One thing you need to remember is that the revolt of 1857 was not inspired by the "Enlightened Nationalism" which characterized the fredoom struggle in the first half of the 20th century. It was purely a religious frenzy which gripped the sepoys and the Zamindars alike across North India. The Muslims would charge the British with cries of "Deen-Deen-Deen" and the Hindus with cries of "Dharm, Dharm, Dharm". So if it had succeeded, it could not have been replaced by a better system of governance. It would have been a very immature adminstration in place of the British Raj. If you read about the American War of Independence on the other hand, It was clear cut in every sense. There was a constitution, A war strategy and a goal and a set of mature leaders who were well versed in every aspect of statecraft. Not so with the rebellious sepoys of 1857. The atrocities to which the British resorted after putting down the revolt defy imagination I would say close to half a million Indians were massacred, hanged, blown from cannons etc. A majority of these victims were mere by standers to the rebellion.
