DefinitionModerate1.5 marks
6(i)
The 1857 Revolt is also referred to as the Sepoy Mutiny by the British. With reference to the role played by the soldiers, answer the following question:
What was the General Service Enlistment Act?
Topic: General Service Enlistment Act
Previous-year question practice database
Answer
Exam answer
The General Service Enlistment Act was passed by Lord Canning in 1856. It laid down that every new recruit to the Bengal Army must undertake to serve wherever the Government required, including overseas.
Explanation
Give the name of the Governor-General and the year — Canning, 1856 — along with what the Act required. Those three elements are the answer. Note the timing: the Act came only a year before the Revolt, which is why it appears among its immediate military causes.
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