Question

Many factors led to the First War of Independence. In the context explain the following:
(a) The attitude of the British towards the people of India with regard to their religious customs.
(b) Factors causing dissatisfaction among the Indian soldiers.
(c) Decline of the landed aristocracy.

Answer 1

(a) Religious sentiments of the Indians were hurt by the official policy of taxing lands belonging to temples and mosques. Such lands had been exempted from taxation by previous Indians rulers, The families dependent on these lands, began to propagate that the British were trying to undermine the religions of Indians.
(b) Several factors contributed to the change in the attitude of the Indians soldiers towards the Company. These included the following:
Ill-treatment of Indian soldiers
General Service Enlistment Act
Larger Proportion of Indians in the British Army
Bleak Prospects of Promotions
Deprivation of Allowances
Faulty Distribution of Troops
Poor Performance of British Troops
(c) The land aristocracy which included the taluqdars and the hereditary landlords were deprived of their estates. According to the provisions of the Inam Commission(1852), 20,000 estates were confiscated when the landlords failed to produce evidence like title-deeds by which they held the land. These confiscated lands were sold by public auction to the highest bidders. Such estates were usually purchased by merchants and moneylenders who did not understand the needs of the tenants and exploited them.