Multiple choice

By 1857, there were ... European soldiers of all ranks in India out of a total of ... soldiers?

  1. 48,672 European soldiers out of a total of 235,502 soldiers

  2. 45,522 European soldiers out of a total of 277,746 soldiers

  3. 42,983 European soldiers out of a total of 292,383 soldiers

  4. 47,901 European soldiers out of a total of 259,927 soldiers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

On the eve of the 1857 Rebellion, the military force in India was heavily unbalanced, with only 45,522 European soldiers compared to a total force of 277,746 soldiers (the rest being native sepoys). This vast numerical disparity made the British highly vulnerable when the mutiny broke out.

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