The revolt of 1857 marks India's first war of independence. The revolt is attributed to the efforts of disgruntled sepoys, Muslim elites dissatisfied with British rule, and the organization of a number of Indian leaders. The main reason for the war was that the Indians were dissatisfied with British efforts to erode their traditions, especially following the introduction of Christianization. The Indians intended to return what they had to Britain. Although the Indians thought they would be successful in their revolt, the British army managed to defeat them. As a result of the revolt, Britain gained complete control of India. Trade between Europe and Asia opened during the 1500s and sea routes became the alternative to land routes. The voyage of English traders along the coast of India marked British interests in India. In the 1600s, some traders founded the East India Company, which later became one of the richest and most influential trading organizations in the world. After founding, the company built trading centers and forts in premeditated regions across India. Likewise, the French East India Company built posts and forts challenging Britain for authority over Indian trade. In 1757, the East India Company, using the British and Indian armies, managed to defeat the French in the Plassey War. Over the next 100 years, Britain expanded its territory into India through battles and trade. There was a rapid expansion of British authority, notable in the annexation of the Punjab, in 1848, and Awadh, in 1856. The final defeat of the Punjab took place frustrating many soldiers of the Bengal Army who had acquired extra pay , or batta, for ... half of the newspaper ...... warupa "Economic and political weekly". 1857 and Ideas about Nationhood in Bengal: Nuances and Themes 42, no. 19 (18 May 2007): 1762-69. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4419582.Mukherjee, Rudrangshu. Awadh in Revolt, 1857-1858: A Study of Popular Resistance. Delhi: Permanent Black, 2002.Pati, Biswamoy. The Rebellion of 1857. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007.Pati, Biswamoy. The Great Rebellion of 1857 in India: Exploring transgressions, contests and diversity. London: Routledge, 2010. Singh, Ganda. The Indian Mutiny of 1857 and the Sikhs. New Delhi: Gutenberg Printing Press, 1969. Roads, Heather. "The Rebellion of 1857: Origins, Consequences and Themes". An Internet journal of pedagogy 1, no. 1 (2001): 85-104.Wagner, Kim A. The Great Fear of 1857: Rumors, Conspiracies, and the Making of the Indian Revolt. Oxford: Peter Lange, 2010.