Why did people believe in the rumours during the Revolt of 1857 ? Arrange the following in sequence-
A. In situations of uncertainty rumours spread swiftly
B. Rumours circulated only when they resonated with deeper fears and suspicion
C. The British established laws to abolish "Sati" and permit widow remarriage
D. The activities of Christian missionaries aggravated oppressive perceptions.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → BCDA
(B) Rumours circulated only when they resonated with deeper fears and suspicion — the general principle, so it comes first: rumours are believed only when they echo the fears and suspicions people already have; the reasons for those fears follow.
(C) The British established laws to abolish “Sati” and permit widow remarriage — the first cause of the fear: from the late 1820s the British adopted policies of “reforming” Indian society; laws abolished sati (1829) and permitted the remarriage of Hindu widows, and kingdoms such as Awadh were annexed.
(D) The activities of Christian missionaries aggravated oppressive perceptions. — the cause that made it worse: people felt that all they held sacred was being replaced by a system that was impersonal, alien and oppressive, and this perception was aggravated by the activities of Christian missionaries.
(A) In situations of uncertainty rumours spread swiftly — the result, so it comes last: in such a situation of uncertainty, rumours spread with remarkable swiftness.
NCERT (2026-27): “1.5 Why did people believe in the rumours? … We cannot understand the power of rumours and prophecies in history by checking whether they are factually correct or not. We need to see what they reflect about the minds of people who believed them – their fears and apprehensions, their faiths and convictions. Rumours circulate only when they resonate with the deeper fears and suspicions of people. The rumours in 1857 begin to make sense when seen in the context of the policies the British pursued from the late 1820s. As you know, from that time, under the leadership of Governor General Lord William Bentinck, the British adopted policies aimed at ‘reforming’ Indian society by introducing Western education, Western ideas and Western institutions. With the cooperation of sections of Indian society they set up English-medium schools, colleges and universities which taught Western sciences and the liberal arts. The British established laws to abolish customs like sati (1829) and to permit the remarriage of Hindu widows. On a variety of pleas, like misgovernment and the refusal to recognise adoption, the British annexed not only Awadh, but many other kingdoms and principalities like Jhansi and Satara. Once these territories were annexed, the British introduced their own system of administration, their own laws and their own methods of land settlement and land revenue collection. The cumulative impact of all this on the people of North India was profound. It seemed to the people that all that they cherished and held sacred – from kings and socio-religious customs to patterns of landholding and revenue payment – was being destroyed and replaced by a system that was more impersonal, alien and oppressive. This perception was aggravated by the activities of Christian missionaries. In such a situation of uncertainty, rumours spread with remarkable swiftness.…” |