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Indian Freedom Struggle (1707–1947 A.D.)

Notes In the beginning of June 1857 the troops at Jhansi mutinied Rani Lakshmi Bai, the widow of the
late Raja Gangadhar Rao, was proclaimed the ruler of the state. After the loss of Kanpur, Tantia
Tope joined the Rani. Sir Hugh Rose recaptured Jhansi by assault on 3rd April 1958.
The Rani of Jhansi and Tantia tope marched towards Gwalior where hailed by the Indian soldiers.
The Sindhia however, decided to remain loyal to the English and took shelter at Agra. Nana Sahib
was proclaimed the Peshwa and plans were chalked our for a march into the South. Gwalior was
recaptured by the English in June 1858, the Rani of Jhansi died fighting clad in soldier’s uniform
on the ramparts of the fort.
At Bareily Khan Bahadur Khan had proclaimed himself the Nawab Nazim. In Bihar a local zamindar
kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur raised the banner of revolt. At Banaras a rebellion had been organised
which was mercilessly suppressed by Colonel Neill who put to death all rebels, suspected and
even disorderly boys.
The Revolt of 1857 though completely suppressed had shaken the British rule in India from its
very foundations. The reactionary and vested interests were well protected and encouraged and
became pillars of British rule in India: the policy of divide and rule was deliberately pursued and
made the main prop of British control; tight European control over key positions both in the civil
and military administration was maintained.
1. The control of Indian administration was transferred from the East India Company to the
Crown by The Government of India Act 1858. In India the same sort of Governor-General and
the same military and civil service continued as before. In Britain the Act of 1858 provided for
the appointment of a Secretary of State for India, who was to be assisted by an Advisory
Council of fifteen: Eight members to be nominated by the Crown and seven members at first to
be selected by the Court of Directors and afterwards by co-option by the Council itself.
Ever since 1784 the Crown through the Board of Control had exercised considerable influence
over Indian affairs and, in fact, had the deciding voice in all major issues. The Act of 1858
ended the dualism in the control of Indian affairs and made the Crown directly responsible for
management of Indian affairs.
2. The Queen’s announcement declared against any desire for “extension of territorial possessions”
and promised “to respect the rights, dignity and honour of native princes as their own”, while
general amnesty was granted to “all offenders, save and except those who have been or shall
be convicted of having directly taken part in the murder of British subjects”. The Indian states
had served as “breakwaters to the storm which would otherwise have swept over us in one
great wave” and to preserve them as the bulwark of the Empire became a cardinal principle of
British policy.
3. The Proclamation of 1858 contained an assurance that “our subjects, of whatever race or creed,
be freely, and impartially admitted to office in our service, the duties of which they may be
qualified by their education, ability and integrity duly to discharge”.
4. The Indian Army had been mainly responsible for the crisis of 1857. It was thoroughly
reorganised and built up on the policy of ‘division and counterpoise’. The Army Amalgamation
Scheme of 1861 transferred the Company’s European troops to the services of the Crown. The
European troops in India were constantly renovated by periodical visits to England in what
came to be known as the iinked-battalion’ scheme.
5. It was increasingly realised that one basic cause for the Revolt of 1857 was the lack of contact
between the ruler and the ruled. Sir Bartle Frere, in his famous Minute of 1860, urged ‘the
addition of the native element’ to the Legislative Councils.

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