War of Independence

Ranjit Singh

By 1845, the British empire had grown from Bengal to Sind, and all that remained free was the Punjab. The Sikhs were ruling over Punjab and after the second Sikh war in 1848, the British gained control over the Indus. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond that Ranjit Singh had worn in his headdress, now became a part of the crown jewels at Westminster.

The British army recruited local Indians in their force. They used cartridges which were greased with fat from tabooed animals and had to be bitten before use. In 1857, these Indian soldiers began a mutiny against the British, which started from the British Army in Bengal, but spread swiftly across the sub-continent. This war of Independence, or the Mutiny of the Sepoys, as it is termed by the British, was not successful because the Muslims and Hindus were unable to work together.

After the War of Independence in 1857, the British government assumed sovereignty over the lands of the British East India Company. The British control over the sub-continent grew in the next 50 years and culminated in the British Raj. Queen Victoria’s Indian realm continued to expand, until Hunza, the remote kingdom bordering China, fell into British hands in 1891, bringing the expansion to an end.

Banner proclaiming the fall of the Mughal Empire

The frontier separating British India from Afghanistan was delineated by the British in 1893. The resulting Durand Line cut straight through the tribal area of the Pathans. The British left the tribal areas to govern themselves under the supervision of British political agents.

British became masters of India, where for nearly 800 years Muslims had ruled. However, their attitude towards the Muslims was of antipathy. According to Hunter, "The Muslims of India are, and have been for many years, a source of chronic danger to the British power in India". The British also attributed the war of 1857 to the Muslims alone. As a result properties of the Muslims were confiscated, employment opportunities in the army, in revenue department, and the judiciary were closed for the Muslims.

A scene from the War of Independence, 1857

A policy of discrimination against the Muslims was deliberately followed by the British administrators, even in filling minor jobs. Advertisements inviting applications for government jobs specifically mentioned that Muslims would not be appointed. Hunter admits that the exclusion of the Muslims was so complete that in the government offices in Calcutta they could not accept a post higher than that of a porter, messenger, filler of ink-pots and mender of pens.

By a series of revenue and financial measures, the British smashed the political and social position of the Muslims. In the Province of Bombay, the government appointed "Inam Commission" to inquire into the land grants of the Muslim times. The Commission took away 20,000 estates from the Muslims and thus ruined many families and institution of the community.

The company’s commercial policy eliminated the Muslims from internal and foreign trade. With the coming of the Europeans in the Sub-Continent the Muslim merchants lost much of their commerce with foreign countries. Still they maintained their hold on internal trade and their commercial activities extended to the Persian Gulf and the coastal territories of the Arabian Sea. During the company’s rule the Muslim traders were pushed out of this area by the competition of the company’s traders who enjoyed many special concessions.

A scene from the War of Independence, 1857

The newly introduced English system of education had many drawbacks for the Muslims, mainly because it made no provision for religious education. So they stayed aloof from this education. Thus within a few years of the loss of their political power, the Muslims lost all avenues of employment, were dispossessed of their estates and deprived of the benefits of the education. A highly cultured community turned into a backward and poor people. And in their place English educated Hindus began to occupy positions in governments offices formerly held by the Muslims.