HistoryModern India: Rebels and the Raj

Fed by the images that circulated in Britain during the revolt of 185…

Fed by the images that circulated in Britain during the revolt of 1857, what did the British public do?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Sanctioned the most brutal forms of repression of the rebels

Option (1) Pressed for pardons to the rebels who gave themselves up — Incorrect. The clamour in Britain was for vengeance, and pleas for moderation were ridiculed.

Option (2) Praised the Governor General's call for mercy to the sepoys — Incorrect. Canning's plea for leniency was mocked in the British press.

Option (3) Sanctioned the most brutal forms of repression of the rebels — Correct. Images do not only reflect feelings; they shape them. The British public, fed by these images, <strong>sanctioned the most brutal forms of repression</strong>.

Option (4) Called for an inquiry into the causes of the revolt in India — Incorrect. The images stirred anger and a wish for revenge. A calm inquiry into causes is far from that mood.

NCERT (2026-27): “5.6 Nationalist imageries …
These images did not only reflect the emotions and feelings of the times in which they were produced. They also shaped sensibilities. Fed by the images that circulated in Britain, the public sanctioned the most brutal forms of repression of the rebels. On the other hand, nationalist imageries of the revolt helped shape the nationalist imagination.”