Page 3 - #18120120101

• Sepoys’started revolt by capturing the arms from stores and plundering the treasury,
afterward they attacked and ransack all government offices like jail, treasury-, telegraph
office, record room, bungalows etc. Proclamations in Hindi, Urdu and Persian were put up
calling local to join them and exterminate the foreign rule. When ordinary people joined
sepoys, mutiny changed to revolt, the targets of attack widened.
• During the revolt in towns like Lucknow, Kanpur and Bareilly, the rich people and
moneylenders were also attacked and property were looted, as they were seen as allies of
British and they also oppressed the peasants in the recent past.

Ways of Communication during Revolt:

• There have been evidences of communication among the sepoys of different regiments
before and during the revolt. Their emissaries moved from one station to other.
• Sepoys or Historians have said, panchayats were there and these were composed of native
officers drawn from each regiments. Some of the decisions were taken collectively by
these panchayats. Sepoys shared a common lifestyle and many of them came from the
same caste, so they sat together and made their own rebellion.

Famous Leaders and Followers of Revolt:

• To fight the British, leadership and organisation were necessary. For leadership, rebels
turned to those rulers to whom British has overthrown. Most of these displaced rulers
joined the revolt due to pressure of locals or due to their own zeal.
• At some places religious leaders also took the leadership and inspired people to fight like
fakir in Meerut and religious leaders in Lucknow who preached destruction of British rule.
• Local leader like Shah Mai in Barout, Uttar Pradesh, and Gonoo, a tribal leader of Kol
tribals in singhbhum mobilised the communities for revolt.

The Role Played by Rumours and Prophecies in Revolt:

• Rumours and prophecies played an important role in outbreak of mutiny and revolt. There
was rumour about the cartridge of Enfield rifle coated with fat of cow and pigs and mixing
of bone, dust with atta.
• Both these rumours were believed and it was thought that it would corrupt the religion and
caste of both Hindus and Muslims.
• There was a fear and suspicion that British wanted Indians to convert them to Christianity.
• There was also prophecy in the air that British rule would come to an end on the centenary
of Battle of Plassey on 23rd June, 1857. So, these rumours and prophecies provided
important psychological reasons to revolt against the British rule.
• Reasons to Believe in Rumours
• In the preceding years of f857, many things were introduced by British which were new to
Indian society and they W’ere believed to be aimed at reforming Indian society like
introduction of Western education, Western ideas, institutions, schools, colleges and
universities.