LIWA

The First War of Independence 1857

ICSE Class 10 · History & Civics · Chapter 7

What this chapter covers

Key points

Questions answered

What was the Doctrine of Lapse? Name any two states annexed under it.
The Doctrine of Lapse was the policy under which a dependent state passed to the British if its ruler died without a natural male heir, because an adopted son was not accepted as successor. Jhansi and Nagpur (also Satara and Sambalpur) were annexed under it.
On what ground was Awadh annexed, and in which year?
Awadh was annexed in 1856 on the ground of misgovernment.
Why did the treatment of the Mughal emperor anger Indians?
The British announced that his successors would have to leave the Red Fort and would lose the title of emperor; Indians saw this as an insult to the symbol of Indian sovereignty.
Why was Nana Saheb hostile to the British?
He was the adopted son of the last Peshwa, Baji Rao II, and the Company refused to pay him his father's pension after 1851.
How did the Religious Disabilities Act of 1850 add to the discontent?
It allowed a convert to inherit ancestral property, so people believed the government was encouraging conversion to Christianity.
State two ways in which British economic policy ruined Indian artisans.
Cheap machine-made British goods flooded the Indian market while Indian goods paid heavy duties in Britain; and the annexation of Indian states removed the courts that were the main buyers of fine crafts.
What was the Inam Commission, and how did it affect the landed classes?
It was a commission set up in Bombay in 1852 to examine titles to rent-free land; it confiscated about twenty thousand estates whose owners could not show documents.
Why did the General Service Enlistment Act of 1856 alarm the sepoys?
It made new recruits liable to serve overseas, and high-caste sepoys believed that crossing the sea would destroy their caste.

Past board exam questions

ICSE 2027 sample paper · 2 marks

Imagine you were an artisan in the year 1856. Mention any two ways in which the economic policies of the British would have affected you.

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Any two: 1. I would have lost my livelihood, as cheap machine-made British goods flooded the Indian market and my hand-made goods could not compete. 2. Spinning and weaving (my craft) would have stopped, as raw materials such as cotton were exported to Britain and were not available to me. 3. I would have lost royal patronage, as the Indian rulers and nobles who bought my goods were removed by British annexations. 4. Heavy taxation and duties on Indian goods would have made my trade unprofitable.

ICSE 2027 sample paper · 3 marks

Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow: The Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Indian Mutiny, the Sepoy Mutiny, or the First War of Indian Independence, was a widespread uprising against British rule in India that began in May, 1857. The rebellion was sparked by the sepoys' mutiny in Meerut on May 10, 1857, and quickly spread to other parts of India. On May 10, 1857, Indian soldiers, known as sepoys, rebelled against their British officers in the town of Meerut, triggering a rebellion. The rebellion quickly spread to other parts of India with many Indian princes and soldiers joining the uprising. — [Edited] timesofindia.com/ May 10, 2023 Mention any three socio-religious causes of the Revolt.

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Any three: 1. Interference with social customs – abolition of Sati, legalising widow remarriage – made people fear the British were destroying their traditions. 2. Activities of Christian missionaries to convert people, and fears that Western education aimed at conversion. 3. The Religious Disabilities Act (law of property) of 1856 enabled a convert to Christianity to inherit his ancestral property. 4. Taxation of lands belonging to temples and mosques (religious places). 5. Racial discrimination – Indians were treated as inferior by the British. 6. Fear of modern innovations such as the railways and telegraph.

ICSE 2027 sample paper · 4 marks

Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow: The Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Indian Mutiny, the Sepoy Mutiny, or the First War of Indian Independence, was a widespread uprising against British rule in India that began in May, 1857. The rebellion was sparked by the sepoys' mutiny in Meerut on May 10, 1857, and quickly spread to other parts of India. On May 10, 1857, Indian soldiers, known as sepoys, rebelled against their British officers in the town of Meerut, triggering a rebellion. The rebellion quickly spread to other parts of India with many Indian princes and soldiers joining the uprising. — [Edited] timesofindia.com/ May 10, 2023 The Subsidiary Alliance proved to be disastrous to the Indian Kingdoms. Justify this statement by stating any four clauses of this alliance.

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Any four clauses: 1. The Indian ruler accepted the British as the paramount power and gave up his independence in foreign affairs. 2. He had to maintain British troops in his state and pay for them (by money or by ceding territory). 3. He had to accept a British Resident at his court. 4. He could not enter into an alliance with, or employ, any other European power without British consent. 5. He could not go to war or negotiate with other Indian rulers without British permission. Thus the rulers lost their sovereignty and were burdened with the cost of the troops, and their states were gradually annexed.

ICSE 2026 sample paper · 1 mark

Read the description and choose the correct option- This was a significant event in Indian history. Many underlying causes of the revolt included economic exploitation, social reforms, and political annexations by the British. Even in its failure it ignited nationalism in the people of India. Its immediate cause was___________.

  1. introduction of the Doctrine of Lapse
  2. annexation of Indian states by the British
  3. use of greased cartridges in Enfield rifles
  4. establishment of English as the medium of instruction
Show answer
use of greased cartridges in Enfield rifles

ICSE 2026 board paper · 1 mark

Under which policy of expansion was the place marked in the map annexed by the British? Map: an outline map of India in which one region in the north (the Ganga plain) is shaded black and labelled AWADH.

  1. The Doctrine of Lapse
  2. The Subsidiary Alliance
  3. Pretext of misgovernance
  4. Outright wars
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Pretext of misgovernance

ICSE 2026 board paper · 1 mark

Identify the correct pair of words from the given options:

  1. Doctrine of Lapse – Lord Canning
  2. Subsidiary Alliance – Lord Wellesley
  3. Arms Act – Lord Curzon
  4. Vernacular Press Act – Lord Dalhousie
Show answer
Subsidiary Alliance – Lord Wellesley

ICSE 2026 sample paper · 3 marks

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising against the rule of the British East India Company. With reference to this, answer the following questions: The British used many policies of expansion. Mention any three such policies.

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Any three: 1. The Doctrine of Lapse (Lord Dalhousie) – states of rulers without a natural heir were annexed (e.g., Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur). 2. The Subsidiary Alliance (Lord Wellesley). 3. Annexation on the pretext of misgovernance (e.g., Awadh, 1856). 4. Outright wars of conquest (e.g., Punjab).

ICSE 2026 sample paper · 3 marks

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising against the rule of the British East India Company. With reference to this, answer the following questions: Analyse the impact of the failure of the Revolt of 1857 on the Mughals and the Peshwas.

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1. Mughals: the Mughal rule came to an end; Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried, deposed and deported to Rangoon, and the title of the Mughal emperor was abolished. 2. Peshwas: the Peshwaship ended, as Nana Saheb (the adopted son of the last Peshwa, Baji Rao II) was defeated and fled to Nepal. 3. With both gone, the hope of restoring old ruling dynasties ended and India came directly under the British Crown.