Discuss the various views presented by historians around the revolt of 1857.

After the analysis of the Revolt of 1857 we came to know that historians have expressed different views depending on their perceptions. Mostly they fall into two categories namely Europeans and the Indians.
The former group of historians tried to paint the Revolt as the sepoys mutiny means due to their grievances, the sepoys came together and revolted against the British. But this view is not correct. Some of the Indian nationalist historians have tried to point the Revolt as the first War of Indian Independence. The other English historians have characterized it as the Hindu-Muslim conspiracy to over throw the British rule out of India.
In his discovery of India, Jawaharlal Nehru maintains that the Revolt of 1857 was more than a sepoy mutiny. Although, initially it started as a mutiny of the Indian soldiers, but when it spread rapidly assumed the nature of a mass rebellion. He further maintains that the Revolt of 1857 was essentially a feudal uprising although there were some nationalistic elements in it. Some of the moderate historians like Dr. R.C. Mujumdar and Dr. S.N. Sen also expressed the similar view. They further say that it was a wholly national war of independence, means it was somewhere between the two views.

Topics: GS-I: Modern Indian History & Freedom Struggle