ConflictSouth Asia
The 1857 rebellion and the British Raj
A company is replaced by a crown, and India acquires a new story about itself
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The British built railways, telegraphs and canals, but India went from a quarter of world output to under five per cent in the same period. Handloom weaving was undercut by British machine textiles made from Indian cotton. The famines under the Raj cost tens of millions of lives, and the argument over their causes remains sharp.
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In 1857 Indian soldiers rebelled against the British company that ruled the country. The revolt was crushed with great brutality, and the British state took over government directly. India was ruled from London for ninety years.
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Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org