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:
How did the introduction of the new Enfield Rifle become an immediate cause of the revolt?
Topic: The greased cartridges
Answer
The new Enfield rifle introduced in 1856 used cartridges whose ends had to be BITTEN OFF before loading. A rumour spread that the cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs.
The cow is sacred to Hindus and the pig is forbidden to Muslims, so biting the cartridge meant defilement for both communities alike. The sepoys concluded that the British were deliberately trying to destroy their religion and convert them to Christianity.
The protest began at Barrackpore, where Mangal Pandey refused to use the cartridge and fired at his officers on 29 March 1857; he was hanged on 8 April. When 85 sepoys at Meerut refused the cartridges and were sentenced to long imprisonment, their comrades rose in revolt on 10 May 1857 and marched to Delhi — and the Revolt had begun.
Three marks, so build the answer in three stages: the cartridge and the rumour, why it offended BOTH communities, and the actual outbreak. The crucial word is BITTEN — without it the offence makes no sense, and candidates who omit it lose the first mark. The dates and names are what earn the third mark: Mangal Pandey at Barrackpore (29 March 1857) and the Meerut mutiny (10 May 1857). Note the examiner asks for the IMMEDIATE cause — so the answer must end with the outbreak, not with general discontent.