Which of the following statement is not true about the Revolt of 1857?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Shah Mal was the leader of the rebels at Arrah in Bihar
Option (1) Charles Ball, who wrote one of the earliest histories of the uprising, noted that panchayats were a nightly occurrence in the Kanpur sepoy lines — True (not the answer). The sepoys of 1857 met at night in panchayats, which shows that some decisions of the revolt were taken collectively.
Option (2) Not everywhere were the leaders people of the court – ranis, rajas, nawabs, and taluqdars — True (not the answer). The message of rebellion was often carried by ordinary men and women, and in places by religious men such as fakirs and self-styled prophets.
Option (3) Gonoo, a tribal cultivator of Singhbhum in Chotanagpur, became a rebel leader of the Kol tribals of the region — True (not the answer). Gonoo was one of the local leaders who urged peasants, zamindars and tribals to revolt.
Option (4) Shah Mal was the leader of the rebels at Arrah in Bihar — Not true (the answer). Shah Mal mobilised the villagers of pargana Barout in Uttar Pradesh, where he came from a clan of Jat cultivators. The rebel leader at Arrah in Bihar was Kunwar Singh, a local zamindar.
NCERT (2025-26): “1.2 Lines of communication … Charles Ball, who wrote one of the earliest histories of the uprising, noted that panchayats were a nightly occurrence in the Kanpur sepoy lines. … In Jhansi, the rani was forced by the popular pressure around her to assume the leadership of the uprising. So was Kunwar Singh, a local zamindar in Arrah in Bihar.… 1.3 Leaders and followers … Not everywhere were the leaders people of the court – ranis, rajas, nawabs and taluqdars. Often the message of rebellion was carried by ordinary men and women and in places by religious men too. From Meerut, there were reports that a fakir had appeared riding on an elephant and that the sepoys were visiting him frequently. In Lucknow, after the annexation of Awadh, there were many religious leaders and self-styled prophets who preached the destruction of British rule. Elsewhere, local leaders emerged, urging peasants, zamindars and tribals to revolt. Shah Mal mobilised the villagers of pargana Barout in Uttar Pradesh; Gonoo, a tribal cultivator of Singhbhum in Chotanagpur, became a rebel leader of the Kol tribals of the region.” |