits for the Bengal army?

Answer 4

Bhumihars and Rajputs.

Question 5

Name one privilege of Bengal sepoys regarding punishment.

Answer 5

They were exempt from flogging.

Question 6

What privilege prevented Bengal sepoys from being deployed overseas?

Answer 6

They were not deployed overseas, avoiding caste pollution.

Question 7

What extra pay did Bengal sepoys receive for service beyond EIC territories?

Answer 7

Bhatta.

Question 8

When did the Vellore Mutiny occur?

Answer 8

1806

Question 9

What triggered the Vellore Mutiny?

Answer 9

A new dress code banning religious symbols and turbans.

Question 10

How many sepoys were killed when the Vellore Mutiny was crushed?

Answer 10

250 sepoys.

Question 11

What was the result of the dress code issue after the Vellore Mutiny?

Answer 11

The dress code was repealed.

Question 12

In which war did sepoys rebel over sharing cooking vessels?

Answer 12

The Burmese War of 1824.

Question 13

What issue caused sepoys to rebel in the Burmese War?

Answer 13

Sharing cooking vessels violating caste purity.

Question 14

How many sepoys were executed during the Burmese War unrest?

Answer 14

11 rebels were executed.

Question 15

Which war from 1839 to 1842 humiliated the British and upset sepoys?

Answer 15

The First Anglo-Afghan War.

Question 16

How many British troops were massacred during the retreat from Kabul?

Answer 16

5,000 British troops.

Question 17

How many civilians were massacred during the retreat from Kabul?

Answer 17

12,000 civilians.

Question 18

Which annexations reduced bhatta payments in the late 1840s–1850s?

Answer 18

Annexation of Punjab (1849) and Oudh (1856).

Question 19

Which groups were recruited into the Bengal army, angering high-caste sepoys?

Answer 19

Sikhs and Gurkhas.

Question 20

What Act in 1856 required new sepoys to serve overseas?

Answer 20

The General Services Enlistment Act.

Question 21

What did the Enfield Rifle require sepoys to do, triggering the 1857 unrest?

Answer 21

Bite greased paper cartridges.

Question 22

What offended Hindu sepoys about the cartridge grease?

Answer 22

Rumors it contained cow fat.

Question 23

What offended Muslim sepoys about the cartridge grease?

Answer 23

Rumors it contained pig fat.

Question 24

Who was Mangal Pandey?

Answer 24

A sepoy of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry who attacked British officers.

Question 25

When did Mangal Pandey's attack occur?

Answer 25

March 29, 1857.

Question 26

Where did Mangal Pandey's attack take place?

Answer 26

Barrackpore.

Question 27

What happened to Mangal Pandey after his attack?

Answer 27

He was arrested, tried, and executed.

Question 28

Which sepoy was killed by fellow soldiers for siding with the British?

Answer 28

Shaikh Paltu.

Question 29

On what dates did the Meerut Mutiny occur?

Answer 29

May 9–10, 1857.

Question 30

How many sepoys at Meerut refused to use the cartridges?

Answer 30

85 sepoys.

Question 31

What punishment did the 85 sepoys at Meerut receive?

Answer 31

Court-martial, stripped, and sentenced to 10 years hard labor.

Question 32

What action did Meerut sepoys take on May 10, 1857?

Answer 32

They mutinied, attacked British officers and civilians, and freed their comrades.

Question 33

How far did mutineers march from Meerut to Delhi?

Answer 33

40 miles.

Question 34

When did sepoys enter Delhi in 1857?

Answer 34

May 11, 1857.

Question 35

Who was declared leader of the 1857 rebellion in Delhi?

Answer 35

Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Question 36

What action did British officers take regarding Delhi’s ammunition magazine?

Answer 36

They blew it up to prevent its capture.

Question 37

How many Bengal infantry battalions joined the revolt in Delhi?

Answer 37

Three battalions.

Question 38

When did Bahadur Shah Zafar accept leadership of the rebellion?

Answer 38

May 12, 1857.

Question 39

How many Bengal infantry regiments rebelled in 1857?

Answer 39

54 out of 74 regiments.

Question 40

How many Bengal sepoys deserted instead of joining the rebellion?

Answer 40

30,000 sepoys.

Question 41

What was the rebel rallying cry in 1857?

