<Li> The revolt was fractured along religious, ethnic and regional lines . </Li> <P> A second school of thought while acknowledging the validity of the above - mentioned arguments opines that this rebellion may indeed be called a war of India's independence . The reasons advanced are: </P> <Ul> <Li> Even though the rebellion had various causes, most of the rebel sepoys who were able to do so, made their way to Delhi to revive the old Mughal empire that signified national unity for even the Hindus amongst them; </Li> <Li> There was a widespread popular revolt in many areas such as Awadh, Bundelkhand and Rohilkhand . The rebellion was therefore more than just a military rebellion, and it spanned more than one region; </Li> <Li> The sepoys did not seek to revive small kingdoms in their regions, instead they repeatedly proclaimed a "country - wide rule" of the Mughals and vowed to drive out the British from "India", as they knew it then . (The sepoys ignored local princes and proclaimed in cities they took over: Khalq Khuda Ki, Mulk Badshah Ka, Hukm Subahdar Sipahi Bahadur Ka--"the people belong to God, the country to the Emperor and authority to the Sepoy Commandant"). The objective of driving out "foreigners" from not only one's own area but from their conception of the entirety of "India", signifies a nationalist sentiment; </Li> <Li> The mutineers, although some were recruited from outside Oudah, displayed a common purpose . </Li> </Ul> <Li> Even though the rebellion had various causes, most of the rebel sepoys who were able to do so, made their way to Delhi to revive the old Mughal empire that signified national unity for even the Hindus amongst them; </Li>

Who opened the revolt of 1857 as the first war of indian independence