(a) Indian soldiers were an integral part of the Indian society, they too suffered the consequences of the oppressive British rule. Besides, they had other grievances. The Indian sepoys were looked upon as inferior beings and treated with disrespect by their British officers. They were paid much less than the British soldiers. All avenues of the promotion were closed to them as all the higher army posts were reserved for the British. There were other specific and more immediate causes for the discontent among the sepoys. The annexation of Awadh inflamed their strong feelings against foreign rule. Finally, there occurred an incident, which sparked of the revolt. It was the introduction of the Enfield rifle with the Greased Cartridges. The cartridge for that gun contained some animal fat only it. To loads that cartidge in the gun, the soldier was required to use his teeth to tear of one end of the cartridge, At once, a rumor spread among the sepoys that the cartridge contained the fat of cows and pigs. It meant the loss of religion by the Hindus and Muslims alike. It made the sepoys furious. The British authorities forced the sepoys to use the cartridge. The sepoys saw a deep conspiracy to destroy their religious faiths. 

(b) The British used very shrewd methods to gain control over the rulers of the native states. They struck at the very root of their existence, through the Doctrine of Lapse. According to this, if a ruler died without or heir, his adopted son could neither inherit the throne nor the title and the state would be annexed to the British empire using this policy Lord Dalhousie annexed Satara, Jhansi and Nagpur. And where this policy could not be applied, the pretext of mismanagement in the governance of the state was used as was done in the case of Oudh. This discriminating actions of the British caused widespread resentment among the native rulers. 

(c) As a result of the British policy of making India a raw material producing country. Indian handicrafts and cottage industries were ruined. Thousands of craftsman and artisans were thrown out of employment. The manufacturers of silk and cotton goods got no profits from their work and began to look for other means of livelihood. The miserable condition of the workmen became a potent cause of resentment against the British rule.