1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to Steph you missed in history class from how 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. And the 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: idea for today's episode actually came from fiction. Came from 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: Jules Verne, to be precise, in his book Mysterious Island, 6 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 1: readers finally get the backstory and Captain Nemo. As you 7 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: may or may not know, Mysterious Island came out after 8 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: twenty leagues into the sea, and Verne's enigmatic villain is 9 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: explained in this as a runaway royal of an Indian 10 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: state named Prince Dakar. And in the book, Verne weaves 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: real events from history in with his fiction. In the book, 12 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: de car supported and fought in the Sepoy Rebellion and 13 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: ended up losing everything because of it, which catalyzed his 14 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: running away from India forever and becoming Captain Nemo. But 15 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: the Sepoy Rebellion was a very real event. It's also 16 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: part of the second Sherlock Holmes novel called The Sign 17 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: of the Floor, which in a weird confluence of events, 18 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: I was listening to Sign of the Floor on the 19 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: way to Seneca Falls and back as you were stumbling 20 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: across it in uh in Jules Vern simultaneously this happened, Yeah, 21 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: and I was like, that's a thing we should talk about. Uh. 22 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: And it's one of those incidents that when you look 23 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: it up, it has many different names. We were going 24 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: to use Sepoy Rebellion, but if you look at it 25 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: from things written from the British point of view, it's 26 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 1: usually called the Sepoy Mutiny or the Indian Mutiny. In 27 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: India it is called the First War of Independence, and 28 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: the Sepoy Rebellion was really the result of many, many 29 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: influences and stressors on the cultures of India that were 30 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: living under British rule. At that point in time. The 31 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: British East India Company was pretty much administrating in a 32 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: lot of India's territory, and literally entire books could and 33 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: have been written about it. But today we're going to 34 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: break down the primary causes for the unrest that catalyzed 35 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: this uprising, and we're going to talk about some of 36 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: the battles, though not all of them. It was a 37 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: particularly grizzly series of engagements, but we just want to 38 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: give you a general sense of this important moment in 39 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,839 Speaker 1: India's history, and to start that all off, we really 40 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: have to lay some groundwork and context by talking about 41 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 1: the British East India Company. From seventeen fifty seven to 42 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty seven, the British East India Company became the 43 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: ruling entity in India, and by eighteen twenty British interests 44 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: were controlling most of the political and economic aspects of India, 45 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: and even the country's culture was being heavily dominated by 46 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: the imposition of British ideas, and India, unlike many other 47 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: British colonies, wasn't really seen as a place for British 48 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: people to move to. It was definitely more of a 49 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: situation where a relatively small number of people there were 50 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: white men from the British aisles, but they were controlling 51 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: the lives of massive numbers of Indian people, and they 52 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: were basically just trying to like use all the resources 53 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: as there rather than like make it a place that 54 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: would be a new home for for the Brits, and 55 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: the Indians lost more and more of their power and 56 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: way of life through a very deliberate process on the 57 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: part of British officials. The East India Company, which was 58 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: founded as the world's first limited liability company in sixteen 59 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: hundred under Queen Elizabeth. The first reign had been in 60 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: India since sixteen o eight. By the eighteen hundreds, it 61 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 1: had achieved a high level of power in the region 62 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: through deals with Indian royalty. The East India Company had 63 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: over time instituted agreements that enabled the company to keep 64 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: military forces and British residents within each of the states, 65 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: and in exchange, the company would support the royal families 66 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: and their descendants. Yes, So, for context, India at this 67 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: point was not one unified country. It was a lot 68 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: of different princely states or provinces depending on what you're 69 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: looking at. Some will call them states and some will 70 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: call the provinces. But they had to negotiate individual deals 71 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: with each of these territories to work out getting their 72 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: people in there and using the resources there. And these 73 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: partnerships really opened the door for the British to have 74 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: progressively greater influence in matters of Indian politics. So to 75 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: be clear, the Indian princely states entered into these agreements 76 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: under the premise that working with the e I C 77 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: was going to grow