PDP 6 - The Azamgarh Proclamation

Author Bio: This document has no specific author as it is a proclamation, but it was written by the rebels in India who were going against British imperialist rule. They are extremely biased because they are trying to fight for their cause that British imperialism is wrong and should be stopped. They had even violently went against them because of how much they were opposed to them.

Date/Context: This document was written when Britain had invaded India and were ruling through the East India Company. They had taken power from the Mughals, who were the previous rulers, and ruled through sepoys, which were native troops. Once the Indian's realized that the British were ruling only for their own benefit, they tried to get rid of them through violence to protect their culture and their right to govern themselves. This document represents the views of the rebels and what they thought should be done about it by different people in society.

Summary: In this document the rebels are arguing that the Hindoos and the Mohammedans should join together against a common enemy, Britain, to reestablish a Badshahi government. The rebels claim that they will acquire western support and that fortune tellers of several religions predict that the British will soon lose its footing in India. They say that minor failures are not indicators of how they will rule. The rebels call upon all classes of people to support the cause by ranting about high taxes, unfair arrests, monopolies on goods, and other current problems under the British. In addition to these complaints, they make their own promises to fix these specific issues in order to appeal to all different levels of society. At the end, they threaten those who stand against their cause.

Key Quotation: "Therefore, for the information of the public, the present Ishtahar [proclamation], consisting of several sections, is put into circulation, and it is the imperative duty of all to take it into their careful consideration."