RAS question
Which Governor-General's policies are considered a major cause of the Revolt of 1857?
Correct answer: (B) Lord Dalhousie.
Lord Dalhousie's policies, especially the Doctrine of Lapse and the annexation of Awadh, are considered a major cause of the Revolt of 1857.
Explanation
Lord Dalhousie is the relevant Governor-General because NCERT links his expansionist policy directly to the grievances behind 1857. Under him, the Company used the Doctrine of Lapse to annex Indian states when a ruler died without a male heir. Satara, Sambalpur, Udaipur, Nagpur and Jhansi were annexed under this policy. NCERT also notes that the Company took over Awadh in 1856, claiming misgovernment. The humiliating deposition of the Nawab enraged the people of Awadh, who then joined the great revolt that broke out in 1857. Dalhousie's annexations, especially Awadh, created political resentment that fed into the uprising.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Lord Wellesley is associated with the Subsidiary Alliance system, not with the later annexation policies tied to resentment before 1857.
- (C) Lord Cornwallis is known for the Permanent Settlement, not for the Doctrine of Lapse or the annexation of Awadh as causes of the revolt.
- (D) Lord Canning was Governor-General when the revolt occurred, but the policies that caused resentment belong to Lord Dalhousie's earlier tenure.
Concept
The political causes of the Revolt of 1857, especially British annexation policy under Company rule, are important here. This theme recurs in RAS because questions often connect specific colonial administrators with the policies and grievances that shaped modern Indian history.