INTEGRATED MAINS AND PRELIMS MENTORSHIP (IMPM) 2025 Daily KEY
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Dear Students, As we celebrate the 78th Independence Day, let us remember the sacrifices of countless brave souls who fought for the freedom we enjoy today. Their struggles and perseverance paved the way for the India we cherish. May this day inspire us to honor their legacy by striving for excellence in all our endeavors. Let the spirit of freedom and unity guide you as you prepare for the UPSC examination and beyond. Embrace the challenges with determination, and let the values of integrity, dedication, and patriotism lead you to success. Wishing you all a Happy Independence Day! May your journey be filled with knowledge, growth, and the spirit of service to our nation. Warm regards,
C Dinesh Kumar (DTS ACADEMY INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED) Founder & Chairman |
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Exclusive for Subscribers Daily: TIn celebration of August 15th, the Integrated Mains and Prelims Mentorship (IMPM) Keys will offer a comprehensive overview of significant events in India's modern history, focusing on the key personalities who played pivotal roles in the country's struggle for independence. These insights are carefully curated to be highly relevant for both the Prelims and Mains examinations, ensuring that aspirants have a deep understanding of the historical milestones and leaders that shaped India's journey to freedom. This special session is designed to enhance your preparation by connecting historical knowledge with the exam's requirements, helping you to excel in both stages of the UPSC examination
Discover more insights in the UPSC Exam Notes for August 15, 2024
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🚨 UPSC EXAM NOTES presents the July edition of our comprehensive monthly guide. Access it to enhance your preparation. We value your input - share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments section or via email at Support@upscexamnotes.com 🚨
Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on August 15, 2024
Daily Insights and Initiatives for UPSC Exam Notes: Comprehensive explanations and high-quality material provided regularly for students
Important Tribals and their rebellious events
For Preliminary Examination: Satnami tribe, Santhals, Munda Uprising
For Mains Examination: GS I - Significance of Anglo tribal encounters in the Journey of Independence
Read about:
What is the Paika rebellion?
Key takeaways:
Anglo tribal encounters
Anglo-tribal encounters during colonial India were marked by complex interactions and conflicts between the indigenous tribes and the British colonial administration
- These encounters occurred across various regions of India and had a profound impact on the social, cultural, and political dynamics of both the tribal communities and the British rulers
- When the British East India Company established its presence in India during the 18th century, it encountered a diverse range of tribal societies with distinct cultural and political structures.
- The British viewed these tribes as primitive and uncivilized, and their encounters with them were often characterized by a combination of curiosity, condescension, and a desire for control
- One of the key aspects of the Anglo-tribal encounters was the British administration's attempt to assert control over tribal territories and resources
- The British sought to exploit the rich natural resources found in tribal areas for commercial purposes, such as timber, minerals, and agricultural lands
- This often led to conflicts over land rights and the displacement of tribal communities from their ancestral territories
Some of the most notable Anglo-tribal encounters in colonial India include:
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The Santhal rebellion of 1855-56, which was a major peasant uprising against British rule.
The Munda uprising of 1899-1900, which was another major peasant uprising against British rule.
The Kuki rebellion of 1917-19, which was a rebellion by the Kuki tribes of Manipur against British rule.
The Moplah rebellion of 1921, which was a rebellion by the Moplah Muslims of Malabar against British rule.
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The basic reason for all tribal uprisings is land Controlling Systems brought by the British Government as follows
The British introduced new laws and policies that directly impacted tribal communities.
- The introduction of the Permanent Settlement System and the Zamindari System, for example, undermined the traditional land ownership practices of many tribes and resulted in the loss of their lands to non-tribal intermediaries
- The imposition of taxes, revenue demands, and forced labor further strained the relationship between the tribes and the British administration.
- The zamindari system was a land revenue system introduced by the British East India Company in Bengal in 1793. Under this system, the Company recognized certain individuals as zamindars, or landlords, who were responsible for collecting land revenue from the peasantry. The zamindars were given the right to collect rent from the peasants in return for paying a fixed sum to the Company.