Answer 41

"Khalq khuda ki, mulk Badshah ka, hukm sbahdar sipahi bahadur ki".

Question 42

Which part of the rebel cry means "the people belong to God"?

Answer 42

Khalq khuda ki.

Question 43

Which local groups supported the rebellion strongly?

Answer 43

Zamindars and taluqdars in Oudh, Bundelkhand, and Rohilkhand.

Question 44

Which presidency armies largely remained loyal during 1857?

Answer 44

Madras and Bombay armies.

Question 45

How many Bombay regiments rebelled?

Answer 45

Three Bombay regiments.

Question 46

Which princely states remained neutral during the rebellion?

Answer 46

Hyderabad and Mysore.

Question 47

Why did Sikh regiments fight for the British?

Answer 47

They feared a return of Mughal rule.

Question 48

How many Sikhs joined the British to suppress the rebellion?

Answer 48

34,000 Sikhs.

Question 49

What is the British traditional classification of the 1857 events?

Answer 49

A mutiny.

Question 50

Which historians described the 1857 events as a mutiny?

Answer 50

Kaye and Malleson.

Question 51

What is the nationalist classification of the 1857 rebellion?

Answer 51

A War of Independence.

Question 52

Which nationalist leader argued it was a War of Independence?

Answer 52

Vinayak Savarkar.

Question 53

Which historian described it as a War of Independence from a Marxist perspective?

Answer 53

Karl Marx.

Question 54

How do modern historians classify the 1857 events?

Answer 54

As a rebellion aimed at restoring pre-British rule.

Question 55

What long-term grievance concerned sepoys regarding caste and religion?

Answer 55

Fear of caste pollution and religious interference.

Question 56

Which early practice of cultural integration was abandoned by British officers?

Answer 56

Tolerance of Indian customs and religions.

Question 57

What led sepoys to question British military superiority?

Answer 57

The British defeat in the First Anglo-Afghan War.

Question 58

What did the General Services Enlistment Act fail to apply to?

Answer 58

Existing sepoys.

Question 59

What fear did existing sepoys have about the General Services Act?

Answer 59

That it would be imposed on them eventually.

Question 60

What did the Vellore Mutiny reveal about sepoy grievances?

Answer 60

Their sensitivity to interference with religious practices.

Question 61

What was a consequence of the Burmese War rebellion?

Answer 61

The British executed rebels and sentenced others to hard labor.

Question 62

What impact did the annexation of Punjab and Oudh have on sepoy pay?

Answer 62

Reduction in bhatta payments.

Question 63

What was the significance of bhatta for sepoys?

Answer 63

It made service financially attractive.

Question 64

Which army had lower base pay, increasing discontent?

Answer 64

The Bengal army.

Question 65

What was one method the British attempted to appease sepoys about cartridge fat?

Answer 65

Offering hand-loading as an alternative.

Question 66

Why did alternative loading methods fail?

Answer 66

Sepoys remained suspicious of British intent.

Question 67

Which sepoy is considered one of the first martyrs of the rebellion?

Answer 67

Mangal Pandey.

Question 68

What year did the Burmese War occur?

Answer 68

1824

Question 69

What major event happened at Barrackpore in 1857?

Answer 69

Mangal Pandey's attack on British officers.

Question 70

What was the immediate cause of the Meerut Mutiny?

Answer 70

Court-martial and harsh punishment of sepoys.

Question 71

Which city became the rebellion's epicenter after Meerut?

Answer 71

Delhi.

Question 72

Who was the last Mughal emperor?

Answer 72

Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Question 73

What was the significance of Delhi in the 1857 rebellion?

Answer 73

It was declared the rebellion's capital under the Mughal emperor.

Question 74

How did British officers prevent rebels from seizing Delhi’s arsenal?

Answer 74

They destroyed the ammunition magazine.

Question 75

What proportion of Bengal infantry regiments did not rebel?

Answer 75

20 out of 74 regiments.

Question 76

What was one argument for classifying 1857 as a rebellion?

Answer 76

It sought to restore pre-British rule.

Question 77

What was one reason for lack of unified ideology among rebels?

Answer 77

Divergent religious and regional interests.

Question 78

Which title did sepoys style themselves during the rebellion?

Answer 78

Ghazis (holy warriors).

Question 79

What was one punitive measure used by the British to suppress sepoy unrest?

Answer 79

Executions and sentences to hard labor.