Reasons for Failure in the War of Independence 1857–58 - 14 Marks Question

Was a lack of unity amongst the Indians the main reason for the failure of the War of Independence 1857-1858? Explain your answer.

Although resentment of the British was a single cause to fight for, the Indians were not coordinated or united in what they hoped to achieve. There was no general plan and no attempt to work together. The Punjab was uninterested in helping the rebellion and actually sent men and supplies to help the British. Some of the Indian princes were only interested in restoring their own powers and this often depended upon the support of the British. This explains why the ruler of Kashmir sent troops to help the British.

The only real uniting force in the War was Islam. The Mughal Empire had been created by Muslims and they were more likely to oppose the British in the war. However, any degree of unity among the Muslims alarmed the Hindus and the Sikhs who were not prepared to fight to restore power to the Muslim Mughal Empire. Although there were a series of uprisings against the British, the Indians lacked coordination and strength in depth. As a result they were overcome by the British.

There was no experienced leader among the Indians to lead their soldiers. They had declared the Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, their leader. However, instead of warfare, he was devoted to poetry and was too old and incompetent to lead the revolutionaries. On the other hand, the British troops were endowed with extremely competent generals, like Edwards and Neil.

The economic conditions of Indian troops also entailed an obvious cause of their defeat. On one hand, the war started out of awkwardness, mismanagement and lack of planning, and even the Emperor was practically penniless who was asking for loans from Delhi landlords. Yet, they were determined to save their money, not their freedom. Contrariwise, the British troops had been wealthy because the prosperous regions of India were totally under their control.

The British had experienced the Industrial Revolution and were technologically much more superior. Thus they had advanced weaponry, giving them an edge over the Indian forces that had traditional and outdated weaponry. The British generals fought with devotion and loyalty to the British Queen, Queen Victoria. Conversely, the rebel leaders were indecisive and short-sighted and, hence, were easily defeated by the British.

However, the major reason for the failure of the Indians was that the British were too strong. Britain was one of the most powerful nations in the world at this time and its troops were experienced in warfare and highly trained in modern methods of fighting. Moreover, the British were negotiators who bribed some freedom fighters as well. Thus, quite a few leaders left the battlefield to join in negotiations with the government, making it easy for British to win the War.