History · Ch 10 — Rebels and the Raj — The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations
The search for alternative power
The search for alternative power
Once British rule collapsed in places like Delhi, Lucknow and Kanpur, the rebels did not simply fight — they tried to build a new structure of authority. These attempts were short-lived, but they reveal a clear goal: the rebel leadership wanted to restore the pre-British world of the eighteenth century.
The leaders turned back to the culture of the court. They made appointments to various posts, arranged for the collection of land revenue, and organised the payment of troops. Orders were issued to stop loot and plunder. At the same time, plans were drawn up to fight battles against the British, and chains of command were laid down in the army.
In all this, the rebels harked back to the eighteenth-century Mughal world — a world that had become a symbol of everything that was lost under British rule.
The administrative structures the rebels set up were primarily aimed at meeting the demands of war. In most cases, these structures could not survive the British onslaught. But Awadh was different. There, resistance lasted the longest. The Lucknow court was still drawing up plans of counter-attack and maintaining hierarchies of command as late as the last months of 1857 and the early part of 1858.
The rebel leadership did not try to create a new system of government. Instead, they consciously revived the Mughal court culture of the eighteenth century. This shows that their vision of the future was rooted in the past — a past they saw as a golden age before British interference.
Key points to remember:
- The rebels attempted to establish authority and administration in Delhi, Lucknow and Kanpur after British rule collapsed.
- Their efforts were short-lived, except in Awadh where resistance continued into early 1858. …