Glimpses of the Past
In 1757, the British East India Company became powerful in India. Indian kings were divided and often took help from the British, who later defeated them one by one. Tipu Sultan was a brave king who fought the British but died in battle.
The British made unfair rules, charged high taxes, and did not respect Indian traditions. People suffered and became unhappy. Social problems like untouchability and child marriage were common.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy worked to reform society and told people that all religions are equal. In 1857, the first major revolt against the British began. It was led by brave leaders like Mangal Pandey, Hazrat Mahal, and Tatya Tope. Many Indians joined the fight for freedom.
ग्लिम्प्सेस ऑफ़ द पास्ट (हिंदी में)
1757 में ब्रिटिश ईस्ट इंडिया कंपनी भारत में बहुत ताकतवर हो गई। भारतीय राजा आपस में बंटे हुए थे और उन्होंने अंग्रेजों से मदद ली, लेकिन बाद में अंग्रेजों ने उन्हें एक-एक करके हरा दिया। टीपू सुल्तान एक बहादुर राजा थे जिन्होंने अंग्रेजों से लड़ाई की, लेकिन युद्ध में शहीद हो गए।
अंग्रेजों ने कई अन्यायपूर्ण नियम बनाए, ज़्यादा कर वसूला और भारतीय परंपराओं का सम्मान नहीं किया। लोग दुखी हो गए और असंतुष्ट रहने लगे। समाज में छुआछूत और बाल विवाह जैसी बुरी प्रथाएं थीं।
राजा राम मोहन राय ने समाज सुधारने का काम किया और बताया कि सभी धर्म समान हैं। 1857 में अंग्रेजों के खिलाफ पहला बड़ा विद्रोह हुआ। मंगल पांडे, हज़रत महल
Answer the following questions
- Q: Do you think the Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach to the events of 1757?
A: Yes. The Indian princes only thought about their own fights. They took help from the British, who later became more powerful than them. - Q: How did the East India Company subdue the Indian princes?
A: The Company had better weapons. It used fights between Indian rulers to win and take control of India. - Q: Quote the words used by Ram Mohan Roy to say that every religion teaches the same principles.
A: “Cows are of different colours, but the colour of their milk is the same. Different teachers have different opinions but the essence of every religion is the same.” - Q: In what ways did the British officers exploit Indians?
A: The British took a lot of money, gave Indians very low pay, taxed them heavily, and made many people jobless. - Name these people:
- (i) The ruler who fought battles and died fighting: Tipu Sultan
- (ii) The person who wanted to reform the society: Raja Ram Mohan Roy
- (iii) The person who suggested English education in India: Macaulay
- (iv) Two leaders who led the revolt: Maulvi Ahmedulla and Tatya Tope (you can choose others too)
- Mention the following:
- (i) Two old social practices: Untouchability and child marriage
- (ii) Two unfair British rules: Heavy taxes and jailing people without a court trial
- (iii) Two problems faced by common people: Hunger (famines) and job loss
- (iv) Four reasons for the 1857 revolt:
- Indian soldiers were paid less
- British didn’t respect Indian customs
- People were poor
- Kings lost their kingdoms
Comprehension Check
- Q: Look at picture 1. What are the first lines of the song in Hindi? Who sang it? Who is in the picture?
A: The song is “Ae mere watan ke logon…” sung by Lata Mangeshkar. The picture shows people remembering freedom fighters. - Q: In picture 2, what does “superior weapons” mean?
A: It means the British had better guns and tools for war. - Q: Who is an artisan? Why did they suffer?
A: An artisan is someone who makes things by hand. They lost work because British goods were sold more and Indian goods were not supported. - Q: Which picture shows the start of the revolt?
A: Picture 7. It shows the Santhal revolt and Indian soldiers getting angry.
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