Here are some of the key features of the zamindari system:
- The zamindars were recognized as the owners of the land.
- The zamindars were responsible for collecting land revenue from the peasantry.
- The zamindars paid a fixed sum to the British government.
- The zamindars often exploited the peasants.
- The zamindari system led to widespread poverty and discontent among the peasantry.
- The zamindari system was abolished in India after independence in 1947
Follow Up Question
Which of the following Anglo-Tribal encounters is correctly matched with its corresponding tribal community and region?
a) Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) - Bhil Tribe, Western India
b) Koli Uprising (1829-30) - Santhal Tribe, Bengal
c) Koya Rebellion (1879-80) - Gond Tribe, Central India
d) Rampa Rebellion (1922-24) - Koya Tribe, Andhra Pradesh
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Answer (d)
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For Preliminary Examination: Vaikom Satyagraha, Mahad Satyagraha, Champaran Satyagraha
For Mains Examination: GS I - Modern Indian History
Read about:
What is Bardoli Satyagraha?
What is the Significance of Champaran Satyagraha?
Key takeaways:
Mahad Satyagraha
Babasaheb’s most significant contribution lay in galvanising the movement for Dalit emancipation. He is credited with awakening the Dalit consciousness, which powered the community’s bid for political power. It all started with the Mahad Satyagraha of 1927, which was the first major collective protest of the so-called “untouchables” under the stewardship of Ambedkar
As a grateful nation celebrates the 132nd birth anniversary of the father of India’s Constitution, here is a recall of the Mahad Satyagraha, one of the earlier and among the most significant of milestones in a great life
Situations led to Satyagraha
- The events that led to the Mahad Satyagraha began to unfold in August 1923.
- The Bombay Legislative Council passed a resolution moved by the social reformer Rao Bahadur S K Bole, which said “the Untouchable classes be allowed to use all public water sources, wells and dharmashalas which are built and maintained out of public funds or administered by bodies appointed by the Government or created by statute, as well as public schools, courts, offices and dispensaries.”
- Albeit with reluctance, the Bombay government adopted the resolution in the following month, and issued directions for its implementation
- The situation on the ground, however, remained unchanged upper caste Hindus would not allow the lower castes to access public water sources
- At that point, Ramchandra Babaji More, a Mahad-based Dalit political leader, approached Ambedkar to preside “over a conference of the Untouchables in Konkan”
- Ambedkar at the time was helping Dalits fight against the social evil of untouchability through the Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha, the institution that he had founded in 1924
- Ambedkar agreed to More’s proposition, and involved himself in overseeing the preparations for the conference, which was to take place in Mahad town in the Konkan (now in Maharashtra’s Raigad district) on March 19 and 20, 1927
- He conducted meetings with local Dalit leaders, stressed on creating “a wave of awakening” among the lower caste people of Konkan, and directed other organisers to conduct meetings to propagate news of the conference
- The volunteers collected Rs 3 from each of the 40 villages and also collected rice and wheat to feed the participants at Mahad. It took nearly two months of preparations to hold the Conference
- Workers and leaders personally met depressed class people and explained to them the importance of the Conference
- Soon after the conference came to an end, a priest of a local temple went around the town claiming that Dalits were planning to enter the temple, and asked people to help thwart them.
- This resulted in a clash in which “20 people were seriously injured and 60-70 people, including 3 to 4 women were wounded”, Teltumbde wrote.
- Some upper caste Hindus filed a case in court against Ambedkar and his followers on December 12, claiming that the tank was private property
- Two days later, the court issued a temporary injunction, prohibiting Babasaheb and other Dalits from going to the tank or taking water from it until further orders.
Significance of Satyagraha
- The Mahad Satyagraha is considered to be the “foundational event” of the Dalit movement. This was the first time that the community collectively displayed its resolve to reject the caste system and assert their human rights.
