HistoryModern India: Rebels and the Raj

Which of the following statements about the British repression in pre…

Which of the following statements about the British repression in present-day Uttar Pradesh in 1857-58 are correct?

(A) The British used military power on a gigantic scale.
(B) The British promised big landholders that their estates would be given back.
(C) The promise to big landholders was meant to strengthen their unity with the peasants.
(D) Many landholders died fighting the British.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → A, B and D only

(A) The British used military power on a gigantic scale. — Correct. The British used force on a gigantic scale, though it was not their only tool.

(B) The British promised big landholders that their estates would be given back. — Correct. They promised to give back the big landholders their estates.

(C) The promise to big landholders was meant to strengthen their unity with the peasants. — Incorrect. The purpose was the reverse. The promise was meant to break up the unity of landholders and peasants.

(D) Many landholders died fighting the British. — Correct. Many landholders died fighting the British. Others fled to Nepal.

NCERT (2026-27): “4. Repression …
The British used military power on a gigantic scale. But this was not the only instrument they used. In large parts of present-day Uttar Pradesh, where big landholders and peasants had offered united resistance, the British tried to break up the unity by promising to give back to the big landholders their estates. Rebel landholders were dispossessed and the loyal rewarded. Many landholders died fighting the British or they escaped into Nepal where they died of illness or starvation.”