RAS question
Mangal Pandey's revolt at Barrackpore occurred on:
Correct answer: (A) March 29, 1857.
Mangal Pandey's revolt at Barrackpore occurred on March 29, 1857, when he attacked British officers while serving in the 34th Native Infantry.
Explanation
Mangal Pandey was a sepoy of the 34th Native Infantry at Barrackpore. On March 29, 1857, he attacked his British officers there, making the date important in the chronology of the Revolt of 1857. He was hanged soon after, on April 8, 1857. The event is treated as a precursor to the main revolt because it came before the wider outbreak and showed that discontent inside the Company's Indian army had already turned into open defiance. The Barrackpore incident must be separated from later centres of the revolt, especially Meerut.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) January 23, 1857 was not the date of Mangal Pandey's attack at Barrackpore.
- (C) May 10, 1857 belongs to the Meerut outbreak, not to Mangal Pandey's Barrackpore action.
- (D) June 5, 1857 was much later than the Barrackpore incident, which took place before the main revolt spread.
Concept
The chronology of the Revolt of 1857 requires a clear distinction between early military flashpoints and the wider uprising. Such dates anchor causes, centres and sequence in modern Indian history.