Class 8 History Chapter 5 When People Rebel Extra Questions and Answers are provided here. These Extra Questions with solution are prepared by our team of expert teachers who are teaching in CBSE schools for years. Extra questions for Class 8 History Chapter 5 will help you to properly understand a particular concept of the chapter.

When People Rebel Class 8 History Extra Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Question

1. Who was the last Peshwa?

Answer: Peshwa Baji Rao II

2. Who led the revolt in Kanpur?

Answer: Nana Saheb

3. Who was the mother of Birjis Qadr?

Answer: Begum Hazrat Mahal

4. Who was the leader of the mutiny as proclaimed by the sepoys?

Answer: Bahadur Shah Zafar

5. Who translated the memoirs of Sitaram Pande into English?

Answer: Norgate translated it into English.

6. Who was the son of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah?

Answer: Birjis Qadr was the son of the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.

7. Name the country where the Indian Sepoys were asked to go through the sea route.

Answer: Burma

8. Under what pretext did the British annex Awadh?

Answer: In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh, and in 1856 it was taken over.

9. Who wrote the book Majha Pravaas?

Answer: The book Majha Pravaas was written by Vishnubhatt Godse, a Brahman from a village in Maharashtra.

10. When was Mangal Pandey hanged to death and why?

Answer: On 29 March 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey, was hanged to death for attacking his officers in Barrackpore.

11. What was the first step taken by the company towards ending the Mughal dynasty?

Answer: The name of the Mughal king was removed from the coins minted by the Company.

12. What rumour spread among the sepoys of the Meerut regiment about the new cartridges?

Answer: The rumour spread that the new cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs.

13. Who took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi?

Answer: Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi.

14. What is mutiny?

Answer: When soldiers as a group disobey their officers in the army then it is called mutiny.

15. Who was ’Viceroy’?

Answer: The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy, that is, a personal representative of the Crown.

16. What was Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah’s prophecy?

Answer: Ahmadullah Shah, a maulvi from Faizabad, prophesied that the rule of the British would come to an end soon.

17. Who was the Begum Hazrat Mahal? What was her role in the 1857 rebellion?

Answer: Begum Hazrat Mahal was the mother of Birjis Qadr. She took an active part in organising the uprising against the British.

18. What is Bakht Khan?

Answer: Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi. He became a key military leader of the rebellion.

19. Who declared himself as a governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar?

Answer: Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao declared that he was a governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

20. Which Governor-General decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king?

Answer: In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king.

21. Name the zamindar of Bihar, who joined the rebel sepoys and battled with the British.

Answer: In Bihar, an old zamindar, Kunwar Singh, joined the rebel sepoys and battled with the British for many months.

22. What did the Bahadur Shah Jafar do after he was declared the leader of the rebel?

Answer: He wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of the country to come forward and organise a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British.

23. What was the plea of Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II?

Answer: Nana Saheb, the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II, pleaded that he be given his father’s pension when the latter died.

24. What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?

Answer: The sepoys objected that the new cartridges they were asked to use were suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. What was the immediate cause of the Sepoy mutiny and why?

Answer: Use of greased cartridges in the army was the immediate cause. They were coated with the fat of pig and cow and offended the religious sensibilities of the sepoys.

2. Why were the powers of the East India Company transferred to the British crown?

Answer: The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.

3. How Muslims were treated by the British and why?

Answer: The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicion and hostility. The British believed that they were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.

4. How Tantia Tope died?

Answer: Tantia Tope escaped to the jungles of central India and continued to fight a guerrilla war with the support of many tribal and peasant leaders. He was captured, tried and killed in April 1859.

5. What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the British?

Answer: Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognize her adopted son as the heir to the kingdom after the death of her husband. But the British turned down her plea.

6. How did the revolt of 1857 affect the position of the East India Company?

Answer: The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.

7. What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to Christianity?

Answer: In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier. This law allowed an Indian who had converted to Christianity to inherit the property of his ancestors.

8. What was the new law passed in 1856 by the East India Company regarding the employment in the Company’s army?

Answer: In 1856 the Company passed a new law which stated that every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to agree to serve overseas if required.

9. Name the governor general who announced to shift Bahadur Shah Zafar’s family from Red Fort.

Answer: In 1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place in Delhi to reside in.

10. On what condition the ruling chiefs could pass on their kingdoms to their heirs?

Answer: All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in future. They were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge the British Queen as their Sovereign Paramount.

11. What was Taiping Rebellion?

Answer: It had started in 1850 and could be suppressed only by the mid-1860s. Thousands of labouring, poor people were led by Hong Xiuquan to fight for the establishment of the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace. This was known as the Taiping Rebellion.

12. Name some new leaders that came to the forefront during the revolt of 1857.

Answer: Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi.

Ahmadullah Shah, a maulvi from Faizabad raised a huge force of supporters and came to Lucknow to fight the British.

13. What were the religious causes of the revolt?

Answer: The Company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and property. In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier. Many Indians felt that the British were destroying their religion; thus, revolted against the British rule.

14. How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?

Answer: Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces in September 1857. The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment. His sons were shot dead before his eyes. He and his wife Begum Zinat Mahal were sent to prison in Rangoon in October 1858. Bahadur Shah Zafar died in the Rangoon jail in November 1862.

15. What were the social causes of the revolt?

Answer: The British believed that Indian society had to be reformed. Laws were passed to stop the practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage of widows. English-language education was actively promoted. Many Indians believed that the British were meddling in their social customs and their traditional way of life; thus, revolted against the British rule.