- Although anti-caste protests had taken place before the Mahad Satyagraha, they were mostly localised and sporadic
- The difference between (the) Mahad (Satyagraha) and them mainly lay in the organisation and leadership; they lacked in elements of organisation and the charismatic leadership of Dr Ambedkar
- The Mahad Satyagraha was to become the blueprint for organising future movements against the caste system and its practices.
- It marked an important point in Ambedkar’s political journey, catapulting him to the leadership of the downtrodden and oppressed classes in the country
Vaikom Satyagraha
March 30 was a significant day in connection with Vaikom, a serene town in Kottayam, Kerala. The date also marks the commencement of the centenary year of the Vaikom temple street entry movement that was launched in 1924, and a milestone in temple entry movements in India.
Source: Hindu
Vaikom
- Vaikom is situated on the western side of Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerela.
- It share its border with Vembanad Lake.
- Its importance in Indian history is due to the vaikom Satyagraha against untouchability, in which Mahatma Gandhi and Periyar Ramasamy participated.
Historical Background
- According to the prevalent caste system in Kereal and the rest of India, low-caste Hindus were not allowed to enter into the temples.
- In Kerela, they were not allowed even to walk on the roads that led to the temples also.(Kerela state was formed in 1956; earlier it was broadly divided into Malabar (North Kerala), Cochin and Travancore kingdoms).
- In the Kakinada meet of the Congress Party in 1923, T K Madhavan presented a report citing the discrimination that the depressed caste people were facing in Kerela. In Kerela, a committee was formed comprising people of different castes to fight untouchability.
- The committee chaired by K Kelappan, comprised of T K Madhavan, Velayudha Menon, K Neelakantan Namboorthiri and TR Krishnaswami Iyer.
- In February 1924, they decided a launch a 'Keralaparyatanam' in order to get temple entry and also the right to use public roads for every Hindu irrespective of caste or creed.
Cause of Vaikom Satyagraha
- The Vaikom movement started on March 30, 1924. At Vaikom Mahadeva Temple, lower caste people (Avarnas) were denied entry by the board.
- The Satyagrahis made the batched of three people together and entered the temple. They were resisted and arrested by the local police.
- Gandhi, Sree Narayana Guru, and Chattampi Swamikal supported the movement. The Movement gained prominence with in entire India and support came from far and wide.
- The Akalis of Punjab supported by fixing kitchens to supply food to the Satyagrahis. Even Muslim and Christian leaders were in suppor of the movement. However, Gandhi was not entirely happy with this as he wanted the movement to be an intra-Hindu Affair.
- On Gandhi's advice, temporarily the movement was taken back in April 1924. After the failure of discussions among Hindus, the leaders again started the movement. Leaders K P Keseva Menon and T M Madhavan were arrested.
- E V Ramaswami Naicker travelled from Tamil Nadu to support the movement. He was arrested too.
- On 1st October 1924, a team of upper caste called Savarnas moved forward during a procession and submitted a petition on the Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bai of Travancore with about 25000 signatures for allowing entry to the temple for everybody. Gandhiji also met with the Regent Maharani.
- The Procession was led by Mannath Padmanabhan from Beginning with approximately 500 people at Vaikom, the amount increased to 5000 approximately when the procession reached Thiruvananthapuram in the month of November 1924.
Importance of the Vaikom Satyagraha
- On 23rd November 1925, except for the eastern gate, all the gates of the temple were opened to Hindus.
- In 1928, backward castes got the right to move on public roads in the vicinity of all temples in Travancore.
- This was the primary time that an organised movement was being conducted on such a huge scale for the essential rights of the untouchables and other backward castes in Kerela.
- It became a first struggle for human rights in India.
- It became a laboratory for testing important methods such as Satyagrahas.
- Instilled rationality among the masses.
