HistoryModern India: Rebels and the Raj

In 1857 a senior British official argued that a gesture of leniency a…

In 1857 a senior British official argued that a gesture of leniency and a show of mercy would help win back the loyalty of the sepoys. How did the British press respond?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → It mocked the official who made the plea

Option (1) It praised the plea as wise statesmanship — Incorrect. The press did not praise it. At a time when people called for vengeance, pleas for moderation were ridiculed.

Option (2) It mocked the official who made the plea — Correct. Canning, who made the plea, was mocked in the British press. A Punch cartoon showed him as a father figure shielding a sepoy with bloody weapons.

Option (3) It printed the plea as official policy without comment — Incorrect. The plea was not passed on quietly. It drew open scorn in British journals.

Option (4) It supported the plea but asked for a trial first — Incorrect. The press gave the plea no support. The public mood called for revenge, and moderation was ridiculed.

NCERT (2026-27): “5.5 No time for clemency
At a time when the clamour was for vengeance, pleas for moderation were ridiculed. When Governor General Canning declared that a gesture of leniency and a show of mercy would help in winning back the loyalty of the sepoys, he was mocked in the British press.”