Class 12 Rebels and the Raj: The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations Mock Test (CBSE)

Topics in Rebels and the Raj: The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations

• Pattern of the rebellion
• How the mutinies began
• Lines of communication
• Leaders and followers
• Rumours and prophecies
• Awadh in revolt
• What the rebels wanted
• Repression
• Images of the revolt

Rebels and the Raj: The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations practice questions with answers

1. Q1Multiple choice·1 mark
   Who among the following prominent figures assumed the leadership of the Revolt of 1857 in Arrah, Bihar?

   1. (a)Rani Laxmi Bai
   2. (b)Ahmadullah Shah
   3. (c)Birjis Qadir
   4. (d)Kunwar Singh
   Show answer and step marks

   1. Correct option: (d) Kunwar Singh+1

   Answer: (d)
2. Q2Multiple choice·1 mark
   Which of the following modern means of communication introduced by the British was systematically targeted and disrupted by the rebels to cut off administrative coordination during the Revolt of 1857?

   1. (a)Canal network
   2. (b)Printing press
   3. (c)Maritime trade routes
   4. (d)Telegraph system
   Show answer and step marks

   1. Correct option: (d) Telegraph system+1

   Answer: (d)
3. Q3Short answer·3 marks
   Explain how Awadh became the focal point of the 1857 revolt, often described as the nursery of the 1857 revolt.
   Show answer and step marks

   1. Awadh was annexed in 1856 by Lord Dalhousie on the ground of misgovernment, which deeply hurt the sentiments of its people.+1
   2. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was deposed and exiled to Calcutta; the court was dissolved, and musicians, dancers, poets, cooks, retainers and officials lost their livelihoods.+1
   3. The Summary Settlement of 1856 dispossessed taluqdars and raised revenue demands on peasants; since Awadh was the 'nursery of the Bengal Army', the sepoys' families were hit too, joining sepoy and peasant grievances.+1

   Answer: The 1856 annexation on grounds of misgovernment and the exile of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah angered the people and ruined court-dependent groups; the Summary Settlement dispossessed taluqdars and burdened peasants, whose sepoy sons (Awadh being the nursery of the Bengal Army) shared their grievances.
4. Q4Short answer·3 marks
   What were the visions and aspirations of the rebels during the 1857 revolt as reflected in their proclamations and manifestoes?
   Show answer and step marks

   1. The proclamations rejected everything associated with British rule (firangi raj), condemning annexations, broken treaties, land revenue settlements, the ruin of weavers and artisans and attacks on caste and religion; rebels attacked jails, courts, treasuries and records.+1
   2. They repeatedly appealed to all sections of society, irrespective of caste and creed, and urged Hindus and Muslims to unite, as in the Azamgarh Proclamation of 1857.+1
   3. They wanted to restore the pre-British world, with its livelihoods, religions and indigenous rulers, issuing proclamations in the name of Bahadur Shah and setting up parallel administrations modelled on the Mughal order.+1

   Answer: The rebels rejected British rule and its annexations, revenue settlements and attacks on livelihoods and religion; called for Hindu-Muslim unity across castes (e.g. the Azamgarh Proclamation); and sought to restore the pre-British order under indigenous rulers such as Bahadur Shah.

More Class 12 History mock tests