RBSE Class 8 Social Science Important Questions History Chapter 5 When People Rebel 1857 and After

Rajasthan Board RBSE Class 8 Social Science Important Questions History Chapter 5 When People Rebel 1857 and After Important Questions and Answers.

RBSE Class 8 Social Science Important Questions History Chapter 5 When People Rebel 1857 and After Important Questions

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1. 
On Awadh, subsidiary alliance was imposed on
(a) 1791 
(b) 1801
(c) 1818 
(d) 1856
Answer:
(b) 1801

Question 2.
The last Mughal emperor was
(a) Aurangzeb
(b) Akbar
(c) Bahadur Shah Zafar
(d) Muhammad Shah
Answer:
 (c) Bahadur Shah Zafar
 
Question 3. 
Where did the first rebellion start in 1857?
(a) Meerut 
(b) Delhi
(c) Kanpur 
(d) Lucknow 
Answer:
(a) Meerut 

Question 4. 
The revolutionary soldier who attacked the British officer in Barrackpore was
(a) Kunwar Singh 
(b) Bakht Singh 
(c) Tantia Tope 
(d) Mangal Pandey
Answer:
(d) Mangal Pandey

Question 5. 
The head of rebellions in Kanpur was
(a) Bahadur Shah Zafar 
(b) Nana Saheb
(c) Hazrat Mahal 
(d) Bakht Singh 
Answer:
(b) Nana Saheb

Question 6. 
While staying in the jungles of central India and continued to fight a guerrilla war with British
(a) Tantia Tope 
(b) Laxmibai
(c) Kunwar Singh 
(d) Nana Saheb 
Answer:
(a) Tantia Tope 

Question 7. 
Who supported the rebel sepoys in Bihar?
(a) Bakht Singh 
(b) Tantia Tope
(c) Kunwar Singh 
(d) Laxmibai 
Answer:
(c) Kunwar Singh 

Question 8. 
What was the name of Bahadur Shah Zafar’s wife?
(a) Begum Mumtaz Mahal 
(b) Begum Zinat Mahal
(c) Begum Nusrat Jahan
(d) Begum Hazrat Mahal 
Answer:
(b) Begum Zinat Mahal

Question 9. 
Where did Bahadur Shah Zafar die?
(a) Rangoon 
(b) Delhi
(c) Agra 
(d) Ahmednagar 
Answer:
(a) Rangoon

Question 10. 
Who led as the head of rebellion in the Mandla region pf Madhya Pradesh?
(a) Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi
(b) Begum Hazrat Mahal
(c) Nana Saheb
(d) Bakht Singh 
Answer:
(a) Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi

Fill in the blanks

Question 1.
.......................was one of the last territories to be annexed by the British.
Answer:
Awadh 

Question 2. 
In Bihar, an old zamindar, .......................supported the rebel sepoys.
Answer: 
Kunwar Singh

Question 3.  
.......................was recaptured again by the British from the rebel forces in September 1857.
Answer:
Delhi

Question 4.  
A phase of history began after.......................
Answer:
1857

Question 5.
.......................died in Rangoon jail in November 1862. 
Answer:
 Bahadur Shah Zafar 

Question 6. In 1858, .......................  was taken in by the British.
Answer:
Lucknow
 
State True or False

Question 1. 
Since the mid-eighteenth century, nawab and rajas had seen their power erode.
Answer:
True

Question 2. 
In 1850, the British made a new law, according to which conversion to Christianity was difficult.
Answer:
False

Question 3. 
The British thought that the disturbance caused by the issue of the cartridges would die down.
Answer:
True

Question 4. 
In June 1858, Tantia Tope was killed.
Answer:
False

Question  5. 
The rewards were announced for the landlords who were loyal to the British.
Answer:
True

 Match Correctly

(a)	(b)
Beginning of 1858 revolt	Lucknow
Birjis Qadr	Rangoon Jail
Rani Avantibai Lodhi	Meerut
Kunwar Singh	Ramgarh
Bahadur Shah Zafar	Bihar

Answer:

(a)	(b)
Beginning of 1858 revolt	Meerut
Birjis Qadr	Lucknow
Rani Avantibai Lodhi	Ramgarh
Kunwar Singh	Bihar
Bahadur Shah Zafar	Rangoon Jail

Very Short Answer Type Questions
 
Question 1. 
When did Awadh merge with the British empire?
Answer:
In 1856.

