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Short Summary of the Chapter: The Glimpses of the Past
This chapter tells the story of India from the year 1757 to 1857. It shows how the British came to India and slowly took control.
First, the Indian princes were fighting with each other. They asked the British for help. This gave the British East India Company a chance to grow stronger. They won many battles and took control of more areas.
Some brave rulers like Tipu Sultan of Mysore fought against them. But many kings did not care about the people. The common people became slaves in their own land.
The British started heavy taxes. Farmers lost their land. Artisans lost their work. From 1822 to 1836, 15 lakh people died due to starvation. They also brought goods from England without any tax and destroyed Indian industries.
Ram Mohan Roy, a wise man from Bengal, wanted to stop bad practices like untouchability and child marriage. He believed all religions are equal and science is important. He even went to England and asked the British to treat Indians better.
In 1818, a law called Regulation III allowed the British to jail any Indian without trial. By 1829, Britain was sending goods worth seven crore rupees to India.
In 1835, Macaulay said that English should be taught in India. It helped make clerks but also gave birth to new ideas and smart Indians who wanted change.
By 1856, the British had full control of India. People were poor and angry. In 1855, the Santhals in Bengal rose in rebellion. Soldiers were also unhappy because they got low pay and had to break their customs.
In 1857, Mangal Pande, a soldier, attacked a British officer and was hanged. The fight for freedom had begun. Chapaties and lotus flowers were sent to villages as secret messages. A big revolt started from Meerut and spread to Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, and many other places.
Many leaders like Bahadur Shah Zafar, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Maulvi Ahmedulla, Tatya Tope, and Kunwar Singh joined the fight. They wanted to drive the British out and take back India.
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Detailed Summary of the Chapter: The Glimpses of the Past
1.Indian Princes and the British Entry (Around 1757) : In the 18th century, Indian princes kept fighting with each other. They were not united. Some of them even took help from the British to fight their enemies. This helped the British East India Company grow stronger. They had better weapons and slowly captured more land. Only a few brave kings like Tipu Sultan of Mysore tried to stop them. But he was killed in battle. People had no peace due to the constant wars.
2.The Company’s Rule and People’s Reaction (1757–1849) : By this time, the British had removed many Indian kings. The people were very sad. Even if some kings were not good, they still belonged to the land. Now the people had become slaves under foreign rulers.
3.British Rule and Indian Suffering (1765–1836): The British made rules to earn profit. They took heavy taxes from farmers. This made farmers leave their land. Artisans lost their work because British goods were sold in India without tax. From1822 to 1836,15 lakh people died in famines. The British officers insulted Indians and treated them badly. Indian industries slowly died.
4.Ram Mohan Roy Brings Change (1772–1833) : Ram Mohan Roy was a wise man from Bengal. He wanted to reform Indian society. He said all religions teach the same truth. He believed in science and modern education. He went to England to understand their power. He also started newspapers, but the British stopped them in1823.
5.British Laws and Growing Anger (1835–1856) : In1818, a law called Regulation III was passed. It allowed jailing Indians without trial. By1829, British goods worth seven crore rupees were being sold in India. In1835, Macaulay suggested English education. It created clerks for the British but also made Indians smarter. Many began to realize the truth and wanted change.
6.The First Sparks (1855–1857) : In1855, the Santhals in Bengal rebelled because they had lost land. Soldiers in the East India Company were also upset. They got less pay and slow promotions. They were forced to break religious customs. A soldier named Mangal Pande fought back and was killed. This anger spread. Secret messages were sent through chapatis and lotus flowers.
7.The Revolt Begins (1857) : The revolt began inMeerutin1857. Soldiers marched to Delhi and declared Bahadur Shah Zafar as their emperor. The fight spread to places like Kanpur, Lucknow, and Bareilly. People who had lost land joined in.
8.Freedom Fighters Rise (1857) : Leaders like Begum Hazrat Mahal, Maulvi Ahmed Ulla, Tatya Tope, and Kunwar Singh fought bravely. Kunwar Singh, even at the age of 80, joined the war and gave his life for the country.
Final Message : This chapter shows how India slowly moved towards its first big fight for freedom in1857. The people of India were tired of British rule. Their anger, pain, and courage started the first War of Independence.
Pointwise Summary of the Chapter: The Glimpses of the Past
1.Indian princes were not united and kept fighting each other, which helped the British gain power.
2. The East India Company used better weapons and slowly took over many parts of India.
3.Common people suffered under British rule—farmers lost land, artisans lost work, and many died in famines.
4.Ram Mohan Roy, a reformer from Bengal, spoke against bad customs and promoted modern education and science.
5. In1818, the British passed a cruel law (Regulation III) to jail Indians without trial.
6. In1835, Macaulay introduced English education, which created clerks but also new thinkers.
7. By1856, the British had taken control of the whole of India and treated Indians unfairly.
8. In1855, the Santhals rebelled; soldiers like Mangal Pande also rose against the British.
9. The First War of Independence started in1857 at Meerut and spread to Delhi, Kanpur, and Lucknow.
10. Many brave leaders like Bahadur Shah Zafar, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Tatya Tope, and Kunwar Singh fought to free India.