The Indian War of Independence 1857
Topic: The Revolt of 1857 · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Indian War of Independence 1857 is a book by V.D. Savarkar, published in 1909. Earlier, the British had called the revolt a "Sepoy Mutiny", meaning only a rising of soldiers. Savarkar instead described 1857 as a planned national war to free India from foreign rule. The British banned the book even before it was published. Even so, it was secretly passed around and inspired many revolutionaries. It helped spread the idea of 1857 as the "First War of Independence".
Example
Savarkar wrote the book while living in London. Copies were printed abroad and smuggled into India. Later nationalists drew on its view that leaders such as Rani Lakshmibai and Nana Sahib were fighters for freedom.
Don't confuse with
- "Sepoy Mutiny": this was the British label, which treated 1857 as only a revolt by soldiers. Savarkar's book called it a war for the whole nation.
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