SST Notes
History
Chapter 10 - The Revolt of 1857
Revolt of 1857 - ‘Sepoy Mutiny’ or ‘First War of Indian Independence’
Causes
Political Causes:-
● Doctrine of Lapse - Satara, Nagpur and Jhansi
● Naha Saheb (son of Peshwa Baji Rao II) denied pension
● Bahadur Shah Zafar’s successor not allowed in Red Fort
● Annexation of Awadh on grounds of maladministration
● British breaking treaties
Economic Causes:-
● Land Revenue System
● Jagirs confiscated
● Awadh estate confiscated
● Indian economy sacrificed for British trade - Indian traditional industries
collapsed
● Annexation followed by large-scale unemployment and economic distress
● Aritisians, poets, artists, and musicians dependant on royal patronage lost
jobs
Social and Religious Causes:-
● Sati and Female Infanticide abolished; Widow Remarriage act and Women
Education introduced; caused deep resentment amongst orthodox sections
of society
● Effort of missionaries to turn people to Christianity through means of ridicule
of other religions
● Introduction of western education undermined pandits and maulvis
○ Office of Inspector of Schools in Patna - ‘Shaitane Daftar’
● Introduction of railways and post and telegraphs → complex for simple
villages → ‘Western Magic’
● British Judicial System → equality. Upper castes lost privileges
● Racial discrimination by British
Military Causes
● Indian sepoys neither appreciated nor rewarded; treated with contempt
● Discrimination between Indian sepoy and British counterpart. Indian could
not rise above post of subedar
● Indian Soldier → lesser salary than British soldier
● Senior incompetent British officers → no respect for Indians
● 1856 → act that all new recruits have to serve overseas
● Annexation of Awadh → Nawab’s army disbanded → unemployment
● Indian soldiers outnumber British soldiers in 1856 (>5x)
Immediate Cause
● New enfield rifle → greased cartridges → bitten off
● January 1857 → rumour in Dum Dum Cantonment (in Calcutta) → cartridges
greased with animal fat → taboo in Hindus and Muslims
● 29 March 1857 → Mangal Pandey refused to use new rifles → attacked
senior officers → hanged
● 9 May 1857 → 85 Soldiers in Meerut refused → humiliated (stripped out of
uniform) → sentenced to 10 years imprisonment
Main Events of the Revolt
Meerut:-
● 10 May 1857 → sepoys stormed jail → shot European officers → freed
comrades → cut telegraph line to Delhi
Delhi
● 11 May 1857 → marched to Delhi → joined by local sepoys → killed officers
→ captured city
● Bahadur Shah Zafar accepted to be leader → declared ‘Emperor of
Hindustan’
● Sepoy Revolt became war of independence
● Rebellion broke out over North-Western province, Central India and Western
Bihar
● Success was short-lived
● Reinforcements from Punjab came and Delhi was recaptured in September
1857
● Reign of terror → thousands massacred → hundreds hanged without trial
● Bahadur Shah Zafar exiled to Rangoon → his sons and grandson killed and
bodies displayed on streets
Centres and Leaders of the Revolt
Kanpur
● Leader → Nana Saheb
● Kanpur was captured but recaptured soon
● Nana Saheb Escaped
● Commander → Tantya Tope → continued but later arrested and hanged
Lucknow
● Leader → Hazrat Mahal
● Sepoys joined by nawab’s disbanded army and talukdars and peasants
● Captured for several months
● British reinforcements from England recaptured it
● Rebels captured and hanged
● Queen escaped to Nepal
Jhansi
● Leader → Rani Lakshmibai
● ‘Used swords in both hands and reins of horse in mouth’
● Most enduring symbol and greatest inspiration for future freedom fighters
● July 1858 → 18 months after original revolt → peace declared → revolt
crushed
Results of the Revolt
● EEICo rule ended
● India under rule of British Parliament and Queen Victoria (empress of India in
1876)
● Queen Victoria said she would look after welfare of Indians
● Treaties would be honored
● Doctrine of Lapse acknowledged
● Pardon to rebels (except those who killed British subjects)
● British wouldn’t interfere in social and religious customs
● Indians given opportunities in administration
● Army reorganized and strengthened. More British soldiers, and artillery
exclusively under British
Nature of the Revolt
● Outcome of accumulated grievances of different sections of people
● All joined because of different reasons and motives, but common reason was
hatred of British and common motive was to overthrow them
● Popular support from all various of society
● Created sense of bonding and unity between Hindus and Muslims
● 1,50,000 killed; 1,00,000 civilians
Chapter 13 - The Indian National Movement (1885-1916)
Phases of Indian National Movement
1. Early Nationalist Phase: 1885-1905
