Question
Give an account of the attitude of Bengali society towards Sepoy Mutiny.
Answer
The Sepoy Mutiny, also known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857, was a significant event in Indian history that challenged British colonial rule. The Bengali society’s attitude towards the Sepoy Mutiny was complex and varied, with different sections of society holding different views.
At the beginning of the rebellion, many Bengali soldiers in the British Indian Army participated in the mutiny, mainly due to their discontentment with British policies and treatment towards Indian soldiers. However, after the British authorities suppressed the mutiny, the Bengali intelligentsia, including the Hindu and Muslim elite, largely distanced themselves from the rebels.
Many Bengali intellectuals, including the prominent figures of the Bengal Renaissance such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and Dwarkanath Tagore, viewed the mutiny as a failed attempt at regaining power and sovereignty from the British. They believed that the path to Indian progress and prosperity lay in adopting Western education and ideas while preserving their cultural heritage.
