Page 45 - SST Class 08

REGIONAL FOCUS : AWADH Shah Zafar fled to the Tomb of Humayun, where

Awadh or Lucknow was an important centre of he was caught and sentenced to life
revolt in 1857. The Nawab of Awadh had suffered imprisonment. His two
great humiliation at the British hands, so the sons were killed just before
people sympathised with him. Also, a large part of his eyes at a place now
Indian sepoys came from this region who felt for called Khooni Darwaza .
him. He was deported to
Rangoon where he died in
The sepoys rose in revolt in Awadh on 30 May, 1862. With this, the
1857. They besieged the Residence where the
Mughal empire met its end
Europeans took shelter. General Havelock was in India. Bahadur Shah Zafar
sent to rescue the Europeans, but failed to do so.
He returned with a heavy loss. Later, Sir Collin At Kanpur, Nana Sahib was defeated at Kanpur.
Campbell was sent with more reinforcements who He fled to Nepal and was never heard of again.
defeated the rebels and captured Awadh in 1858. After him, Tantya Tope fought valiantly and
captured the city, but could not hold for long.
In revenge, the British killed a large number of
people in cold blood. Begum Hazrat Mahal At Awadh, the British recaptured the city. Begum
escaped to Nepal. With this, the revolt at Awadh Hazrat Mahal fled to Nepal.
was suppressed. In Central India, Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi led his
small army against the mighty British. She herself
F ind Outind Out adorned the dress of a soldier and tied her son

What is the new name of Awadh? behind her back, and then she set out to fight the
British on the horseback. She was assisted by

SUPPRESSION OF THE REVOLT Tantya Tope, but her gallant struggle could not
win over the British army. She, with the help of
The suppression of the revolt at the British hands Tantya Tope, seized Gwalior from the Scindia
is a brutal story which embittered the Indian who was loyal to the British. The Rani sacrificed
psyche for ever. At the beginning of the revolt, the herself. Tantya Tope was caught and hanged to
British were taken unawares, so they ran for life. death.
When they knew the extent of the revolt, they
formed their strategy and dealt with the rebels At Bareilly, Kunwar Singh died fighting. The major
leaders at other places too either died fighting or
with a feeling of vengeance. Their acts of
brutalities, arson and violence can put to shame were caught and hanged.
even the hardcore robbers and terrorists. They With this, the Revolt of 1857 came to an end by
reacted with all their might. They brought the end of 1858, though it continued for some
reinforcements from the Punjab. They had to fight more time at other places. The law and order was
pitched battles in every town, village and street. finally restored in 1859.
They indiscriminately killed men, women and
children. Often, they tied the rebels on the mouth
of cannons and blew them most inhumanly. The
villages and towns the British army passed by
were left with nothing but dead bodies.

At Delhi, Sir John Nicholson besieged the rebels
with the help of forces from the Punjab and
recaptured it in September, 1857. Pitched battles
were fought for the control of Red Fort, Chandni
The British hanging Indians The British blowing Indians after
Chowk, Kashmiri Gate and other places. Bahadur them on the mouth of cannons
Revolt of 1857-58
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