and improve them like they really 78 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:21,039 Speaker 1: thought it would be pretty beneficial. The British East India 79 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: Company was building infrastructure and providing administrative leadership, but it 80 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 1: was also stacking the deck ever higher in its own favor, 81 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: chipping away the power of the Indian people and improving 82 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: its financial earnings. At the same time. And the late 83 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: eighteen forties, James Andrew Brown, Ramsay, Marquess and tent Earl 84 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: of Dalhousie arrived in India, and under Lord Dalhousie the 85 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: reach of British interests in the country expanded significantly. And 86 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: I should make a point because this was my note 87 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: that Tradesy just read. The marquess title will come into 88 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: play later. He wasn't marquess when he arrived there, but 89 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 1: he became that while he was working in India. So 90 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: Lord Dalhousie came from a family that was distinguished for 91 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: its long line of military and public servants, but it 92 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: was not a particularly wealthy family, and some of his 93 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: career ambition may have been driven by a desire to 94 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: prove himself despite not being from a particularly moneyed lineage. 95 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: In eighteen thirty seven, at the age of twenty five, Dalhousie, 96 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: who was then a newlywed became a member of Parliament. 97 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: He served as President of the Board of Trade under 98 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: Sir Robert Peel's Tory ministry and made a name for 99 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: himself in that role as an efficient administrator. When the 100 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: Whigs came to power after Peel's resignation, dal Housie took 101 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: the position of Governor General of India and Lord Dalhousie 102 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: traveled to India for his new job in eighteen forty eight, 103 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: and one of his first actions in his new role 104 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: was to send British troops to settle an uprising in 105 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: Maltan that resulted in British annexation of the Punjab province 106 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: in eighteen forty nine. Although initially he actually neglected to 107 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: take any action, he was pretty hesitant, and this resulted 108 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: once it was all played out in Dalhousie receiving that 109 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: title of Marquess. But there were rumors that he had 110 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: actually allowed the uprising to go on and reach a 111 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 1: critical level before stepping in because he had hoped to 112 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:16,839 Speaker 1: annex Punjab and get a little accolade for himself all along. 113 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 1: The Second Burmese War also unfolded under dalhouses term as 114 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: Governor General of India and that instance, the fighting was 115 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: mercifully brief. It lasted less than a year and casualties 116 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: were minimal. But the end result was another expansion of 117 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 1: the British footprint. As Rangoon and the surrounding Burmese province 118 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: were all annexed, Rangoon developed into a massive and important port. 119 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: So Britain not only took on greater landholding, but also 120 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: ended up with a significant and important nexus of import 121 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,559 Speaker 1: export business. Yes, so for the brief British East India 122 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: Company that was like a win win win, So he 123 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 1: was in this regard really making some pretty big accomplishments 124 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: for the British. One of the non military means that 125 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: Lord Dalhousie instituted to seize more land and power for 126 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,919 Speaker 1: Britain was a system called the doctrine of laps. And 127 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: though much of India was already controlled either directly or 128 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: indirectly by the British East India Company, there were still 129 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: royal rulers in India's provinces, and as we mentioned earlier, 130 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: there had been agreements in place that put Britain in 131 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: the power seat in these provinces. One of the customs 132 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: that grew out of these ultimately unbalanced agreements was that 133 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: if a ruler had no biological air, they could ask 134 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: the British government for permission to adopt one. This process 135 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: of choosing a successor when an air was not produced 136 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: by birth was a long standing practice in Indian princely states, 137 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: and prior to Dalhousie's time, the request to select an 138 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: air was largely a paperwork formality. But under his management 139 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: of such matters that really changed. Dalhousie realized that denying 140 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: such requests and leaving states without airs would make it 141 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: much easier to appropriate those states as British territories with 142 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,239 Speaker 1: a lapse in the line of succession. He could step 143 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: right in an annex, We're going to talk about the 144 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: expansion of Britain's territory in India under this new doctrine, 145 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: but first we're going to pause, have a quick sponsor break. 