Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
Kunwar Singh, Landlord of Jagdishpur in Bihar, led the rebellion against the British.
Lord Dalhousie recognised the adopted son of Rani Lakshmi Bai as the heir apparent.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Only 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Only 1
Both 1 and 2
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. Kunwar Singh was a major landholder of Jagdishpur in Bihar and emerged as one of the principal leaders of the Revolt of 1857 in Bihar. Historical records describe him as the influential landholder of Jagdishpur and an important military leader of the uprising of 1857–58.
In July 1857, the rebel sepoys from Dinapur reached Arrah, where Kunwar Singh joined them. He assumed leadership of the rebel soldiers and seriously challenged the authority of the East India Company in the Arrah and Shahabad region.
His influence was not confined to a single military campaign. After rebel influence was established over large parts of Shahabad, Kunwar Singh also attempted to operate a local administration and maintained contact with other rebel leaders. He is therefore counted among the principal leaders of the Revolt of 1857 in Bihar.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Under Lord Dalhousie's Doctrine of Lapse, an adopted son of an Indian ruler was not automatically recognised as possessing the political right of succession to the state. The policy was used to annex several states, including Satara, Sambalpur, Jhansi and Nagpur.
In the case of Jhansi, instead of recognising the succession claim of Rani Lakshmibai's adopted son, the British Government annexed Jhansi in 1854. Therefore, the statement that Dalhousie recognised the adopted son as heir apparent reverses the historical position.
This became one of the major political causes of resentment between the Rani of Jhansi and the British Government and subsequently formed part of the background to the Revolt of 1857.