Question

Why did the revolt of 1857 fail?
(A) Of superior resources of the British Empire
(B) It was poorly organised and the rebels had no common ideal
(C) It had very little nationalist sentiment
(D) It was localised, restricted and scattered

Answer 1

Hint:The Indian mutiny or the Sepoy mutiny also called as Revolt of 1857, was a widespread but unsuccessful rebellion against the rule of British East India Company in India which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British crown.

Complete answer:
(A) The British military was adept in good quality cannons, guns and artillery.However, the possession of superior resources by the British empire cannot be held responsible alone since, the Indian troops or Sepoys were quite large in number and they were well-armed with guns too, since they were deployed in the British army. Hence,this is not the correct option.
(B) The Revolt of 1857 suffered from a weak leadership, it was not planned and organised . The Revolt did not spread to all parts of India, instead it was confined to Northern and Central India. Also, the rulers of Kashmir, Gwalior and Hyderabad helped the British against the revolt, it was poorly organized and the rebels did not have a common ideal. Hence, this is the correct option.
(C) According to some facts, the Revolt of 1857 emerged as it was a national uprising and the prime factor that initiated this national uprising was the way East India Company and the British officials were attacking the cultural ethos of India. Hence, this is not the correct option.
(D) Although,the revolt restricted North India excluding regions beyond the River Narmada in the south yet areas of Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi and Bareilly were extremely active throughout the revolt so, this reason alone cannot be held responsible for the Sepoy mutiny. Hence,this is not the correct option

Therefore, the correct option is B.

Note:Revolt of 1857 is often considered as the Sepoy mutiny, but it was something more, there were various zamindars, civil servants and peasants involved who also took active part in the revolt.The revolt of 1857 was an unprecedented event in the history of British rule in India. It united, though in a limited way, many sections of Indian society for a common cause.Though the revolt failed to achieve the desired goal, it sowed the seeds of Indian nationalism.