146 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: So under the so called doctrine of laps, the British 147 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: East India Company, acting on behalf of the British government, 148 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: could also determine if an Indian ruler was competent in 149 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:33,439 Speaker 1: the role, and if the company deemed that to not 150 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: be the case, the state could be seized to be 151 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: governed by the British crown. Several princely states were annexed 152 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: under this policy, and the Indian people were not happy 153 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 1: about it. They saw the doctrine of laps as completely 154 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: illegitimate and as merely a means for the British to 155 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: overstep their role and gain even more power. So under 156 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: the doctrine of laps the Company was able to annex 157 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: eight princely states when they were left with no air. 158 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: But when Dalhousie annexed the state of Aud in eighteen 159 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: fifty six, it was an occasion when the British East 160 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: India Company had deemed the ruler known as the Naab, 161 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: incapable of governing, and the Nawab had airs, but based 162 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: on the British deeming the ruler incompetent, the British East 163 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: India Company moved in to take control of the state. 164 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: Of course, that made the annexation and transfer of power 165 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: to the British a contentious situation, and in addition to 166 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: taking power from a living ruler rather than absorbing a 167 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: state without leadership, it also shifted the conditions for a 168 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: significant number of people in a fairly unique way. So 169 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: there were Indian troops at this time serving in the 170 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: British Army. Those men were called sup boys. That was 171 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,679 Speaker 1: a word that had its roots in the Persian word 172 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: for cavalryman. And many of those men were from the 173 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 1: state of Aoud and were from the two highest cases. 174 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 1: And the transition from being a high ranking citizen of 175 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: a princely state with landhole dings to being a subject 176 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: under British rule equal to all the others downgraded their 177 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: positions of relative privilege, and it took away their land 178 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: in the process. So that did not sit well, and 179 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: the unrest that was already brewing because of British rule 180 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: in India became even more pronounced in what the citizens 181 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 1: of Award felt was basically a hostile takeover. Dalhousie actually 182 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: left India later in eighteen fifty six, leaving a very 183 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,959 Speaker 1: tense situation in his wake. In addition to the outright 184 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: takeover of aout, the social structure of India had also 185 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: been up ended by the British. Many Brahmin's, historically Hindu, 186 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: India's highest social cast, had lost portions of their wealth 187 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 1: and their power as Britain and the Company had placed 188 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: their own people in prestigious positions and had taken away 189 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: opportunities for most people to build their fortunes. Furthermore, all 190 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: the westernization that Dalhousie and the Company saw as a 191 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: huge achievement was seen much less favorably by India's people. 192 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:06,319 Speaker 1: There were missionaries there then trying to convert Hindus to Christianity, 193 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: and it was rumored that forced conversions might be enacted. 194 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:12,199 Speaker 1: There was also talk that the company wanted to get 195 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:16,199 Speaker 1: rid of the cast system. Additionally, Dalhousie had backed efforts 196 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: and women's rights, including education for girls and legalizing remarriage 197 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: for widows. And while these we may see these as 198 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:26,839 Speaker 1: great strides through the modern lens, all of this was 199 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: a huge shift in the culture of the Indian subcontinent, 200 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: and there were changes that were being made by foreigners 201 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: who had moved in and taken power. All of this 202 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: really contributed to growing unrest and the Bengal Army was 203 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,319 Speaker 1: a whole other story. The Bengal Army in particular, there 204 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: were three armies that were run by the British East 205 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: India Company, but the Bengal Army had inherent prestige attached 206 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: to it, as it had been in the service of 207 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: Britain for some time and had really distinguished itself and 208 00:11:55,559 --> 00:11:57,719 Speaker 1: sit boys who served in the Bengal Army they made 209 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 1: up the vast majority of the soldiers were very attached 210 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 1: to the sense of honor that came with their service, 211 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: but they also felt that they were in a position 212 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: to make their own demands about how they ran things, 213 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 1: both because of years of history and because they were 214 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 1: in the higher tiers of the cast system. They required 215 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: a large staff of camp followers that traveled with them, 216 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: and they also wouldn't travel overseas. They would only go 217 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,559 Speaker 1: to places that they could march to. And while these 218 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: stipulations were met for a time by Britain, the whole 219 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,679 Speaker 1: setup was really wearing thin by the mid eighteen hundreds. 