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The British siege of the fortress of Jhansi in March-April 1858 was led by:
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Answer: Option A — Sir Hugh Rose
Detailed Solution
The British siege of the fortress of Jhansi in March-April 1858 was led by Sir Hugh Rose (later Lord Strathnairn), the commander of the Central India Field Force.
About the siege:
- Rose's army reached Jhansi in March 1858 and surrounded the fort.
- The defenders, led by the Rani of Jhansi, fought bravely; women also helped in the defence.
- A rebel force led by Tantia Tope came to relieve Jhansi, but was defeated by Rose at the Battle of the Betwa river.
- The British stormed the town and the fort in early April 1858.
- There was heavy fighting and great loss of life in the town.
- The Rani escaped from the fort before it fell.
About Sir Hugh Rose:
- He was a British general who had served in Syria and in the Crimean War.
- He commanded the Central India Field Force in 1858, which recaptured large parts of central India from the rebels.
- He won battles at Jhansi, Kunch and Kalpi.
- He later became the Commander-in-Chief in India (1860-1865).
- He praised the Rani of Jhansi as a brave and able military leader.
Other British commanders in the Revolt:
- Sir Colin Campbell: Commander-in-Chief; relieved Lucknow (November 1857) and recaptured Kanpur.
- General Henry Havelock: recaptured Kanpur in July 1857 and tried to relieve Lucknow.
- General John Nicholson: led the assault on Delhi; was killed in September 1857.
- Sir James Outram: helped relieve Lucknow.
- William Hodson: captured the Mughal emperor in Delhi.
- General Wheeler: commanded the British garrison at Kanpur.
Rebel leaders in central India:
Rani Lakshmibai, Tantia Tope and Rao Sahib (Nana Sahib's nephew).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Colin Campbell, Havelock and Nicholson fought elsewhere.
Quick tip
Remember: siege of Jhansi (1858) = Sir Hugh Rose (Central India Field Force); Delhi assault = Nicholson; relief of Lucknow = Havelock, Outram, Campbell.
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Revolt of 1857 — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Revolt of 1857, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Revolt of 1857 was the first large-scale uprising against British rule in India. This topic covers its causes, the immediate trigger of the greased cartridges, its leaders and centres, the reasons for its failure, and its results, including the end of Company rule through the Government of India Act 1858. The most common questions match a leader with a centre of the revolt: Bahadur Shah Zafar and Bakht Khan at Delhi, Rani Lakshmibai at Jhansi, Nana Saheb and Tatya Tope at Kanpur, Begum Hazrat Mahal at Lucknow and Kunwar Singh at Arrah in Bihar. The revolt began at Meerut on 10 May 1857, and Mangal Pandey's protest at Barrackpore came earlier that year. Practise the Revolt of 1857 questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.