Read the passage and answer the question:
In the Gangetic plain too the progress of British reconquest was slow. The forces had to reconquer the area village by village. The countryside and the people around were entirely hostile. As soon as they began their counter-insurgency operations, the British realised that they were not dealing with a mere mutiny but an uprising that had huge popular support. In Awadh, for example, a British official called Forsyth estimated that three-fourths of the adult male population was in rebellion. The area was brought under control only in March 1858 after protracted fighting.
Why was the progress of British reconquest slow in the Gangetic plain?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → The revolt was one of the most widespread and fierce in this region.
Option (1) The British were disinterested in reconquering this region. — Incorrect. The British did try to win the region back: their forces fought village by village, through protracted fighting, until Awadh was brought under control in March 1858.
Option (2) The terrain of this belt was not easy. — Incorrect. The difficulty the passage describes came from the people, not from the land: the countryside and the people around were entirely hostile.
Option (3) The revolt was one of the most widespread and fierce in this region. — Correct. The uprising here had huge popular support; in Awadh, three-fourths of the adult male population was in rebellion. With the whole countryside against them, the British had to reconquer the area village by village, and so the progress was slow.
Option (4) The British wanted the rebellion to last long in this region. — Incorrect. The British wanted to put the revolt down: they launched counter-insurgency operations and kept fighting until the area was brought under control.
NCERT (2026-27): “4. Repression … In the Ganegtic plain too the progress of British reconquest was slow. The forces had to reconquer the area village by village. The countryside and the people around were entirely hostile. As soon as they began their counter-insurgency operations, the British realised that they were not dealing with a mere mutiny but an uprising that had huge popular support. In Awadh, for example, a British official called Forsyth estimated that three-fourths of the adult male population was in rebellion. The area was brought under control only in March 1858 after protracted fighting.…” |