220 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,839 Speaker 1: Within the sepoy ranks of the army there were problems 221 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:37,679 Speaker 1: as well. The Hindu and Muslim soldiers serving the British 222 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: were given lower pay than expected because Nepalese and Pujabi 223 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,199 Speaker 1: men were willing to serve for less money and without 224 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: the requirements that the Bengals step boys made. This also 225 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: meant that the cast system demands were less and less 226 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: honored by the British. Step boys were passed over for 227 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: promotion in favor of white soldiers. The Hindu soldiers, which 228 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 1: made up the largest group, had been recruited from the 229 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: two highest casts in their culture, so they felt incredibly 230 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 1: insulted to then be treated as though they were lesser 231 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:12,839 Speaker 1: than the British soldiers. Yeah, and as they were annexing 232 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: all of these additional territories if they had to battle there, 233 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: they were no longer considered um on foreign soil, so 234 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: they would not get this additional pay that they would 235 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 1: have normally gotten in a foreign engagement. Like they basically 236 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: all of their their stuff was getting chipped away. But 237 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: even though there were all of these multiple factors, I mean, 238 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 1: there are cultural issues going on, there, some financial issues 239 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:39,559 Speaker 1: going on. Uh, there even some fears that Westernization is 240 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 1: going to be forced on them in certain ways. The 241 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: actual cause of the Sipoy rebellion is often reduced to 242 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: one thing, which is a new rifle being issued to 243 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,679 Speaker 1: the troops serving Britain in India. And this is sometimes 244 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: even used as a trivia point. You will literally see 245 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:55,840 Speaker 1: it on like kind of quizzes about do you know 246 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 1: history that will say what single gun caused the Sipoi rebellion. 247 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: This was the end field rifle that was issued and 248 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: had lubricated cartridges. The ends of the cartridges had to 249 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: be bitten off to load the rifle, and a rumor 250 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 1: began to circulate that catalyzed a whole new level of 251 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: discontent within the ranks. Word began to circulate that the 252 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: cartridges were being lubricated with a combination of lard from 253 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 1: both pigs and cows. So Hinduism and Islam were the 254 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: two most common religions in India then as they are now, 255 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: and these made up a lot of the sit boy ranks. 256 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: Islam forbids the consumption of pork, and Hinduism sees cows 257 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: is sacred and eating beef is completely unacceptable. So the 258 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: sit boys serving the British military of the East India 259 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 1: Company were suddenly faced with the idea that they had 260 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 1: just been handed weapons that were insulting to their religions. 261 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 1: It's actually unknown whether this information was correct and where 262 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: the rumor began, but regardless, it was seen as just 263 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: another step the British were taking the made it crystal 264 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: clear that they had no regard for India's culture. Some 265 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: stain boys believed that the British had purposely tainted the cartridges, 266 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: and that it was absolutely not an oversight or an accent, 267 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: instead part of a larger intention to destroy India's religions. 268 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: And it seemed that the British did not really grasp 269 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: just how problematic the situation was. Yeah, there are some 270 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: stories of like, um, individual officers trying to like work 271 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: with this problem and be like, Okay, what if we 272 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 1: change the way that we do things so you don't 273 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 1: have to bite the cartridge and off you can tear 274 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: it with your hand and so it won't be touching 275 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: your mouth and it won't be quite so problematic, and 276 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: and others suggest even that there were some officers that 277 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 1: were like, well, maybe you guys could use a different weapon. 278 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 1: But none of those sorts of efforts were made at 279 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 1: anything other than a pretty small local level, like they 280 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 1: never filtered out to the larger army as like an 281 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: actual uh de jian that was made across the board. 282 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: So there were really way more people that were still 283 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: dealing with this problem than than those that were trying 284 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: to be worked with by their British officers. And so 285 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: all of this led to the first incident of the 286 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: Sipoy Rebellion which took place on March twenty nine of 287 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty seven, and at that point a twenty nine 288 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: year old ship boy named Mongol Pondi, who was a Brahmin, 289 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: attacked to British officers. He had joined the sixth Company 290 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: of the thirty four Bengal Native Infantry for what he 291 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 1: saw as a path to a successful career, but this 292 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 1: situation with the end Fields was simply too horrifying for 293 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: him to continue his military ambitions. The actual attack and 294 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: how it played out is really difficult to know because 295 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: accounts of this event just very all over the place. 