2. Assertive Nationalist Phase: 1905-18
3. Gandhian Phase: 1918-47
The Early Nationalists (The Moderates)
● Belonged to mainly educated middle-class intellectual community
● Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerjea, Gopal Krishna Gokhle
● Beliefs
○ British rule was a blessing - had benefits on India
○ India not ready to govern themselves
○ British government can be persuaded to introduce necessary reforms
for interests of Indian subjects
○ Great faith in British justice and fair play
● Objectives
○ Proper participation of Indians in government
○ Gradual move towards self-government in the distant future
● Methods
○ Peaceful and Constitutional Methods
○ Presented grievances and waited for government to pass laws to
remove those
○ Believed that the government would slowly accept their demands
○ Promoted Unity
○ Spread Political Awareness
○ Built up a strong Public Opinion
○ Sent delegations to England to persuade government
● Demands
○ Certain reforms for welfare of all sections of Indian society
○ They thought if the demands were reasonable, the British will accept it
● Contributions
○ Failed to achieve their objectives
○ Established a solid foundation for future
○ Spread political awareness, feeling of national unity, feeling of being a
member of a nation, united national struggle
○ Trained Indians in political affairs, ideas of freedom, government,
democracy, secularism, nationalism, etc.
○ Laid the path for next stage of development
○ Beliefs
■ Peaceful orderly change
■ Secular approach
■ Moderate approach
■ Character of national movement started to change by the
beginning of the 20th century
The Assertive Nationalists (The Radicals)
● Transition in national movement
● Leaders - Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurobindo
Ghosh
● Beliefs
○ No faith in British
○ British rule was a curse
○ Worked on British interests
○ British → no intention for the welfare of the Indians
○ India cannot develop under British
● Objectives
○ Wanted immediate freedom (swaraj) from British
● Methods
○ Disbelief in method of early nationalists
○ 20 Years of prayers, petitions, appeals → no results
○ Tilak knew British would never concede for Swaraj
○ Radical method of active opposition to the government
○ Ant-government agitation
○ Regiment of freedom fighters - united, determined, confident and
willing to make sacrifices
The Partition of Bengal (1905)
● Divide and rule
● Assertive nationalists → boycott, swadeshi and national education
● Use only Indian goods
● Partition of Bengal on communal lines
● Created gap between Hindu and Muslim communities
The Surat Split (1907)
● Effect of partition of Bengal
● Swadeshi and Boycott
● Expulsion of assertive nationalists from congress in Surat session of
congress 1907
● They remained separate until 1916
● Swadeshi Movement Crushed
● Tilak Imprisoned
The Muslim League (1906)
● Established in December 1906
● Leader → Nawab Salimullah Khan
● Muhammad Ali Jinnah joined in 1913
● Objectives
○ Promote feeling of loyalty towards British
○ Protect and Promote political rights of Muslims
○ Prevent feeling of hostility towards other communities
● Political Platform for Upper-Class Muslims
● Supported Partition of Bengal
● Demanded Special Safeguards
● In 1906, it appealed for Separate Electorates (muslims voters elect muslim
representatives) (death knell of national unity)
● First step of partition of India
The First World War and India (1914-18)
● 1914 - World War I
● Nationalist leaders supported British Government
● They thought British would reward India’s loyalty with self-government
● However, the British ignored the demands
● Tilak knew British had no intentions of granting concessions
● Tilak realized he needed to revive, excite, and energize the national spirit
The Home Rule Leagues (1916)
● Two Home Rule Leagues
● Led by - 1) Bal Gangadhar Tilak | 2) Annie Besant
● Main objective - achieve self-government
● Message of freedom and self-governance
● Tilak and Besant traveled all over India to spread it
The Lucknow Session of Congress (1916)
● Change in attitude of muslims (Pro-British → Anti-British)
● Muslims started supporting nationalists movement
● Ali Brothers - Maulana Mohammad Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali, and
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad spread the ideas among muslims
● 1916 Lucknow Pact - joint scheme of political reforms in India (between
Muslim League and Congress)
● Demand for Dominion Status
● Reunited Moderates and Radicals
● First meeting since Surat Split
Chapter 19 - The United Nations
Aftermath of Wars
● Two World Wars in 20th Century
● Bloodbath, millions dead
