UPSC Prelims Marathon 7 January – Sepoy Mutinies and the Revolt of 1857 – 2026

With reference to the nature of civil and peasant uprisings in India before 1857, consider the following statements:
1.These uprisings were geographically isolated and lacked a unified, comprehensive national vision for the future of India.
2.The leadership of these movements usually consisted of traditional semi-feudal elements seeking to restore the pre-colonial social order.
3.These movements were highly successful in presenting a viable alternative to the existing colonial economic and political structure.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

Consider the following pairs of North-East tribal movements and their primary causes:
1.Ahom Revolt (1828): Protest against the British refusal to withdraw from Assam after the First Burma War.
2.Khasi Uprising (1829): Resistance against the British project of constructing a road linking the Brahmaputra Valley with Sylhet.
3.Singhpho Rebellion (1830s): Grievance over the loss of land to British tea plantation owners.
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Regarding the immediate cause and the initial phase of the 1857 Revolt, consider the following statements:
1.The immediate catalyst was the introduction of the Enfield rifle, which required sepoys to bite off cartridges rumored to be greased with beef and pig fat.
2.The revolt formally began in Meerut on May 10, 1857, following the sentencing of 85 sepoys to 10 years of imprisonment for refusing the cartridges.
3.Upon reaching Delhi, the sepoys declared Mirza Mughal as the Emperor of India to lead the administrative affairs.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the 1857 Revolt, consider the following statements:
1.The “pauperization” of rural India was primarily driven by heavy land revenue assessments and the commercialization of agriculture.
2.The British trade policy included the imposition of high tariffs on Indian manufactured goods while allowing British goods to enter India duty-free.
3.The Religious Disabilities Act of 1850 was seen as an attempt to facilitate conversions by allowing converts to inherit ancestral property.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

With reference to the political and administrative factors behind the 1857 Revolt, consider the following statements:
1.Lord Dalhousie’s ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ was the primary political instrument used to annex states like Satara, Sambalpur, and Jhansi.
2.The annexation of Awadh in 1856 was based on the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ following the death of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah without a male heir.
3.The exclusion of Indians from high-ranking civil and military posts created a deep sense of racial humiliation among the educated and the sepoys.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

Consider the following rows regarding the centers of the 1857 revolt and the British officials involved:
RowCenter of RevoltIndian LeaderBritish Official (Suppression)
IDelhiGeneral Bakht KhanJohn Nicholson
IIKanpurNana SahebColin Campbell
IIIJhansiRani LaxmibaiHugh Rose
IVJagdishpurKunwar SinghWilliam Taylor
In how many of the above rows is the information correctly matched?

Regarding the failure of the 1857 Revolt, consider the following statements:
1.The revolt lacked an all-India character, as South India and significant parts of West and East India remained largely unaffected.
2.The British had the strategic advantage of the electric telegraph, which allowed them to coordinate military movements faster than the rebels.
3.The lack of a unified political vision or a coherent plan for a post-British administration among the rebels led to internal disarray.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

Which of the following groups did NOT actively support or join the 1857 Revolt?
1.Educated middle-class Indians.
2.The Scindias of Gwalior and the Holkars of Indore.
3.The big zamindars of Bengal and Awadh (mostly).
4.Moneylenders and merchants.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

With reference to the consequences of the 1857 Revolt, consider the following statements:
1.The Government of India Act of 1858 transferred the administration of India from the East India Company to the British Crown.
2.The British army was reorganized based on the concept of ‘Martial’ and ‘Non-Martial’ races to prevent future uprisings.
3.The British government decided to abandon the policy of annexation and promised to respect the rights and dignity of Indian princes.
Which of the statements given above are correct?