Immediate Causes of the War of Independence 1857–58 - 14 Marks Question

Was religion the most important reason for the War of Independence in 1857? Give reasons for your answer. 

Religion was, indeed, one of the major causes for the War of Independence. Christian missionaries came to India to convert the local population and set up schools. In these schools, the missionaries taught Christianity and expected local religions to be given up which was resented by the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities. Indians had to send their children to coeducational schools and were forced to abandon purdah, which again was seen as a threat to their culture. Abandoning suttee caused much unrest as it appeared that the British were trying to impose their culture on centuries of Indian customs, which was resented.

Socially, the British treated the Indians as an inferior race. Indians and British did not generally mix as social equals and the British societies regarded themselves as small oases of culture in a largely uncivilized world. This arrogant attitude, coupled with the introduction of a new way of life with its railways, roads and telegraph, was unacceptable to many Indians. In 1852, the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ was introduced and caused great unrest because any local kingdom not having a direct male heir had their lands taken over by the British.

Economically, there was great resentment as well. The British imposed high taxation to exploit India’s wealth. Peasants and small landowners could not afford this, so many fell into poverty. Resentment grew because of the resulting starvation and suffering. The East India Company banned the export of cotton from India in 1800. This had a negative impact on many Indian communities who relied on making and selling cotton increasing poverty and also opposition towards the British.

Considering language issues, the replacement of Persian and Sanskrit by English as the official language in the 1830s deeply upset both the Muslims and Hindus as they felt that their culture was being threatened. English became the official language making it more difficult for some of the Muslim community to get higher paying jobs.

In military, the Sepoys were discontented because they did not get a fair deal. Their salaries were very low in comparison with those of the British soldiers and they had little chance of promotion. They were also angry over the lack of payment of extra allowances for service in newly conquered territories, like Sindh.

However, the most immediate cause for the War was the ‘Greased Cartridge Incident’. The British introduced a new rifle with paper cartridges coated in grease made from cow and pig fat. The soldiers had to rip open the cartridges with their teeth before loading. This caused great resentment as it was contrary to religious beliefs for both Muslim and Hindu communities and united them against the British.