S1: We cannot understand the power of rumours and prophecies in history by checking whether they are factually correct or not.
P: The rumours in 1857 began to make sense when seen in the context of the policies the British pursued from the late 1820s.
Q: Rumours circulate only when they resonate with the deeper fears and suspicions of people.
R: Under the leadership of Governor General Lord William Bentinck, the British adopted policies aimed at “reforming” Indian society by introducing Western education, Western ideas and Western Institutions.
S: We need to see what they reflect about the minds of people who believed them – their fears and apprehensions, their faiths and convictions.
S6: With the cooperation of sections of Indian society they set up English-medium schools, colleges and universities which taught Western sciences and liberal arts.

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