Read the passage and answer the question :

In the Ganegtic plain too the progress of British reconquest was slow. The forces had to reconquer the area village by village. The countryside and the people around were entirely hostile. As soon as they began their counter insurgency operations, the British realised that they were not dealing with a mere mutiny but an uprising that had huge popular support. In Awadh, for example, a British official called Forsyth estimated that three-fourths of the adult male population was in rebellion. The areas was brought under control only in March 1858 after protracted fighting.

The British realized that they were not dealing with a mere mutiny in Awadh because:

The revolt assumed popular character in Awadh.

The correct answer is Option (3) → The revolt assumed popular character in Awadh.