Question 2. 
On what basis was Awadh merged into the British Empire?
Answer:
Governor-General Dalhousie declared that the territory was being misgoverned and British rule was needed to ensure proper administration. 

Question 3. 
Why did the soldiers shy away from crossing the sea?
Answer:
Because in those days people believed that if they crossed the sea they would lose their religion and caste.

Question 4. 
When was this new law made that the soldiers might have to go overseas if required? 
Answer:
In 1856.

Question 5. 
What was the impact of British land policy on the soldiers?
Answer:
The soldiers were angry because many of them were peasants and had families living in the villages.

Question 6. 
When did the sepoy mutiny start?
Answer:
In May 1857.

Question 7. 
From where did the sepoy mutiny start? 
Answer:
From Meerut.

Question 8. 
Who was Nana Saheb?
Answer:
Nana Saheb was the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao.

Question 9. 
Who was the general of Nana Saheb?
Answer:
Tantia Tope was the general of Nana Saheb.

Question 10. 
Name the four major centers of the revolt of 1857.
Answer:

1. Meerut
2. Delhi
3. Lucknow
4. Kanpur.

Question 11. 
Name the four prominent leaders of the revolt of 1857.
Answer:

1. Bahadur Shah Zafar
2. Nana Saheb
3. Tantia Tope
4. Kunwar Singh.

Question 12. 
What did Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah from Faizabad predict?
Answer:
The Maulvi prophesied that the rule of the British would come to an end soon.

Question 13. 
When were the king-powers transferred from the company to the British crown?
Answer:
In 1858.

Question 14. 
What was the Governor-General called from 1858?
Answer:
Viceroy.

Question 15. 
What significant was changed in Indian administration after the revolt of 1857?
Answer:
After the revolt of 1857, the British government took direct responsibility for rule over India. 

Question 16. 
Why did the British treat Muslims with hostility after 1857?
Answer:
Because the British believed that they were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. 
What did Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi negotiate with the company to protect their interests?
Answer:
Rani Laxmibai negotiated with the company to recognize her adopted son as their heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband.

Question 2. 
Which demand of Nana Saheb was rejected by the British?
Answer:
Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded with the company that he would be given his father’s pension when the latter died. But this demand was rejected by the British.

Question 3. 
What did the British plan to eliminate the Mughal dynasty in the country completely?
Answer:
In 1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place in Delhi to reside. In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king and after his death, none of his descendants would be recognized as kings-they would just be called princes.

Question 4. 
Give reasons for the discontent of the sepoys who were working in the Company’s army?
Answer:

1. Most of the soldiers came from peasant families. Due to high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue collection, they had to face such losses.
2. They were unhappy about the pay, allowances, and conditions of their service.
3. Some of the new rules, made by the British, violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs. 

Question 5.
What reactions were shown after the revolt of 1857 by the following people: Nana Saheb, Begum Hazrat Mahal?
Answer:
(1) Nana Saheb:
He gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from Kanpur. He proclaimed himself Peshwa. He declared that he was a governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

(2) Begum Hazrat Mahal:
Begum Hazrat Mahal was the widow of deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. She took an active part in organizing the uprising against the British.

Question 6. 
Who was Mangal Pandey? Why was he famous?
Answer:

1. Mangal Pandey was a young soldier in the Company in Barrackpore.
2. On 29 March 1857, he attacked his officers in Barrackpore, and for that, he was hanged to death.

Question 7. 
Write the name of major heroes of the revolt of 1857.
Answer:

1. Mangal Pandey
2. Bahadur Shah Zafar
3. Nana Saheb
4. Tantia Tope
5. Rani Laxmibai
6. Begum Hazrat Mahal
7. Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah
8. Bakht Khan
9. Kunwar Singh
10. Beijing Qadr
11. Rani Avantibai Lodhi.

