RAS question
Nana Sahib led the 1857 revolt in Kanpur. He was the adopted son of:
Correct answer: (B) Peshwa Baji Rao II.
Nana Sahib, also known as Dhondu Pant, was the adopted son of the last Peshwa, Baji Rao II.
Explanation
Nana Sahib's place in the 1857 Revolt is tied to both succession and grievance. He was Dhondu Pant, the adopted son of the last Peshwa, Baji Rao II. After Baji Rao II died in 1851, the British refused to continue Nana Sahib's pension under the Doctrine of Lapse, turning the succession issue into a political grievance. In the revolt, Nana Sahib declared himself Peshwa at Kanpur and led strong resistance there. After the British recaptured Kanpur, he escaped; he is believed to have died in Nepal, though his final fate remains uncertain.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Daulat Rao Scindia is wrong because Nana Sahib's adoption was tied to the last Peshwa, Baji Rao II, not to the Scindia house.
- (C) Shivaji is wrong because he belonged to the 17th-century Maratha past, while Nana Sahib's adoption and pension grievance arose under Baji Rao II in the 19th-century 1857 context.
- (D) Tipu Sultan is wrong because he was the Mysore ruler who died in 1799, whereas Nana Sahib's identity comes from the Peshwa line and Kanpur in 1857.
Concept
Nana Sahib's role in the 1857 Revolt links leaders, centres and grievances. His adoption, pension dispute and Kanpur leadership connect Maratha succession with anti-British resistance.