Follow Up Question
1.Which of the following pairs of Satyagrahas and their respective leaders is correctly matched?
a) Champaran Satyagraha (1917) - Mahatma Gandhi
b) Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) - Jawaharlal Nehru
c) Kheda Satyagraha (1918) - Bal Gangadhar Tilak
d) Vaikom Satyagraha (1924-25) - Subhas Chandra Bose
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Answer (a)
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For Preliminary Examination: Raja Rammohan Roy, Aruna Asif Ali, Motilal Nehru
For Mains Examination: GS I - Modern Indian History
Read about:
Who is Aruna Asif Ali?
Who is Annie besant?
Key takeaways:
Ashfaqullah Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh
In 1927, four revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement were hanged on December 17 (Rajendranath Lahiri) and December 19 (Ashfaqullah Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh). This came two years after the Kakori Train Robbery, in which members of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) had looted a train transporting money to the British treasury.
Hindustan Republican Association (HRA)
- In 1920, Mahatma Gandhi initiated the Non-Cooperation Movement, urging Indians to withdraw their support from anything that sustained the British government and economy in India. Gandhi intended this movement to be peaceful, utilizing his methods of satyagraha to achieve self-governance.
- However, a pivotal event altered the course of the movement in 1922. When police firing resulted in the deaths of three protesters in Chauri Chaura, present-day Uttar Pradesh, a subsequent mob set fire to the police station, causing the deaths of 22 policemen.
- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru mentioned in his autobiography that this incident abruptly ended the Non-Cooperation Movement, despite significant disagreement within the Indian National Congress (INC), leading Gandhi to call it off.
- This event prompted disillusionment among a group of young men, leading to the formation of the HRA.
- Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan, known for their poetry, were among its founders. Others included Sachindra Nath Bakshi and trade unionist Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee.
- Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh later joined the HRA. Their manifesto, released on January 1, 1925, titled Krantikari (Revolutionary), aimed to establish a federal Republic of United States of India through organized and armed revolution.
- They clarified that they were not terrorists or anarchists, yet acknowledged the use of such methods as a means of retaliation. Their envisioned republic focused on universal suffrage, socialist principles, and importantly, the eradication of systems enabling exploitation of one person by another.
Kakori Incident
- The Kakori train robbery marked a significant action for the HRA in August 1925. The targeted train, Number 8 Down Train, running from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow, carried treasury bags intended for the British treasury in Lucknow.
- The revolutionaries' aim was to rob this money, which they believed rightfully belonged to Indians. They sought both to finance the HRA and draw public attention to their cause.
- On August 9, 1925, as the train approached Kakori station, about 15 km from Lucknow, Rajendranath Lahiri, an HRA member already on board, pulled the train's chain to stop it. Subsequently, around ten revolutionaries, including Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan, boarded the train, overpowered the guard, looted the treasury bags (containing approx Rs 4,600), and fled to Lucknow.
- Unfortunately, due to a misfiring Mauser gun, a passenger named Ahmad Ali, a lawyer, was killed during the robbery, thwarting the revolutionaries' hopes for a positive public response.
- The British authorities responded fiercely, launching a violent crackdown and arresting many HRA members. Bismil was arrested in October, reportedly due to betrayal by two HRA members.
- Ashfaqullah managed to escape to Nepal and then Daltonganj (present-day Jharkhand) but was captured a year later. Out of the forty individuals arrested by the British, four received death sentences, while others faced lengthy prison terms.
- In 1928, a year following the execution of those involved in the Kakori Conspiracy, the HRA merged with various revolutionary groups from Punjab, Bihar, and Bengal, forming the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).
- It gradually emphasized its Marxist leanings, collaborating with the Communist International and advocating for a revolution involving mass struggle to establish "the dictatorship of the proletariat."
- By the 1930s, the HSRA's momentum had declined, with many prominent leaders either imprisoned or deceased.
- However, during the latter part of the 1920s, the group actively participated in resistance against British rule.
- They engaged in protests against the Simon Commission, the subsequent assassination of assistant police commissioner J.P Saunders, the bombing of Viceroy Irwin’s train, and other acts of resistance. In the 1930s, the HSRA fragmented into various regional factions
Aruna Asif Ali
Aruna, a prominent female freedom fighter, was born on July 16, 1909. How she rose to prominence during the Quit India movement.
