Question

Indian sepoys refused to use Enfield Rifle cartridges for
A) Social reasons
B) Economical reasons
C) Religious reasons
D) Political reasons

Answer 1

Hint: At that time a rumour spread that the cartridges were coated with the fat of cows and pigs. The Indian soldiers thought that the motive of the British was to turn all the sepoys into Christian.

Complete answer:
Indian sepoys refused to use Enfield Rifle cartridges for religious regions. For loading the Enfield rifle (provided to the sepoys), the paper cartridge which contained the gunpowder had to be torn off using teeth and then loaded into the rifle. At that time a rumour spread that the cartridges were coated with the fat of cows and pigs, and therefore the sepoys of the regiment of Meerut rejected to do the Army drill using the new cartridges. Both Hindus and Muslims felt humiliated, as cows were considered holy by Hindus and pigs were regarded dirty by the Muslims. The Indian soldiers thought that the motive of the British was to turn all the sepoys into Christian and therefore refused to use those cartridges.

The first soldier who denied using the greased cartridges was Mangal Pandey, a devoted Hindu Brahmin. He was hanged to death for attacking his officers in Barrackpore, on 29 March 1857.

Thus, the correct answer is Option C. Religious reasons

Note: On 9 May 1857, 85 sepoys were dismissed from service and sentenced to ten years in jail for disrespecting their officers. Other Indian soldiers responded quite extraordinarily in Meerut. They marched to the jail and released the imprisoned sepoys, and even attacked and killed the British officers. Guns and ammunition were captured, buildings and properties of the British were set on fire, eventually, war was declared on the firangis.