296 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: Pondi may have tried to get several other men in 297 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: the company to revolt with him, and he may have 298 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: first refused to use the Enfield rifle as a less 299 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: violent protest. But what we do know is that he 300 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 1: made a solo attack on the two officers and may 301 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 1: also have tried to turn the gun on himself. Yeah, 302 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: there are stories that he fired and that one of 303 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: the shots missed the officer and hit his horse, And 304 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: the turning of the gun on himself is real awkward, 305 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: like it sounds like he had to. There's literally an 306 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 1: account I read that says he tried to pull the 307 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 1: trigger with his toe because it was a rifle he 308 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 1: wasn't dealing with like a small pistol. So it's a 309 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: little crazy and hard to piece together what really really happened. 310 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: But he was arrested for this attack. He was tried 311 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: and found guilty, and his sentence was death by hanging, 312 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: and initially his execution was scheduled for April eighteenth, but 313 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 1: the British wanted to handle the matter quickly in the 314 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: hopes of avoiding a larger rebellion that might grow grow 315 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,359 Speaker 1: if Pondi was sitting in his cell for several weeks, 316 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:52,439 Speaker 1: so to speed things along, they moved his hanging up 317 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: by ten days to April eighth, which was very shortly 318 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:58,439 Speaker 1: after the verdict had taken place. Up next, the events 319 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: after the execution will unfold really quickly, But first we're 320 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: going to take a quick break to hear from one 321 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:11,400 Speaker 1: of our sponsors. Later on in April, sit boys stationed 322 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: at Merout refused to use the end fields. They didn't 323 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: attack anyone, but they still faced a steep punishment for 324 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 1: their insubordination. They were fettered and put in prison with 325 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: a ten year sentence, and this treatment stirred the rest 326 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 1: of the already uneasy Seapoys at Merrit A few weeks later, 327 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 1: the uprising began in earnest when the merrit Sepoys shot 328 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: the British officers in command of their company on May tenth. 329 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: While some Sepoys escorted the families of European officers from 330 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,879 Speaker 1: their quarters, some officers and their families were instead rounded 331 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 1: up and massacred and secluded women and children. The sit 332 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 1: Poys next march to Delhi, one of the few places 333 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 1: without any white troops, and they rallied the Sepoys station 334 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: there to their cause. Both Hindu and Muslim soldiers marched together, 335 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 1: united in their fresh ration and anger. Delhi was seized 336 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: and the Sippoys put eighty one year old by herder Shaw, 337 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,919 Speaker 1: the Second in power as emperor by herder Shaw the 338 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 1: Second was the Mughal emperor and had allowed the East 339 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: India Company to run Delhi's tax collection in exchange for 340 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 1: a pension. The Sippoys were able to convince the elderly 341 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: man to side with the rebellion, with the goal being 342 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: to take back independence from Great Britain and the East 343 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,920 Speaker 1: India Company. It's a matter of debate whether he truly 344 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: signed the proclamation of his instatement as Emperor of India 345 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 1: of his own volition, or whether he was coerced or 346 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 1: even forced. The supply rebellion had officially begun, and it 347 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: unfolded brutally over the next thirteen months. What was truly 348 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: surprising to the British was how incredibly violent the sip 349 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: Boys were in their efforts, and this really created a 350 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:57,240 Speaker 1: desire for vengeance. There was a lot of retaliatory darkness 351 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: as well, and as the rebellion gained momentum, fighting broke 352 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,399 Speaker 1: out in more places, not just within the military, and 353 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: in some places the civilians got involved. For example, off 354 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: duty British officers, if they were seen in the streets, 355 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: would sometimes be attacked by civilian groups. The British response 356 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:17,639 Speaker 1: played out in three stages. First, they fought at Delhi, 357 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,399 Speaker 1: Compoor and luck Now, all of which had been taken 358 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: by insurgents throughout the sweltering summer heat. The siege of 359 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: Delhi alone lasted from July into September. By the time 360 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 1: the British had concluded their efforts to retake Deli, it 361 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: was completely destroyed Battershot. The second was exiled and his 362 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 1: two sons were killed them. The sip Boys who had 363 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: been captured by the British during the Siege of Deli 364 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:47,439 Speaker 1: were punished in truly horrific ways. The truly terrible acts 365 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 1: that had been carried out by the Sip Boys elicited 366 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,640 Speaker 1: and even more brutal and savage retaliation from the British. 367 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:56,679 Speaker 1: So Sit Boys in some cases were just killed in 368 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: massive numbers, like hundreds at a time, bayon aitted while 369 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 1: there's were shot out of cannons to kill them. Uh, 370 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:07,680 Speaker 1: which is really troubling to think about. British troops were 371 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: really really motivated by revenge to also kill Indian civilians. 