Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

The Indian Rebellion

I can explain how, following the Indian Rebellion in 1857, Britain increased its control over India by making it a Crown Colony governed by a Viceroy.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

The Indian Rebellion

I can explain how, following the Indian Rebellion in 1857, Britain increased its control over India by making it a Crown Colony governed by a Viceroy.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. By the 1850s, most of the Indian subcontinent was under the control of the East India Company.
  2. The unpopular 'doctrine of lapse' was introduced which allowed Britain to control more Indian territory.
  3. The Indian Rebellion took place in 1857 and represented a serious challenge to British rule.
  4. British soldiers defeated the Indian rebellion and India became a Crown Colony governed by a viceroy.

Keywords

  • Rebellion - an act of rising up against rulers or authority

  • Viceroy - a person who governs a territory on behalf of a sovereign

  • Crown Colony - a colony administered by the British government within the British Empire

Common misconception

India was totally controlled by the East India Company at the time of the Indian Rebellion in 1857.

Two-thirds of India was controlled by the East India Company at the time of the Indian Rebellion in 1857.

Ensure students are aware that even though they fought in the army of the British East India Company, Indian sepoys were far from content with the treatment they were receiving, leading to them revolting.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which word describes an Indian soldier serving in the British or another European order?
Correct Answer: sepoy, Sepoy
Q2.
Which word describes a native governor during the time of the Mughal Empire?
Correct Answer: Nawab, nawab
Q3.
Which famous conquerors invaded India?
William the Conqueror
Correct answer: Genghis Khan
Correct answer: Alexander the Great
the Vikings
Q4.
Under whose rule did the power of the Mughals decrease?
Akbar the Great
Alexander the Great
Correct answer: Aurangzeb
Genghis Khan
Q5.
What was the British East India Company (EIC) granted in 1600?
Correct Answer: a monopoly, A monopoly, monopoly, Monopoly
Q6.
Put the following events in chronological order.
1 - Clive beat the Nawab of Bengal at the Battle of Plassey.
2 - Clive coerced the Mughal Emperor to grant a monopoly on trade to the EIC.
3 - The power of the EIC grew but trade decreased with America.
4 - The British government passed the Regulating Act.
5 - Britain lost its American colonies and India became crucial to the empire.

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which word describes an act of rising up against rulers or authority?
Correct Answer: rebellion
Q2.
Which word describes a person who governs a territory on behalf of a sovereign?
Correct Answer: viceroy
Q3.
Which actions did the East India Company (EIC) undertake in India, causing resentment of British rule?
Correct answer: sepoys were treated poorly
refused to trade with Hindu princes any longer
Correct answer: replaced Indian traditions
Correct answer: the introduction of the 'doctrine of lapse'
sepoys were favoured over British troops
Q4.
Put the following events in chronological order.
1 - The EIC had full influence over the country of India.
2 - Sepoys became angry over their poor treatment .
3 - The ‘doctrine of lapse’ was imposed by the British.
4 - the introduction of the new Enfield rifle
5 - The Indian Rebellion broke out.
Q5.
How much of India was controlled by the EIC at the time of the Indian Rebellion in 1857?
one third
one half
Correct answer: two-thirds
three-quarters
Q6.
What was the Indian Rebellion of 1857 known as in India?
the War Against the British
the War of the Sepoys
Correct answer: the War of Independence

Additional material

Download additional material