● First World War - 1914-18
● Universal Desire for peace
● Birth of international organization - The League of Nations - to maintain
peace - 1920
● The League of Nations fail and a Second World Broke broke out in 1939
● Destruction in World War 2
● People yearned for peace - idea of United Nations Organization born
The Atlantic Charter
● Winston Churchill (Former PM of Great Britain) and Franklin D Roosevelt
(Former President of USA) met on a battleship in the Atlantic Ocean
● Signed the Atlantic Charter on 14 August 1941
● Charter → Principles of mutual respect and cooperation amongst nations and
peace resolution of all disputes
● 4 Basic Human Rights:-
○ Freedom from want
○ Freedom of speech
○ Freedom of religious belief
○ Freedom from fear
The San Francisco Conference
● In June 1945, 50 countries met in San Francisco to sign the Charter of the
UN
● Establishment of United Nations on 24 October 1945 (United Nations Day)
● Established to save succeeding nations from scourge of war
● Reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights
● Originally 51 countries (50 but Poland signed later)
● Original signatories - Britain, France, USSR, USA, China
● 193 Members now
● Headquarters - New York City
● Languages - English, French, Arabic. Russian, Spanish and Chinese
● UN Flag - 2 bent olive branches open at the top with a world map in the
middle
● Branches → peace
● World map → international
The Objectives of the UN
● Maintain international peace and security
● Develop friendly relations amongst nations
● Achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural and
humanitarian problems
● Promote human rights and fundamental freedom
● Act as a common platform for harmonizing the activities of various nations
for the attainment of the objectives of the UN
● Save succeeding generations from war
Principles:-
● All nations are equal
● All must obey UN Charter
● All disputes to be settled peacefully
● No force to be used
Organs of the UN
1. General Assembly
2. Security Council
3. Economic and Social Council
4. Trusteeship Council
5. Economic and Social Council
6. Secretariat
The General Assembly
● All UN Members
● Upto 5 representatives per nation, but 1 vote per nation
● One meeting per year but special sessions in times of crisis
● Functions
○ Discuss international problems - recommend solutions
○ Peaceful settlement of disputes
○ Consider and approve UN budget
○ Elect non-permanent members of Security Council, ECOSOC, and
Trusteeship Council
○ Supervise work of other organs
○ Make recommendations for ‘collective measures, including the use of
armed forces’ during a crisis
● Voting - normally ½ + 1 (simple) majority, important cases ⅔ majority
The Security Council
● Most important organ
● Enforcement wing
● 15 Members
● 5 Permanent - USA, UK, PRC, France, Russian Federation
● 10 Non-permanent - 2 year term
● 9 Vote Majority
● If permanent member votes against - resolution not passed (right to veto)
● All permanent member consent required
● If UNSC doesn't solve, it goes to UNGA
● Functions
○ Investigate international disputes
○ Call on member states to apply economic sanctions
○ To take military actions if necessary
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
● 54 Members elected by UNGA for 3-year term
● Goal - free the world from ‘want’
● Functions
○ Promote economic growth and social progress
○ Create a spirit of respect for Human Rights
○ To solve problems related to health, illiteracy, drugs, employment,
status of women, etc.
○ To supervise the work of agencies like - WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, ILO,
FAO
Trusteeship Council
● To look after territories under foreign rule
● Help them attain self-government
● Suspended in 1994 since all trust territories achieved independence
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
● 15 judges from different countries (2 cannot be from same country)
● 9 year term
● Functions
○ Settle disputes between member nations
○ Give legal advice to the other organs on request
● Location - The Hague, Netherlands
The Secretariat
● Chief Administrative Organ
● Headed by Secretary-General, elected by UNGA for 5 year team
● Carries out day-today activities
● Staff includes interpreters, security guards, and photographers
Achievements of UN
● Restored peace in the Korean War, Suez Canal Crisis, Gulf War, etc.
● Countries achieved independence with support from UN - Indonesia, Algeria,
Morocco
● Imposed economic sanctions against South African govt - challenging
apartheid
● Protection of human rights
● End nuclear arms race
● Success in labour, health, welfare of children and education
