CAPF AC 2025 Q47: Modern History – Advent Of Europeans & British Expansion
- (a) Henry Lawrence
- (b) Captain Hearsey
- (c) Francois Sisten
- (d) Charles Ball
Answer: (a) Henry Lawrence
Explanation
Battle of Chinhat (1857)
How to think: Chinhat is near Lucknow.
On 30 June 1857, Sir Henry Lawrence, the British Chief Commissioner of Awadh, marched out with a small force and was defeated by the rebels.
He then retired into the Residency, which was besieged.
| Person | Role in 1857 |
|---|---|
| Henry Lawrence | Defeated at Chinhat; died of wounds in the Residency, July 1857 |
| Captain Hearsey | Not the British commander at Chinhat |
| Charles Ball | Historian of the Mutiny |
| Francois Sisten | Not a British commander of this battle |
The rebel force at Chinhat was led by Barkat Ahmed.
Answer: (a) Henry Lawrence.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Henry Lawrence was defeated at Chinhat on 30 June 1857.
- (b) Incorrect. Captain Hearsey was not the commander defeated at Chinhat.
- (c) Incorrect. This name is not a British commander at Chinhat.
- (d) Incorrect. Charles Ball wrote a history of the Mutiny and did not lead at Chinhat.
Key point
Chinhat, 30 June 1857, near Lucknow: rebel victory over Henry Lawrence; siege of the Lucknow Residency began; Lawrence died 4 July 1857. Later: Havelock and Outram's relief (September), Colin Campbell recaptured Lucknow (March 1858).
Remember
Chinhat: Lawrence lost, 30 June 1857, Lucknow.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up Chinhat with the later Relief of Lucknow (Campbell).
- Thinking Lawrence was killed in the battle itself; he died days later from a shell wound.
- Placing the battle in Kanpur or Delhi.
Exam tip
Educated guess: Lucknow's British chief was Henry Lawrence, and the question asks for the commander who lost. The other names are not famous commanders in 1857.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra, History of Modern India (Orient BlackSwan), chapter on the Revolt of 1857
- Surendra Nath Sen, Eighteen Fifty-Seven (Publications Division, 1957), account of Lucknow