Question 8. 
The military revolt of 1857 became a mass rebellion. Explain.
Answer:
In 1857, there was a military revolt in India which soon took the form of a mass rebellion. Different sections of the society had problems with the British rule and they all believed that their enemy is the same. The uprising started in May 1857 and threatened the existence of the Company in India. Starting from Meerut, it soon spread to various parts of North India. Many people from different sections of the society joined this rebellion and it took the form of a mass rebellion.

Question 9. 
Write the names of the main centers of the revolt of 1857.
Answer:
The main centers of the revolt of 1857 were

1. Meerut
2. Delhi
3. Lucknow
4. Kanpur
5. Faizabad 
6. Bareilly 
7. Jhansi.

Question 10. 
What actions were taken by the British government under the direct responsibility of the governance of India? 
Answer:

1. The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown.
2. A member of the British Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India and made responsible for all matters related to the governance of India.
3. He was given a council to advise him, called the Indian Council.
4. The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy, that is, the personal representative of the Crown.

Question 11. 
Suppose you are a British officer in Awadh during the revolt. What will you do to keep your plans a secret, while fighting the rebels?
Answer:
To keep our plans secret, we will

1. Share the plans with trusted European authorities.
2. We will also keep some detectives who will inform us about the rebels in our army.
3. The Indian soldiers will not be allowed to know about the plan.
4. The rebel leaders will be arrested and sent to jail.
5. Monitor the implementation of the scheme. 

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. 
State the main reasons for the 1857 revolt.
Answer:
1. Kings and Nawabs lose their power:
Till then the rule of the Mughal emperor prevails in India. The honor of this so-called Mughal emperor was a symbol of the unity of the country. The Company even began to plan how to bring the Mughal dynasty to an end. The name of the Mughal king was removed from the coins minted by the Company. In 1849, it was announced that after die death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place in Delhi to reside in and none of his descendants would be recognized as kings they would just be called princes. 

This led to public discontent. On the other hand, Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, and other states were captured by the British due to Dalhousie’s merger policy. The pension of Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, was discontinued, which made Nana Saheb and other states hostile to the British.

2. Resentment in the Peasants and the sepoys:
In the countryside, peasants and zamindars resented the high taxes and the rigid methods of revenue collection. Many foiled to pay back their loans to the moneylenders and gradually lost the lands they had tilled for generations. There was discontent among the farmers due to famine and poverty. Forcible recovery from the above also became a problem. The Indian sepoys in the employ of the Company also have reasons for discontent. They were unhappy about their pay, allowances, and conditions of service. Some of the new rules, moreover, violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs. Sepoys also reacted to what was happening in the countryside. The sepoys removed from the army became enemies of the British due to unemployment. Indians were not appointed to high positions and were paid less than the British employees.

3. Social and Religious reasons:
British used to hate IndiAnswer: Indian traditional people began to suspect that their influence would be reduced with the spread of education. The customs of Hindus and Muslims were openly condemned. Indians were convinced that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs, and traditional lifestyles. Due to all the reasons given above, the revolt of 1857 spread in the country. 

Question 2. 
What kind of reforms were done by the British in Indian society? How did the Indians react to this?
Answer:
1. Reforms made by the British in Indian society

1. Laws were passed to stop the practice of Sati and to encourage the remarriage of widows.
2. English-language education was actively promoted. 
3. The Company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and property.
4. A new law was passed to make a conversion to Christianity easier. This law allowed an Indian who had been converted to Christianity to inherit the property of his ancestors.

2. Reaction of Indians

1. Many Indians believed that the British were thus corrupting their religion. By these actions, they were harming their social customs and traditional form of life.
2. On the other hand, there were Indians who wanted a change in the existing social system. 

Question 3. 
Describe the incident that started in the revolt of 1857 in Meerut.
Answer:
1. On 29 March 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey, was hanged to death for attacking his officers in Barrackpore. Some days later, some sepoys of the regiment at Meerut refused to do the army drill using the new cartridges, which were suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs. Eighty- five sepoys were dismissed from service and sentenced to ten years in jail for disobeying their officers. This happened on 9 May 1857.