Who is Aruna Asif Ali?
- Aruna Asaf Ali is a legendary revolutionary figure, celebrated for her significant contributions to India’s freedom struggle. She is particularly recognized as the heroine of the Quit India Movement, having defied even Mahatma Gandhi’s orders to surrender in late 1946.
- Born Aruna Ganguly, she was raised in a liberal Brahmo Samaj environment. Her marriage to Asaf Ali, a Muslim Congress leader who was 20 years her senior, was opposed by her family.
- In his recent book, The Circles of Freedom, T.C.A. Raghavan, former High Commissioner to Pakistan, describes Aruna’s life in 1928 Old Delhi’s Kucha Chelan as vastly different from her Anglo-Indian upbringing.
- Although she was not required to observe purdah, her Anglo-Indian background made it difficult to adjust to the domesticity and seclusion of a traditional Muslim household, necessitating separate facilities for her in Asaf Ali's mansion. Initially, her role was limited to being the wife of a public figure, often attending high teas in nationalist circles in Delhi.
- However, Aruna eventually emerged as a leader among women in the Congress, alongside figures like Sarojini Naidu and Sucheta Kripalani. She first heard the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad" when her husband visited Sardar Bhagat Singh in Lahore Jail as Gandhi's representative.
- Aruna recalled that the small room resonated with Bhagat Singh's powerful slogan, inspiring her commitment to the nationalist struggle.
- In 1932, she was imprisoned for her participation in the Civil Disobedience movement. Following the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, when all political prisoners were to be released, Aruna chose to remain in jail to protest the inhumane treatment of inmates in Tihar Jail, leading to significant reforms there.
- After 1932, she endured ten years of solitary confinement in Ambala, as the British were particularly harsh on women revolutionaries, often forcing them to sacrifice family ties. Declared an offender, her property was seized and auctioned, but she avoided arrest by finding mentorship under Ram Manohar Lohia. Her long underground struggle with Socialist leaders like Lohia and Jay Prakash Narayan deepened her socialist beliefs.
- Aruna co-edited the newspaper Inquilab with Lohia and continued her activism until 1946. Moved by her resolve, Gandhi urged her to surrender, writing, “I have been filled with admiration for your courage and heroism. You are reduced to a skeleton. Do come out and surrender... Reserve the prize money for the Harijan cause.”
- Determined to pursue her socialist ideals, she only surrendered after the prize on her head was lifted. Even after resurfacing and facing arrest, she supported the Royal Indian Navy mutiny aboard the INS Talwar.
- After independence, Aruna left the Congress to join the Communist Party of India, where she established the National Federation of Indian Women, the women's wing of the party. She lost her husband in 1953, who by then had become India’s first ambassador to the United States. Despite her proximity to the capitalist camp during the Cold War, she remained true to her ideological beliefs.
- In 1965, she received the Order of Lenin, and in 1992, the Indian government honored her with the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award. In 1997, she was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, and in 1998, a stamp commemorating her was issued. Aruna Asaf Ali Marg in New Delhi is named in her honour
Follow Up Question
Which of the following pairs of personalities and their contributions to the Indian freedom struggle is correctly matched?
a) Dadabhai Naoroji - Founder of the Indian National Army
b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak - Coined the phrase "Swaraj is my birthright"
c) Gopal Krishna Gokhale - Leader of the Bardoli Satyagraha
d) Bhagat Singh - Founder of the Theosophical Society in India
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Answer (b)
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For Preliminary Examination: Important events of Modern Indian History
For Mains Examination: GS I - Administrative changes after 1587
Read about:
Acts and reforms brought by British Government after 1857 revolt
Key takeaways:
The Delhi city once known for its resplendent culture of mushairas and poets would be reduced to one strewn with bodies of the dead. From a royal capital, its status was relegated to that of a provincial town. The city recovered itself only after 1911 and more so after Independence.
