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Revolt Of 1857 MCQs
High-yield multiple choice questions asked in previous years (UPSC, SSC CGL, JKSSB, RRB & State PSCs).
High-Yield Concept Capsule & Key Facts
📌 Core topic for UPSC, SSC CGL/CHSL, RRB NTPC, State PCS.
Causes of the Revolt
- • Immediate Cause: Introduction of the Enfield P53 Rifle with greased cartridges rumoured to be lubricated with beef (cow) and pork (pig) fat.
- • Political Causes: Lord Dalhousie's Doctrine of Lapse (annexation of Satara 1848, Sambalpur, Jhansi 1853, Nagpur 1854) and annexation of Awadh on grounds of misgovernance (1856).
- • Socio-Religious: General Service Enlistment Act 1856 (crossing the seas seen as losing caste), Religious Disabilities Act 1850, Lex Loci Act, and fears of forced Christian conversion.
- • Economic Causes: Heavy land revenue settlements (Ryotwari, Mahalwari, Permanent Settlement), de-industrialization of Indian handicrafts, and drain of wealth.
Major Centers & Leaders
- • Barrackpore: Mangal Pandey (34th Bengal Native Infantry) revolted on 29 March 1857.
- • Meerut: Outbreak of revolt on 10 May 1857; soldiers marched to Delhi.
- • Delhi: Nominal leadership of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II (Commanded by General Bakht Khan); Suppressed by John Nicholson and Hudson.
- • Kanpur: Nana Saheb (Dhondu Pant) and Tantia Tope; Suppressed by Colin Campbell.
- • Lucknow: Begum Hazrat Mahal and her son Birjis Qadir; Suppressed by Colin Campbell.
- • Jhansi: Rani Lakshmibai (Manikarnika); Fought valiantly and martyred at Kalpi/Gwalior; Suppressed by Sir Hugh Rose.
- • Bihar (Jagdishpur, Arrah): Kunwar Singh (80-year-old zamindar) and Amar Singh; Suppressed by William Taylor and Vincent Eyre.
- • Faizabad: Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah (declared Jihad against the British).
| Center | Indian Leader | British General who Suppressed |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Bahadur Shah II / Bakht Khan | John Nicholson & Hudson |
| Kanpur | Nana Saheb & Tantia Tope | Sir Colin Campbell |
| Lucknow | Begum Hazrat Mahal | Sir Colin Campbell |
| Jhansi | Rani Lakshmibai | Sir Hugh Rose |
| Bihar (Jagdishpur) | Kunwar Singh & Amar Singh | William Taylor & Vincent Eyre |
| Allahabad / Banaras | Liaqat Ali | Colonel James Neill |
Showing 30 Practice Questions
Q1SSC Grad. 2004Easy
At which military cantonment did sepoy Mangal Pandey revolt against the use of greased cartridges on March 29, 1857?
Q2UP PCS (Pre) 2006Easy
The general outbreak of the Revolt of 1857 began on May 10, 1857 at which cantonment town?
Q3CDS 2005 / SSC 2008Easy
Who was the Governor-General of India during the Revolt of 1857?
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Q445th BPSC 2002 / UP PCS 2008Easy
Who led the Revolt of 1857 in Jagdishpur/Arrah in Bihar?
Q5SSC Mat. 2008Easy
Who was the leader of the uprising at Kanpur during the 1857 revolt?
Q6UP PCS (Main) 2008Medium
What was the real name of Tatya Tope, one of the prominent military leaders of the 1857 revolt?
Q7UP PCS (Pre) 2006Medium
Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi died fighting the British forces on June 18, 1858 at:
Q8UP PCS (Main) 2007Medium
Which British general remarked of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi: 'Here lay the woman who was the only man among the rebels'?
Q9SSC Grad. 2006Easy
Who led the revolt in Lucknow, crowning her minor son Birjis Qadr as the Nawab of Awadh?
Q10CDS 2006Easy
Who was proclaimed as the 'Shahenshah-e-Hindustan' (Emperor of India) by the rebellious sepoys upon reaching Delhi in May 1857?
Q11UP PCS (Pre) 2007Medium
Who was the actual military commander-in-chief of the rebel forces in Delhi during the Siege of Delhi in 1857?
Q12UP PCS (Main) 2008Medium
Who led the revolt in Bareilly (Rohilkhand region) during 1857?
Q13UP PCS (Pre) 2009Medium
Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, who preached jihad against the British and fought battles in Awadh and Rohilkhand, operated primarily from:
Q14UP PCS (Pre) 2008Medium
Who led the revolt at Allahabad (Prayagraj) in 1857?
Q15CDS 2004Easy
What rifle was introduced into the British Indian Army in early 1857 whose greased paper cartridges triggered the mutiny?
Q16SSC Grad. 2005Easy
Which annexation policy implemented by Lord Dalhousie was a major political grievance that contributed to the 1857 revolt?
Q17UP PCS (Main) 2006Medium
The state of Awadh (Oudh) was annexed by Lord Dalhousie in 1856 on the grounds of:
Q18UP PCS (Pre) 2008Medium
Who was the British Prime Minister during the Revolt of 1857?
Q19SSC Grad. 2006 / UP PCS 2008Easy
Who termed the Revolt of 1857 as 'The First War of Indian Independence' in his 1909 book?
Q20UP PCS (Main) 2007Hard
Which eminent Indian historian famously remarked: 'The so-called First National War of Independence of 1857 is neither First, nor National, nor War of Independence'?
Q21UP PCS (Main) 2008Hard
Who was the official historian of the 1857 revolt commissioned by the Government of India, author of the book 'Eighteen Fifty-Seven'?
Q22UP PCS (Pre) 2008Easy
The famous Urdu poet who witnessed the atrocities of the 1857 revolt in Delhi firsthand was:
Q23SSC Grad. 2008Easy
Following the Revolt of 1857, the British Crown took over direct governance of India through which Act?
Q24UP PCS (Main) 2008Medium
Queen Victoria's famous Royal Proclamation of November 1, 1858 was read out by Lord Canning at a grand Darbar in:
Q25UP PCS (Pre) 2009Hard
Which commission was appointed after the 1857 revolt to reorganize the Indian army and reduce the proportion of Indian soldiers to European soldiers?
Q26UP PCS (Pre) 2007Hard
Who was the leader of the 1857 revolt in Assam who attempted to restore the Ahom dynasty?
Q27SSC Mat. 2008Easy
What common symbols were circulated from village to village to secretly rally Indian support for the 1857 revolt?
Q28UP PCS (Main) 2008Hard
Who among the following British officers lost his life at Lucknow during the siege of the British Residency?
Q29SSC Grad. 2008Easy
Where is the tomb/final resting place of Bahadur Shah Zafar situated?
Q30UPSC 2005Medium
Which of the following social classes remained largely aloof from or actively supported the British during the 1857 revolt?
Frequently Asked Questions (Revolt Of 1857)
Q: What major structural change was brought by the Government of India Act 1858 after the revolt?
The Act ended the British East India Company's rule and transferred sovereignty over India directly to the British Crown. The Governor-General of India was granted the title of Viceroy (Lord Canning was the first Viceroy), and the Board of Control and Court of Directors were abolished and replaced by the Secretary of State for India.
Q: Who described the 1857 Revolt as the "First War of Indian Independence"?
Vinayak Damodar (V.D.) Savarkar in his 1909 book "The Indian War of Independence 1857".
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