Explain the anguish of Hanwant Singh for the British officer.
Explain the anguish of Hanwant Singh for the British officer.
Official answer
Hanwant Singh's anguish arose from the loss of his ancestral estates to the British.
His anguish:
- The British sent officers to examine land titles and, "at one blow," seized lands that had belonged to his family "from time immemorial."
- Though he had saved the British officer's life, he still resolved to march to Lucknow to drive the British out — showing that personal kindness could not erase the grievance of dispossession.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark: British seized/dispossessed his ancestral lands held by the family from time immemorial, causing his anguish.
- 2.Full credit for noting he still saved the officer yet resolved to fight the British.
Hint
His pain came from the loss of ancestral lands, despite having personally saved the officer.
Quick oral answer
Hanwant Singh was anguished because the British had seized his family's ancestral estates 'at one blow'; though he saved the British officer's life, he still resolved to march to Lucknow to fight British rule.
Common mistakes
- 1.Describing only that he saved the officer without explaining the source of his anguish (loss of land).
- 2.Confusing Hanwant Singh with a peasant; he was a taluqdar (Raja of Kalakankar).
- 3.Ignoring the phrase 'at one blow you took from me lands', the core of his grievance.
Analysis and explanation
This extract expresses the outlook of the taluqdars of Awadh during the Revolt of 1857.
Concept:
- The British annexation of Awadh (1856) and the Summary Settlement stripped taluqdars of estates held for generations, breeding deep resentment.
Exam pointer:
- Distinguish his personal humanity (saving the officer) from his political grievance (loss of land) — both appear in the source.
Wider significance:
- Hanwant Singh's words show that even those who aided individual Britons opposed British rule, explaining why the revolt spread so widely in Awadh.
Interesting facts
Awadh was annexed by the British in 1856 on grounds of 'misgovernment', the last major annexation before the 1857 revolt.
The British Summary Settlement of 1856 removed taluqdars from about half the villages they had previously held in Awadh.
Question details
Q37 of 41 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- History
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section D
- Marks
- 1
- Chapter
- Rebels and the Raj: The Revolt of 1857 and its Representations
- Topic
- Hanwant Singh and the British Officer — 1857
- Bloom's level
- understand
- Syllabus topic
- Theme 11: Rebels and the Raj — Awadh, Taluqdars and the Revolt of 1857
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Hanwant Singh?
He was a taluqdar, the Raja of Kalakankar near Rae Bareli in Awadh, whose views represented the attitude of the taluqdars during the 1857 revolt.
Why did he still oppose the British after saving an officer?
Because the British had dispossessed him of his ancestral lands; personal kindness to one officer did not remove his grievance against British rule.