05-20-2005, 02:28 AM
People who fought against the British in 1857 had many different motives. Some wanted to reinstall the Moghul Empire. Some wanted to stop the British take over of the Princely states. Some were fighting for their religion. Then there were others who were venting their frustration at the pay and living condition in the Bengal Army. Whatever be the reason for the uprising against the British these people did have a vague feeling that the British were outsiders and should go. There is thus some evidence for calling the uprising "war for independence".
There is also evidence against calling the uprising the "war for independence". A large section of people did not fight the British but in fact supported them. Sikh soldiers fought with the British. The intellectuals in Kolkata, Mumbai etc did not seem to oppose British rule. One reason was that many of these intellectuals were opposed to the reinstallation of the Mughal Emperor. Their thought was that the British rule was better than the Mughal rule.
It is thus not so easy to characterize the 1857 event. My personal position is that while the 1857 uprising is more than a mere mutiny, it is less than a "war for independence". Firstly, it is clear that the nation's intellectuals did not support the war. Secondly, the Indian soldiers who fought in the war did not think in terms of nation or independence but were feudal in outlook. This feudal and non-national attitude of Indian soldiers and their commanders is clear from their military strategy. Indian combatants fought a largely static battle trying to defend the cities like Delhi or Kanpur. Their strategy was not an All-India military strategy. I have not seen any awareness on the part of the Indian commanders that the long supply line of the British was vulnerable to attack. Indian commanders never moved out of Delhi, Meerut, Kanpur etc. They never attacked Kolkata or Mumbai and cut off the British supply line.
They should have occupied the ports and tried to take over the ammunition stocks of the British led army. Nana Saheb did try to move towards Nagpur but gave up when he did not get support from the country side. The point I am making is that the Indian commanders did not think in terms of a nation but more in terms if defending their local turfs. British on the other hand raced towards Delhi or Kanpur or Meerut from Kolkata with their supply lines stretching 7000 miles from a fog shrouded island off the main land of Europe. It would have to wait another 14 years before genuine nationalists like S.N. Bannerjee would emerge.
There is also evidence against calling the uprising the "war for independence". A large section of people did not fight the British but in fact supported them. Sikh soldiers fought with the British. The intellectuals in Kolkata, Mumbai etc did not seem to oppose British rule. One reason was that many of these intellectuals were opposed to the reinstallation of the Mughal Emperor. Their thought was that the British rule was better than the Mughal rule.
It is thus not so easy to characterize the 1857 event. My personal position is that while the 1857 uprising is more than a mere mutiny, it is less than a "war for independence". Firstly, it is clear that the nation's intellectuals did not support the war. Secondly, the Indian soldiers who fought in the war did not think in terms of nation or independence but were feudal in outlook. This feudal and non-national attitude of Indian soldiers and their commanders is clear from their military strategy. Indian combatants fought a largely static battle trying to defend the cities like Delhi or Kanpur. Their strategy was not an All-India military strategy. I have not seen any awareness on the part of the Indian commanders that the long supply line of the British was vulnerable to attack. Indian commanders never moved out of Delhi, Meerut, Kanpur etc. They never attacked Kolkata or Mumbai and cut off the British supply line.
They should have occupied the ports and tried to take over the ammunition stocks of the British led army. Nana Saheb did try to move towards Nagpur but gave up when he did not get support from the country side. The point I am making is that the Indian commanders did not think in terms of a nation but more in terms if defending their local turfs. British on the other hand raced towards Delhi or Kanpur or Meerut from Kolkata with their supply lines stretching 7000 miles from a fog shrouded island off the main land of Europe. It would have to wait another 14 years before genuine nationalists like S.N. Bannerjee would emerge.