372 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: Second came the Winter Effort at luck Now in the 373 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:17,960 Speaker 1: end of eighteen fifty seven. In the early part of 374 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,520 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty eight, this took place in stages, as a 375 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 1: relatively small group of British forces was able to chip 376 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 1: away at the larger Stipoid numbers in the early autumn. 377 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 1: In October, a much larger group arrived and they first 378 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:36,640 Speaker 1: evacuated all women and children, then the remaining non combatants. 379 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,919 Speaker 1: After pulling back to regroup, the British army advanced again 380 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: in March and was able to retake the city, and finally, 381 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: uh Sir Hugh Rosie led an effort to finally put 382 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 1: down the remaining pockets of resistance in the second quarter 383 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: of eighteen fifty eight, and some of those pockets were 384 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 1: actually made up of men who had managed to flee. 385 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 1: Luck Now, there were more battles and more atrocities of 386 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: war throughout the rebellion, but they played out more or 387 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:07,200 Speaker 1: less the same as these. The sip Boys took numerous 388 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: cities and killed many British citizens, and then the British 389 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: military would slowly advance and eventually retake them, more through 390 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:19,919 Speaker 1: practice strategies than through an actual numerical advantage. We do 391 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: want to say like these were really really horrific on 392 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 1: both sides, like the fighting was just so brutal and 393 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 1: so inhumane in so many ways. But we also need 394 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: to point out that there were in each of these 395 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,120 Speaker 1: instances sip Boys that remained loyal to the British army 396 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: and actually fought against their fellows who had led the rebellion. 397 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: And additionally, there were also men on both sides who 398 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: spoke out against their fellow soldiers treatment of women, children 399 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: and civilians, and the brutality that they were willing to employ. 400 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: On July, the rebellion was declared to be over, and 401 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: by the time the fighting ended, both sides had suffered 402 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: huge losses of both people and resources. The portions of 403 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: the Indian subcontinent that were under the rule of the 404 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:10,399 Speaker 1: East India Company were in shambles, and while the supply 405 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,880 Speaker 1: rebellion was in and of itself a failure in its 406 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,920 Speaker 1: goal to rest power from Britain, it is seen as 407 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 1: the beginning of the end of British rule in India. 408 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:23,919 Speaker 1: And most of this, we should mention happened kind of 409 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: in the northern part of India. Um I was reading 410 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 1: one account that said, like the southern part was almost 411 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,359 Speaker 1: completely untouched and it was pretty quiet, uh, just in 412 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 1: terms of reference for geography. But after the rebellion ended, 413 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,399 Speaker 1: Great Britain decided that the East India Company should no 414 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: longer be serving as the authority in India, and the 415 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: British government assumed direct control. There was also a significant 416 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,080 Speaker 1: amount of financial fallout from all of that fighting, and 417 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: it took a while for the finances of the country 418 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: to be reorganized. The British forces in India were also reorganized. 419 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: When the supply revolt began, there had been far more 420 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: Indian men in the British armies than there had been 421 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:06,080 Speaker 1: European men, but that ratio was shifted to make suppoise 422 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 1: the minority after the revolt. Additionally, while Britain continued to 423 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 1: recruit men from India, they didn't do so in the 424 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:17,960 Speaker 1: areas that had revolted. The army was so carefully arranged 425 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: to ensure diversity in units. The hope was that in 426 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,639 Speaker 1: mixing together a variety of ethnicities, there wouldn't be any 427 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: one dominant group that could lead to an uprising again. 428 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: Britain also adopted a policy of actually consulting with representatives 429 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: of India to avoid the cultural tone deafness that had 430 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,679 Speaker 1: led to the state of such frustration and unrest to 431 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 1: begin with. But of course it wasn't as though they 432 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 1: were like, okay, we understand, will go now. They also 433 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: continued to expand the British administration there. Talhousies return home 434 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: to Great Britain was soured once the rebellion began and 435 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: news reached Europe, and while he had been lauded for 436 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,159 Speaker 1: his accomplishments for the company and the Crown and his 437 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 1: seven years of service as governor. General. Criticism was also 438 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 1: leveled that his ambition had created unnecessary tension that in 439 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:13,360 Speaker 1: turn had catalyzed the rebellion. There are plenty of places 440 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 1: where you will see a large proportion of the blame 441 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: