The revolt of 1857, called the First Indian War of Independence, was neither "first" nor a "war of independence". Discuss.
Introduction
The revolt of 1857 is often called as 'First War of Independence', but it was actually preceded by several revolts and objectives were different.
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Main Body
(I) Revolt of 1857 => Not the (FIRST) War of Independence.
(II) Tribal revolts => against the expansion of commercial cultivation and wheat to traditional socio-economic fabric of the country, eg: Khond uprising, Santal revolt, Chuor rebellion.
(III) Socio-religious reform movements we paralleled revolt,
(III) Revolt of 1857 => Not the first (WAR OF INDEPENDENCE). The revolt was not one war of independence, because it did not envision a nationalist pan-India uprising towards freedom of India from foreign rule. Eg: Regionalistic => much each and other both India was absent. => Class united => did not see participation of landed class, zamindars, educated intelligentsia. => The leaders of revolt did not seek to create an 'independent' 'sovereignty' India, rather they wanted to go back to 'feudalistic myghul feudation'.
Conclusion
Thus, the revolt of 1857, did mark a turning point in nationalistic struggle, but it cannot be deemed as First War of Independence.
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- Challenges the conventional narrative about the Revolt of 1857
- Provides examples of preceding revolts
- Distinguishes between different types of revolts
- Shows nuanced understanding of the period
Ritika Chitlangia
Modern Indian History
The Freedom Struggle
The Revolt of 1857
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