First war of independence: 1857

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Dr. Marx Mohammad Shame, in his speech in parliament on the eve of 150th year of the War of 1857, had quoted from Karl Marx while not even mentioned Mangal Pandey.

This ongoing series of research articles By Prof. Devendra Swarup in Organiser examins the true Marxist views on the whole affaire of 1857, which CPI(atoz) are trying to bury in the rubble of the past now.

1. Pre-1957 Left perspective on 1857 - I: Did Moscow play fraud on Marx?

2. Pre-1957 Left perspective on 1857–II : "Reactionary and feudal outburst"

3. Pre-1957 Left perspective on 1857–III : Marx’s perception of India in 1853

some quotes:

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->“This passive sort of existence evoked the other part, in contradistinction wild, aimless, unbounded forces of destruction and rendered murder itself a religious rite in Hindostan.”
—Karl Marx

“I share not the opinion of those who believe in a golden age of Hindustan.”
—Karl Marx

Endorsing the Macaulayan policy in the field of education and employment, it says: “The failure of the Mutiny proved conclusively that the people of India were not united by the old social institutions and religious traditions—that the future of India was to be secured not by the impossible revival of the old order of things but by the birth of a new force arising upon the ruins of the old” (p. 161).

“This objectively reactionary character was the reason of its failure. It could not have been suppressed had it been a progressive national movement, led by the native bourgeoisie with advanced social ideas and political programme. But such a movement was impossible in that epoch.”

“No Indian nationalist who stands for the social progress of his people and who struggles for political independence as a step towards that goal, would be treading the right path by clanging to the sentiments that lay behind the revolt of 1857.” —M.N. Roy

“The Revolution of 1857 was nothing but the last effort of the dethroned feudal potentates to regain their power. It was a struggle between the worn-out feudal system and the newly introduced commercial capitalism for political supremacy” and therefore “the last vestiges of feudal power were shattered by the failure of the Revolution of 1857, which is known as the Sepoy Mutiny.” (Reprint, Bombay, 1971, p 20). To be more explicit, it says, “The revolt of 1857 was the first serious attempt to overthrow the British domination; but by no means could it be looked upon as a national movement. It was nothing more than the last spasm of the dying feudalism… socially it was a reactionary movement because it wanted to replace British rule by revived feudal imperialism, either of the Moghals or the Marathas."
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