Peoples Revolt Exercise Solutions | KalviGavani

(a) Veerapandiya Kattabomman (b) Puli Thevar (c) Marudu Pandian (d) Dheeran Chinnamalai

Puli Thevar of Nerkattumseval was the first palayakkarar to rebel against the British. He formed a confederacy of palayakkarars and repeatedly fought the British and the Nawab of Arcot's forces before being captured.

(a) Increase in land revenue (b) Introduction of the Doctrine of Lapse (c) New military dress code regulations that hurt religious sentiments (d) The execution of Veerapandiya Kattabomman

The immediate trigger was the British military regulation banning caste marks on the forehead, prohibiting beards (which Muslim sepoys were required to keep), and ordering sepoys to wear a leather cockade on their hats — leather being offensive to both Hindu and Muslim soldiers.

(a) Panchalankurichi (b) Nerkattumseval (c) Kayattar (d) Sivaganga

After his capture, Kattabomman was tried and publicly hanged at Kayattar on 16 October 1799. The site is now a memorial.

(a) Puli Thevar (b) Veerapandiya Kattabomman (c) Marudu Brothers (d) Tipu Sultan

Periya Marudu and Chinna Marudu (the Marudu Brothers) issued the Tiruchirappalli Proclamation on 10 June 1801, calling upon all Indians to unite and drive out the British. It is considered one of the earliest calls for a united freedom struggle.

(a) Nana Saheb (b) Mangal Pandey (c) Tantia Tope (d) Kunwar Singh

Mangal Pandey, a sepoy in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry, attacked British officers at Barrackpore on 29 March 1857 in protest against the new cartridges. He was arrested and hanged on 8 April 1857.

(a) Lord Wellesley (b) Lord Cornwallis (c) Lord Dalhousie (d) Lord William Bentinck

Lord Dalhousie introduced the Doctrine of Lapse, which permitted the British to annex any princely state whose ruler died without a natural male heir. Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, and other states were annexed under this policy.

(a) Birsa Munda (b) Sidhu and Kanhu (c) Tantia Tope (d) Kanwar Singh

The Santhal Rebellion was led by brothers Sidhu and Kanhu in present-day Jharkhand. The Santhals rose against zamindars and moneylenders who had seized their lands, and also against British colonial authority.

(a) Begum Hazrat Mahal (b) Nana Saheb (c) Rani Lakshmi Bai (d) Kunwar Singh

Rani Lakshmi Bai led the revolt at Jhansi after the British annexed her kingdom under the Doctrine of Lapse. She fought valiantly and died in battle at Gwalior on 17 June 1858.

(a) Delhi (b) Kanpur (c) Meerut (d) Lucknow

The revolt began at Meerut on 10 May 1857 when sepoys of the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry refused to use the new cartridges and broke out in open rebellion. They then marched to Delhi and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as the Emperor of India.

(a) Sidhu and Kanhu (b) Birsa Munda (c) Rani Lakshmi Bai (d) Dheeran Chinnamalai

Birsa Munda led the Munda Ulgulan (1899-1900) in the Chotanagpur region. He mobilised the Munda tribals against British land policies and missionary activities, aiming to establish "Munda Raj." He was arrested and died in prison in 1900.

False. Puli Thevar was the first palayakkarar to resist the British. Later leaders included Veerapandiya Kattabomman, the Marudu Brothers, and Dheeran Chinnamalai.

False. The Vellore Revolt was primarily caused by religious and cultural grievances — the dress code regulations that banned caste marks, beards, and forced the use of leather cockades. Economic factors were not the primary cause.

True. Mangal Pandey attacked British officers on 29 March 1857 and was hanged on 8 April 1857.

False. The Doctrine of Lapse denied the right of Indian rulers to adopt heirs. If a ruler died without a natural male heir, the British annexed the state. This was the very grievance that caused Nana Saheb and Rani Lakshmi Bai to lose their kingdoms.

False. While the revolt was strongest in northern and central India (Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi), it had echoes in other parts too. However, large parts of southern and eastern India remained relatively calm. The Marudu Brothers' rebellion in the south preceded 1857 but is studied alongside people's revolts.

True. Tantia Tope was Nana Saheb's close associate and military commander. He later joined Rani Lakshmi Bai and was eventually captured and executed by the British in 1859.

False. The Santhal Rebellion was directed against zamindars, moneylenders, and the British. The Santhals were exploited by moneylenders (who seized their land) and zamindars, with the British colonial system enabling this exploitation.

Puli Thevar was the palayakkarar of Nerkattumseval. He was the first Tamil palayakkarar to resist British expansion. He formed a confederacy of palayakkars, fought several battles against the combined forces of the British and the Nawab of Arcot, and refused to accept British authority. Though ultimately captured, his resistance made him an early symbol of anti-colonial struggle in Tamil Nadu.

The Vellore Revolt was caused by new military regulations introduced by the British Commander-in-Chief Sir George Barlow:

• Sepoys were prohibited from wearing caste marks on their foreheads
• They were required to shave their beards, which offended Muslim sepoys for whom a beard was a religious requirement
• A leather cockade (hat band) was introduced — leather being offensive to both Hindu and Muslim soldiers
• These regulations were seen as an attack on the religious identity of Indian soldiers

The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie in 1848. It stated that if an Indian ruler died without a natural male heir, the British would annex the state. Adopted heirs were not recognised. Two states annexed under this policy were Satara (1848) and Jhansi (1853). Other states included Nagpur and Sambalpur.

