Events in 1856 During British Rule

The question asks us to identify which significant historical event among the given options took place in the year 1856.

Let's examine each option and determine its historical timing:

• Option 1: Tantya Tope was captured, tried to escape and was put to death. Tantya Tope was a prominent leader in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He continued his struggle even after the main revolt was suppressed. He was captured by the British in April 1859 and subsequently executed. This event did not happen in 1856.
• Option 2: Awadh was captured by the British East India Company. The princely state of Awadh (also known as Oudh) was annexed by the British East India Company in 1856. This annexation was carried out under the pretext of misgovernance by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, though it was primarily driven by the British desire to control the fertile territory and its resources. This annexation was a major political event just before the 1857 rebellion.
• Option 3: Mangal Pandey was hanged. Mangal Pandey was a sepoy in the British East India Company's army who played a key role in triggering the initial phase of the 1857 Indian Mutiny. The incident involving Mangal Pandey at Barrackpore occurred in March 1857, and he was executed in April 1857. This event did not happen in 1856.
• Option 4: Bahadur Shah Zafar was sent to Rangoon jail. Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal Emperor. He was proclaimed the leader of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 by the mutineers in Delhi. After the British recaptured Delhi in September 1857, Bahadur Shah Zafar was captured, tried, and exiled to Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar) in October 1858, where he died in 1862. This event did not happen in 1856.

Based on the analysis, the annexation of Awadh by the British East India Company is the event that took place in 1856.

Therefore, the event that occurred in 1856 was the capture of Awadh by the British East India Company.

Revision Table: Important Events Leading to 1857

Additional Information: Annexation of Awadh in 1856

The annexation of Awadh in 1856 is a critical event when studying the causes of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Awadh was a strategically important and wealthy state. While Lord Dalhousie initially considered annexing it under the Doctrine of Lapse, it had a ruler (Wajid Ali Shah), which didn't strictly fit the criteria. Instead, it was annexed on the grounds of 'misgovernance'. The British claimed that the Nawab was not ruling properly and the people were suffering, so they had to take over the administration.

This move was widely unpopular for several reasons:

• The Nawab was popular among his subjects despite British claims.
• It displaced many nobles, officials, and soldiers who were dependent on the Nawab's court for their livelihood.
• It led to increased land revenue demands under British administration, affecting peasants and landowners.
• Awadh was a major recruitment ground for sepoys in the British Indian Army. The annexation deeply affected these sepoys, who often came from landowning families in Awadh and felt their homeland had been unjustly taken.

The annexation of Awadh in 1856 contributed significantly to the widespread discontent that fueled the great revolt of 1857.