16. What happened to the Nawabs when the British established political power in India?

Answer: When British established political power in India:

• The Nawabs and Rajas lost their authority and honour.
• British Residents were stationed in all the courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their armed forces disbanded and territories taken away by stages.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Why did the chiefs and rulers support the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in the revolt?

Answer: The Mughal dynasty had ruled over a very large part of the country. Most smaller rulers and chieftains controlled different territories on behalf of the Mughal ruler. Threatened by the expansion of British rule, many of them felt that if the Mughal emperor could rule again, they too would be able to rule their own territories once more, under Mughal authority.

2. What efforts were made by the British to win back the loyalty of the people?

Answer: The British tried their best to win back the loyalty of the people.

• They announced rewards for the loyal landlords who would be allowed to continue to enjoy traditional rights over their lands.
• Those who had rebelled were told that they submitted to the British, and if they had not killed any white people, they would remain safe and their rights and claims to land would not be denied.

3. How did other Indian soldiers in Meerut participate in the revolt of 1857?

Answer: The response of the other Indian soldiers in Meerut was quite extraordinary. On 10 May, the soldiers marched to the jail in Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys. They attacked and killed British officers. They captured guns and ammunition and set fire to the buildings and properties of the British and declared war on the firangis.

4. How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh?

Answer: The British also tried their best to win back the loyalty of the people. They announced rewards for loyal landholders would be allowed to continue to enjoy traditional rights over their lands. Those who had rebelled were told that if they submitted to the British, and if they had not killed any white people, they would remain safe and their rights and claims to land would not be denied.

5. What did the British do to suppress the revolt of 1857?
Or
How did the Company suppress the revolt?

Answer: The Company decided to repress the revolt with all its might. It brought reinforcements from England, passed new laws so that the rebels could be convicted with ease, and then moved into the storm centres of the revolt. Delhi was recaptured from the rebel forces in September 1857. Lucknow was taken in March 1858. Rani Lakshmibai was defeated and killed in June 1858. Tantia Tope was captured, tried and killed in April 1859.

6. Who was Subedar Sitaram Pande?
Or
Write a short note on Subedar Sitaram Pande.

Answer: Sitaram Pande was recruited in 1812 as a sepoy in the Bengal Native Army. He served the English for 48 years and retired in 1860. He helped the British to suppress the rebellion though his own son was a rebel and was killed by the British in front of his eyes. On retirement he was persuaded by his Commanding Officer, Norgate, to write his memoirs. He completed the writing in 1861 in Awadhi and Norgate translated it into English and had it published under the title From Sepoy to Subedar.

7. What were the main provisions of the Act of 1858?

Answer: Main provisions of the Act of 1858 were:

• Powers of the East India Company were transferred to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.
• A member of the British Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India and made responsible for all matters related to the governance of India.
• The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy, that is, a personal representative of the Crown.

8. Why were the Indian sepoys unhappy with the British rule?
Or
Why did the Indian soldiers get angry at the British?

Answer: They were unhappy about their pay, allowances and conditions of service. Some of the new rules violated their religious sensibilities and beliefs. Those were the days many people in the country believed that if they crossed the sea they would lose their religion and caste. So when in 1824 the sepoys were told to go to Burma by the sea route to fight for the Company, they refused to follow the order, though they agreed to go by the land route. They were severely punished, and since the issue did not die down, in 1856 the Company passed a new law which stated that every new person who took up employment in the Company’s army had to agree to serve overseas if required.

9. How did British plan to bring Mughal dynasty to an end?

Answer: The Company even began to plan how to bring the Mughal dynasty to an end.

• The name of the Mughal king was removed from the coins minted by the Company.
• In 1849, Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place in Delhi to reside in.
• In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king and after his death none of his descendants would be recognized as kings – they would just be called princes.

10. What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857?

Answer: The reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857 were:

• Nawabs and rajas had lost their authority and honour. Residents had been stationed in many courts, the freedom of the rulers reduced, their armed forces disbanded, and their revenues and territories taken away by stages.
• Awadh was one of the last territories to be annexed. In 1801, a subsidiary alliance was imposed on Awadh, and in 1856 it was taken over.
• In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king and after his death none of his descendants would be recognized as kings – they would just be called princes.

11. What reforms did the British introduced in the Indian society? How did people of India respond to them?

Answer: British introduced the following reforms in the Indian society.

• Laws were passed to stop the practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage of widows.
• English-language education was actively promoted.
• After 1830, the Company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and property.
• In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier.

Many Indians began to feel that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs and their traditional way of life.

12. What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families?

Answer: Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion boosted the morale of the people and the ruling families.

• The people of the towns and villages also rose up in rebellion and rallied around local leaders, zamindars and chiefs who were prepared to establish their authority and fight the British.
• Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao, gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the city.
• In Lucknow, Birjis Qadr, the son of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, was proclaimed the new Nawab. He too acknowledged the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah Zafar.
• In Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British along with Tantia Tope, the general of Nana Saheb.

13. In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of 1857?

Answer: Following are the important changes that were introduced by the British.

• The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.
• All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in future. They were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons. However, they were made to acknowledge the British Queen as their Sovereign Paramount.
• It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced and the number of European soldiers would be increased. It was also decided that instead of recruiting soldiers from Awadh, Bihar, central India and south India, more soldiers would be recruited from among the Gurkhas, Sikhs and Pathans.
• The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicion and hostility. The British believed that they were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.
• The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in India.
• Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them security of rights over their lands.