HistoryModern India: Rebels and the Raj

Most sepoys of the Bengal Army came from the villages of one region,…

Most sepoys of the Bengal Army came from the villages of one region, whose taluqdars were dispossessed after annexation. Which region was called the 'nursery of the Bengal Army'?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Awadh

Awadh was called the 'nursery of the Bengal Army' because most of its sepoys were recruited from the villages of Awadh and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

NCERT (2026-27): “2.3 Firangi raj and the end of a world …
It is also important to remember that close links existed between the sepoys and the rural world of North India. The large majority of the sepoys of the Bengal Army were recruited from the villages of Awadh and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Many of them were Brahmins or from the “upper” castes. Awadh was, in fact, called the “nursery of the Bengal Army’’. The changes that the families of the sepoys saw around them and the threats they perceived were quickly transmitted to the sepoy lines. …”