A historian studying British reports on the reconquest of the Gangetic plain in 1857-58 draws the following conclusions. Which of them are supported?
(A) The progress of British reconquest in the Gangetic plain was slow.
(B) The British forces had to reconquer the area village by village.
(C) The people of the countryside around the British forces were willing to help them.
(D) As soon as operations began, the British saw the rising as a mere mutiny of sepoys.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → A and B only
(A) The progress of British reconquest in the Gangetic plain was slow. — Correct. Like Delhi, the Gangetic plain fell slowly because the rebels had wide support there.
(B) The British forces had to reconquer the area village by village. — Correct. The British could not win by taking a few towns. They had to take the area village by village.
(C) The people of the countryside around the British forces were willing to help them. — Incorrect. The countryside and its people were entirely hostile to the British forces.
(D) As soon as operations began, the British saw the rising as a mere mutiny of sepoys. — Incorrect. It was the reverse. Once operations began, the British realised it was not a mere mutiny but an uprising with huge popular support.
NCERT (2026-27): “4. Repression … |