2. The response of the other Indian soldiers in Meerut was quite extraordinary. On 10 May, the soldiers marched to the jail in Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys. They attacked and killed British officers. They captured guns and ammunition arid set fire to the buildings and properties of the British and declared war on the firangis.

Question 4. 
How did the rebellion spread from Meerut to Delhi? Give a brief of some incidents related to Delhi.
Answer:
(1) The soldiers in the Meerut rebel were thinking about who would rule in the country. They decided to make Bahadur Shah Zafar, the emperor of the country.

(2) The sepoys of Meerut rode all night of 10 May to reach Delhi in the early hours the next morning. As the news of their arrival spread, the regiments stationed in Delhi also rose up in rebellion. Again British officers were killed.

(3) The sepoys seized arms and ammunition and set buildings on fire. Triumphant soldiers gathered around the walls of the Red Fort where the Badshah lived, demanding to meet him. The emperor was not quite willing to challenge the mighty British power but the soldiers persisted. They forced their way into the palace and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as their leader.

Question 5. 
How did the revolt of 1857 spread in different parts of the country? Discuss.
Answer:
(1) The revolt of 1857 started in Meerut. From here it reached Delhi. Many British officers were killed in Delhi. Delhi was annexed by the rebellions.

(2) As the news spread, the series of revolts started. Regiment after regiment mutinied and took off to join other troops at nodal points like Delhi, Kanpur, and Lucknow.

(3) After then, the people of the towns and villages also rose up in rebellion and rallied around local leaders, zamindars, and chiefs.

(4) Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwas Baji Rao who lived near Kanpur, gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the city. He proclaimed himself Peshwa. He declared that he was governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

(5) In Lucknow,’ Begum Hazrat Mahal took an active part in organizing the uprising against the British. In Jhansi, Rani Laxmibai joined the rebel sepoys' and fought the British along with Tantia Tope, the general of Nana Saheb.

(6) In the Mandla region of Madhya Pradesh, Rani Avantibai Lodhi of Ramgarh raised and led an army of four thousand against the British who had taken over the administration of her state.

(7) The British were greatly outnumbered by the rebel forces. They were defeated in a number of battles. This convinced the people that the rule of the British had collapsed for good and gave them the confidence to take the plunge and join the rebellion. A situation of widespread popular rebellion developed in the region of Awadh in particular.

(8) Ahmadullah Shah, a maulvi from Faizabad, prophesied that the rule of the British would come to an end soon. He caught the imagination of the people and raised a huge force of supporters. He came to Lucknow to fight the British.

(9) Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi. He became a key military leader of the rebellion.

(10) In Bihar, an old zamindar, Kunwar Singh, joined the rebel sepoys and battled the British for many months. Leaders and fighters from across the land joined the fight.

Question 6. 
How did the British control the uprising of 1857?
Answer:
Unnerved by the scale of the upheaval, the Company decided to repress the revolt with all its might. This can be explained as follows-
(1) It brought reinforcements from England, passed new laws so that the rebels could be convicted with ease, and then moved into the storm centers of the revolt.

(2) Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces in September 1857. The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment. His sons were shot to death in front of his eyes. He and his wife Begum Zinat Mahal were sent to prison in Rangoon in October 1858. Bahadur Shah Zafar died in the Rangoon jail in November 1862.

(3) Lucknow was taken in March 1858. Rani Lakshmibai was defeated and killed in June 1858. A similar fate awaited Rani Avantibai, who after initial victory in Kheri, chose to embrace death when surrounded by the British on all sides.

(4) Tantia Tope escaped to the jungles of central India and continued to fight a guerrilla war with the support of many tribal and peasant leaders.

(5) Just as victories against the British had earlier encouraged rebellion, the defeat of rebel forces encouraged desertions.

(6) The British also tried their best to win back the loyalty of the people. They announced rewards for loyal landholders who would be allowed to continue to enjoy traditional rights over their lands. Those who had rebelled were told that if they submitted to the British, and if they had not killed any white people. They would remain safe and their rights and claims to land would not be denied.

(7) Nevertheless, hundreds of sepoys, rebels, nawabs, and rajas were tried and hanged.
By the end of 1859, the British had regained control of the country.