The sepoys refused to use the new Enfield rifle cartridges because they were rumoured to be greased with the fat of cows and pigs. Soldiers had to bite the cartridge to tear it open before loading. Cow fat was sacred to Hindus and pig fat was forbidden to Muslims. Using these cartridges was seen as a deliberate British attempt to defile their religion.

The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) was a tribal uprising led by brothers Sidhu and Kanhu in the Santhal Parganas (present-day Jharkhand). The Santhals rose against the exploitation by zamindars and moneylenders who had seized their lands, and against British authority that enabled this exploitation. Though the rebellion was brutally suppressed, it drew attention to tribal grievances and led to the creation of the Santhal Parganas district.

The Tiruchirappalli Proclamation was issued by the Marudu Brothers on 10 June 1801 from Tiruchirappalli. It called upon all Indians — irrespective of caste or religion — to unite and fight the British. It is considered one of the earliest documents articulating a pan-Indian freedom struggle and sought to mobilise palayakkarars, sepoys, and common people against colonial rule.

The Revolt of 1857, also called the First War of Indian Independence, unfolded in several stages:

Outbreak (March-May 1857): Mangal Pandey fired the first shot at Barrackpore on 29 March 1857. On 10 May 1857, sepoys at Meerut refused to use the new cartridges, broke jail, and marched to Delhi. They proclaimed the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar as the leader of the revolt.

Spread (May-June 1857): The revolt spread rapidly across northern and central India. Key centres emerged:

• Delhi: Bahadur Shah Zafar was declared emperor; the British recaptured Delhi in September 1857 after fierce fighting
• Kanpur: Nana Saheb led the revolt and declared himself Peshwa; the British suffered heavy losses including the Bibighar massacre
• Lucknow: Begum Hazrat Mahal led the revolt; the British residency was besieged for months
• Jhansi: Rani Lakshmi Bai, whose kingdom had been annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse, took up arms and defended Jhansi bravely

Suppression (1858-1859): The British, with reinforcements from England, gradually regained control. Delhi fell in September 1857. Lucknow was recaptured in March 1858. Rani Lakshmi Bai died fighting at Gwalior on 17 June 1858. Tantia Tope was captured and executed in 1859. Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.

The revolt was ultimately suppressed due to several factors: superior British military resources, lack of unified command among Indian leaders, limited geographical spread, and the loyalty of certain Indian princely states and communities to the British.

Similarities: Both revolts were triggered by British policies that offended religious sentiments of Indian soldiers. Both began as military mutinies. Both reflected deeper discontent with British rule.

Differences: The Vellore Revolt was localised and short-lived, while 1857 was widespread and sustained. The 1857 Revolt had broader political causes (Doctrine of Lapse, economic exploitation) and drew in civilian populations, not just sepoys.

The peoples' revolts against British rule were caused by a combination of political, economic, social, religious, and military factors:

Political Causes:

• The Doctrine of Lapse deprived Indian rulers of their kingdoms
• Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse led to annexation of states like Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, and Awadh
• Rulers who lost their kingdoms (Nana Saheb, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Begum Hazrat Mahal) became natural leaders of resistance

Economic Causes:

• Heavy land revenue demands ruined peasants
• Zamindars and moneylenders, backed by British law, exploited cultivators
• Destruction of Indian handicrafts through free trade policies caused unemployment among artisans
• Tribal people lost their traditional forest rights

Social and Religious Causes:

• British reforms (abolition of Sati, widow remarriage) were seen as interference in Indian social customs
• Christian missionaries were perceived as threatening Hindu and Islamic traditions
• Military dress codes banned caste marks and religious symbols (Vellore Revolt)
• The greased cartridges issue deeply offended both Hindu and Muslim soldiers

Military Causes:

• Indian sepoys were paid far less than British soldiers
• No promotion prospects for Indians to higher ranks
• Overseas service requirements offended Hindu sepoys who feared losing caste
• The cartridge controversy was the spark that ignited wider military discontent

Administrative Causes:

• Corrupt and insensitive British officials
• Racial discrimination in administration and courts
• Use of excessive force and humiliation in dealing with Indian subjects

The Palayakkarar Rebellion was a series of uprisings by the palayakkarars (local chieftains) of Tamil Nadu against British expansion and the Nawab of Arcot's authority.

Veerapandiya Kattabomman: Veerapandiya Kattabomman was the palayakkarar of Panchalankurichi. He refused to pay tribute to the British, asserting his independence. When the British demanded payment through the Collector Jackson, Kattabomman confronted him boldly. The British, under Colonel John Wallace, attacked Panchalankurichi. After a brave resistance, Kattabomman was captured with the help of the raja of Pudukottai (who betrayed him). He was tried and publicly hanged at Kayattar on 16 October 1799. His resistance and courage made him a legendary figure in Tamil Nadu's freedom struggle.

Marudu Brothers: Periya Marudu (also called Marudu Pandian) and his younger brother Chinna Marudu ruled Sivaganga. They organised a broader resistance against the British. On 10 June 1801, they issued the Tiruchirappalli Proclamation, calling upon all Indians to unite against the British. The proclamation appealed to palayakkarars, sepoys, and common people across caste and religious lines. The British, alarmed by this united front, launched a major military campaign. The Marudu Brothers were captured and hanged at Tiruppathur in 1801. Their proclamation is considered an early milestone in India's collective freedom movement.

The Palayakkarar Rebellion, though ultimately suppressed, demonstrated that the people of Tamil Nadu were among the first in India to organise armed resistance against British colonialism.