The 1857 Revolt
- It was the first expression of organized resistance against the British East India Company
- It began as a revolt of the sepoys of the British East India Company’s army but eventually secured the participation of the masses.
- The revolt is known by several names: the Sepoy Mutiny (by British Historians), the Indian Mutiny, the Great Rebellion (by Indian Historians), the Revolt of 1857, the Indian Insurrection, and the First War of Independence (by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar).
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Causes of the revolt
1.Political causes
- British policy of expansion: The political causes of the revolt were the British policy of expansion through the Doctrine of Lapse and direct annexation.
- A large number of Indian rulers and chiefs were dislodged, thus arousing fear in the minds of other ruling families who apprehended a similar fate.
- Rani Lakshmi Bai’s adopted son was not permitted to sit on the throne of Jhansi.
- Satara, Nagpur, and Jhansi were annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse.
- Jaitpur, Sambalpur, and Udaipur were also annexed.
- The annexation of Awadh by Lord Dalhousie on the pretext of maladministration left thousands of nobles, officials, retainers, and soldiers jobless. This measure converted Awadh, a loyal state, into a hotbed of discontent and intrigue.
2. Economic causes
- The East India Company's colonial practices shattered Indian society's conventional economic foundation.
- Due to severe taxes, peasants were forced to take out loans from moneylenders/traders at exorbitant interest rates, with the latter frequently evicting the former from their property for non-payment of debt dues.
- While the issue of landless peasants and rural indebtedness has plagued Indian society to this day, these moneylenders and businessmen emerged as the new landlords.
- The zamindari system had been in place for a long time and had to be dismantled.
- The artists and handicrafts people suffered during the British administration as well.
3.Administrative Causes
- Corruption was rampant in the Company's administration, particularly among the police, minor officials, and subordinate courts, which was a major source of dissatisfaction.
- Many historians believe that the current corruption levels in India result from the Company's control.
- Furthermore, the nature of British rule gave it a distant and alien appearance in the view of Indians: a form of absentee sovereignty.
4. Socio-religious causes
- The British administration's attitude toward the native Indian population had racial overtones and a superiority mentality.
- Indians viewed the activity of Christain missionaries in India who flew the British flag with distrust.
- A considerable segment of the populace saw initiatives at socio-religious change, such as the elimination of sati, support for window marriage, and women's education, as outsiders interfering in the social and religious spheres of Indian culture.
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These fears were exacerbated by the government's decision to tax mosque and temple lands and the passage of laws like the Religious Disabilities Act of 1856, which altered Hindu customs by declaring, for example, that a change of religion did not prevent a son from inheriting his 'heathen father's property.
4. Siege of Delhi
- The hard-fought recapture of Delhi by the British army was a decisive moment in the suppression of the 1857-58 Indian Mutiny against British rule. It extinguished Indian dreams of recreating the rule of the Mughal Empire. The rebellion lost its cohesion, allowing the British to defeat any remaining isolated pockets of resistance.
- After the capture of Delhi by rebels in May, the British were unable to launch a counterattack because their army was dispersed over vast distances. It took quite some time for the British to assemble an army, but in June, two columns were combined with a force of Ghurkas.
- The makeshift force managed to occupy a ridge overlooking the city but was not large enough to launch an assault, marking the beginning of the siege on June 8.
- Inside the city were more than 30,000 mutineers loyal to Bahadur Shah, who was holding court as the Mughal emperor.
- A large number of mutineers meant that the British force felt as though they were the ones under siege, and as the weeks wore on, the British began to suffer from outbreaks of cholera and dysentery.
- However, reinforcements slowly arrived from Punjab, including a siege train of thirty-two guns and 2,000 more men under the command of Brigadier General John Nicholson.
- By early September, the British had assembled a force of some 9,000, which consisted of 3,000 regular troops and 6,000 Sikhs, Punjabis, and Ghurkas.
- The siege guns began firing on September 8, and by September 14, had made sufficiently large breaches in the walls to launch an attack.
