what were the political causes of the revolt of 1857 ?
Political Causes : The annexation policy of British was one of the
major causes. The terms of the Subsidiary treaties signed by Wellesley
with different rulers were never honoured unless it suited the British
interests. The Doctrine of Lapse introduced by Dalhousie led to the
outright annexation of eight states. Nana Saheb lost his pension. Rani
of Jhansi was not permitted to adopt a son. They turned against the
British. They were the most able leaders of the revolt. The annexation
of Oudh and deposition of its ruler Wazid Ali Shah, made Oudh the
most prominent centre of the revolt. Bahadur Shah II, the Mughal
Emperor and his successors were humiliated by the British. They were
prohibited from using their ancestral palace, the Red Fort, in future.
Besides, the Muslims were in general dissatisfied with the British. They
felt that they had lost their political power.