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History Optional PYQ Master Pack · Model answer

“The annexation of Awadh shook the loyalty of the Sepoys, as it was for them an ultimate proof of untrustworthiness of the British.” Comment.

  • UPSC 2009
  • Indian Response to British Rule

The annexation of Awadh in 1856 was not merely another act of territorial expansion under the Doctrine of Lapse — it struck directly at the material and emotional world of the Bengal Army's sepoys, making it one of the most potent long-term causes of the 1857 Revolt.

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What the full answer covers

  • The Annexation and Its Pretexts
  • Why Awadh Mattered So Much to the Sepoys
  • Fusing With Other Sepoy Grievances
  • Consequences in 1857

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