The impact of Lord Dalhousie's annexation of Awadh and how it contributed to the revolt?

Lord Dalhousie's annexations had a significant impact on Awadh and its people and it was a major reason for the great rebellion of 1857.

1. A popular Nawab - Jan - e Alam : The annexation of Awadh led to the displacement of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. He was a very popular Nawab among his subjects. People were saddened by British act.

2. Lost Livelihood: The removal of the Nawab and dissolution of the court led to the loss of livelihood for a whole range of people, including taluqdars, courtiers, officers, musicians, dancers, poets, artisans, cooks, and retainers.

3. The Summary Settlement of 1856: The British land revenue policy further undermined the position and authority of the taluqdars. After annexation, the first British revenue settlement, known as the Summary Settlement of 1856, was based on the assumption that the taluqdars were interlopers with no permanent stakes in land. The Summary Settlement proceeded to remove the taluqdars wherever possible, and by the time of the settlement, the taluqdars had lost a significant portion of their villages.

4. Displacement of Taluqdars: The countryside of Awadh was dotted with the estates and forts of taluqdars who, before the coming of the British, maintained militia, built forts, and enjoyed a degree of autonomy, as long as they accepted the suzerainty of the Nawab and paid the revenue of their taluqs. However, the British were unwilling to tolerate the power of the taluqdars. Immediately after the annexation, the taluqdars were disarmed, and their forts were destroyed.

5. Collapse of a social order: This dispossession of the taluqdars meant the breakdown of an entire social order. The ties of loyalty and patronage that had bound the peasant to the taluqdar were disrupted.

6. Before the annexation, Taluqdars on one hand collected revenue but on the other hand they also give loans for needs in tough times.

7. Under the British, the peasant was directly exposed to over assessment of revenue and inflexible methods of collection. In times of hardship or crop failure, there was no longer any guarantee that the revenue demand of the state would be reduced or collection postponed.

8. Expression of Anger : These actions contributed to the revolt of 1857, which became an expression of popular resistance to an alien order. The chain of grievances in Awadh linked prince, taluqdar, peasant, and sepoy, and they all came to identify firangi raj with the end of their world – the breakdown of things they valued, respected, and held dear. The revolt in Awadh was particularly intense because the annexation had created disaffection in the areas and principalities that were annexed, and Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was widely loved.