Read the passage and answer the questions:
Rumours and prophecies played a part in moving people to action. As we saw, the sepoys who had arrived in Delhi from Meerut had told Bahadur Shah about bullets coated with the fat of cows and pigs and biting these bullets would corrupt their caste and religion. They were referring to the cartridges of the Enfield rifles which had just been given to them. The British tried to explain to the sepoys that this was not the case but the rumour that the new cartridges were greased with fat of cows and pigs spread like wildfire across the sepoy lines of North India.
Who among the following initiated the Revolt of 1857?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Sepoys
The revolt was begun by the sepoys: late in the afternoon of 10 May 1857, the sepoys in the cantonment of Meerut broke out in mutiny, and the ordinary people of the town and the surrounding villages joined them after that.
NCERT (2026-27): “Late in the afternoon of 10 May 1857, the sepoys in the cantonment of Meerut broke out in mutiny. It began in the lines of the native infantry, spread very swiftly to the cavalry and then to the city. The ordinary people of the town and surrounding villages joined the sepoys. The sepoys captured the bell of arms where the arms and ammunition were kept and proceeded to attack white people, and to ransack and burn their bungalows and property. Government buildings – the record office, jail, court, post office, treasury, etc. – were destroyed and plundered. The telegraph line to Delhi was cut.…” |