- The assault was met with stiff resistance but by September 21, after a week of savage street-to-street fighting, Delhi was back under British control. Bahadur Shah was arrested and died in exile in Rangoon in 1862. He was the last of the Mughal Emperors.
Image Source: Wikipedia
Follow Up Question
Which of the following statements about the Revolt of 1857 is correct?
a) The revolt was predominantly confined to South India and was led by the Marathas.
b) The Doctrine of Lapse was one of the major causes of the revolt.
c) Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi led the revolt in Lucknow.
d) The revolt resulted in the immediate granting of independence to India.
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Answer (b)
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As we reflect on the 78th anniversary of Indian independence, it's essential to delve into the British perspective on the events that led to this monumental change and the subsequent decline of their global dominion.
On August 15, 1947, a significant chapter in history unfolded as British rule in the Indian subcontinent concluded.
The culmination of years of struggle for independence marked a pivotal moment for India and also signalled a turning point for the British Empire.
Post-World War II Economic Challenges
- The aftermath of World War II left Britain victorious yet physically and financially drained.
- By 1945, the treasury was depleted, war debts were significant, and the nation was grappling with food shortages, labour deficits, and extensive infrastructure damage.
- These circumstances necessitated profound transformations, and decolonization emerged as an inevitable course of action.
- The strains of maintaining a vast empire were unsustainable, as economist John Maynard Keynes argued, urging a reduction in spending on the British Empire to address the nation's economic plight.
Clement Atlee and the Shift in Leadership
- The shift from Winston Churchill's wartime leadership to Clement Atlee's governance marked a crucial juncture.
- Atlee, distinct in temperament from the boisterous Churchill, held contrasting views on the British Empire.
- While Churchill remained an Empire apologist, Atlee favoured self-governance in India, acknowledging the rising nationalist sentiment.
- Atlee's stance was motivated not only by the desire to redirect resources for domestic welfare but also by a realization that denying India's independence could exacerbate tensions.
- His recognition of the persistent demand for self-government and the fear of communist uprisings further shaped his approach.
The Impact of the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny
- The massive mutiny in the Royal Indian Navy in 1946 hastened the decline of the British Empire.
- The RIN's pivotal role during the war had swelled its ranks, but post-war demobilization and poor conditions led to discontent.
- Nationalist fervour surged among the sailors, culminating in a significant mutiny that underscored Britain's weakening grip on India.
- This mutiny, though short-lived, amplified the urgency for granting India independence.
- Atlee's subsequent announcement of The Cabinet Mission reflected the recognition of the Empire's waning influence.
Britain's Accelerated Exit and the Partition
- Atlee's commitment to India's independence clashed with uncertainties about its form.
- The Cabinet Mission's proposal for a complex administrative structure was rejected, exacerbating communal tensions.
- The appointment of Louis Mountbatten, whose directive was to ensure a swift exit, reflected the need to contain potential bloodshed.
- Mountbatten's efforts expedited the timeline for India's independence and partition, with August 15, 1947, designated as the transfer of power deadline.
- While this marked a poignant moment for Empire apologists, most Britons were preoccupied with domestic concerns.
Subject and Subject Wise Notes for the Sunday Exam (Free)
| Subject | Topic | Description |
| History | Modern Indian History | National Movements between 1919 to 1939 |
| History | Modern Indian History | Governor generals of India |
| History | Modern Indian History | Doctrine of Lapse |
| History | Modern Indian History | Religious reform Movements |
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UPSC EXAM NOTES will be conducting both Prelims and Mains exams every Sunday as part of the Integrated Mains and Prelims (IMPM) Program. This program provides a comprehensive approach to UPSC exam preparation, ensuring that candidates are well-prepared for both stages of the exam. Program Highlights:
Duration: The IMPM plan is a one-year program, ensuring continuous and structured preparation over 12 months. With regular testing and consistent study guidance, this program is designed to maximize your chances of success in the UPSC exams |