place squarely on Dalhousie for all of this, and he 442 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,360 Speaker 1: is recognized as uniting much of India into a more 443 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 1: centralized entity rather than a scattering of separate states. But that, 444 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: as well as the transportation improvements that he made in 445 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:34,439 Speaker 1: India as part of his westernization and modernization effort, is 446 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: often eclipsed by his part in fueling the unrest that 447 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: led to the eighteen fifty seven rebellion. Dalhousie died in 448 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty, just four years after he left India, and 449 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 1: in a thing that struck me as a little funny 450 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 1: in terms of coincidence, because he had only daughters and 451 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 1: no sons, his marcusate ended with him. Mongol Pondi is 452 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: seen as a hero and freedom fighter in India and 453 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: his story has been adapted it into books as well 454 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 1: as film, television and stage productions. Given the magnitude of 455 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:12,919 Speaker 1: this event and like how violent and devastating that it was. 456 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: It does not surprise me at all that there is 457 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: a lot of um like fictionalized versions of it from 458 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: Indian literature and then also a lot of it in 459 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: nineteenth century British literature too. Yeah, I mean, it really 460 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: was sort of like a a flashpoint in terms of 461 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 1: global events and particularly the relationship of course between Britain 462 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:41,119 Speaker 1: and India, which carried on in additional ways. We hadn't 463 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: gotten to the point at this stage yet when Queen 464 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:49,919 Speaker 1: Victoria was declared Empress of India, the troubling, troubling situation. 465 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:54,120 Speaker 1: But so I mean that that relationship continued to evolve 466 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: in some some unfortunate ways, but just the same, this 467 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 1: is still considered the beginning of the end of British rule, 468 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: even though the British really took more power and for 469 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: a little while and then things eventually shifted back. Yeah, 470 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:09,879 Speaker 1: it's really it's one of those things that I found 471 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 1: a lot of things that wrote about it, and it's 472 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 1: like some of those things were so horrific, like the 473 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:18,640 Speaker 1: men being shot out of cannons and stuff that, uh, 474 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:21,679 Speaker 1: some histories tend to want to gloss through it, just 475 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 1: because you can tell they don't want to get into 476 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 1: gory details. They go it was horrific. Just know it 477 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: was horrific. And here's what happened next, Like, instead of 478 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: getting into the nuts and bolts of how truly unkind 479 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:37,400 Speaker 1: and brutal people could be, do you want some slightly 480 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: less heady and more fun listener mail, I definitely do. 481 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:44,439 Speaker 1: The sun is about Carrie Nation. Uh. And this is 482 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,400 Speaker 1: from our listener Madison, and it says, Hi, Tracy and Holly, 483 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 1: i absolutely love listening to your podcast and I've had 484 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 1: the best time trawling through the archives. I was listening 485 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 1: to the latest episode Carrie a Nation Part one on 486 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:57,680 Speaker 1: the website and I was struggling to figure out where 487 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,080 Speaker 1: I had seen the image of her before, and by 488 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:02,679 Speaker 1: the end of the episode, I remembered I live in 489 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,919 Speaker 1: the inner west of Sydney, Australia, and there's a trendy 490 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:09,080 Speaker 1: wine bar here called the Temperance Society, and their logo 491 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:11,919 Speaker 1: is a picture of none other than carry a Nation. 492 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 1: Whenever I suggest to friends or family who aren't local 493 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: to our suburb that we go there for a drink, 494 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 1: they think I'm making a terribly clever joke. I've sent 495 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 1: you a link to their Facebook page where you can 496 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:24,159 Speaker 1: see their profile image is Carrie Nation herself. I was 497 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 1: so chuff to realize that one of my favorite podcasts 498 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: had a tiny and quite abstract link to my little 499 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: life in Sydney, Australia. Thanks for all the work you do. 500 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 1: I spend many hours of my days listening to your 501 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,199 Speaker 1: intelligent and insightful discussions, Madison. Thank you so much. I 502 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 1: love that we have been like sort of finding out 503 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: that uh many people have thumbed their noses and Carrie 504 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: nations temperance desires and have opened bars in her name. 505 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 1: Not just the one in Boston, there others. It kind 506 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: of cracks me up. I feel bad. I'm sorry, Carrie Nation. 507 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 1: I shouldn't feel bad, or I shouldn't um, I shouldn't 508 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: laugh that the thing you fought for is now kind 509 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 1: of turned into a way to make money and cell booze. 510 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 1: But I do it. Uh. I also have a really 511 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: cute postcard that we got from our listener, Lianne, and 512 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 1: it is from the National Museum of Roller Skating, which 513 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: I did not even know existed. But it is in Lincoln, Nebraska, 514 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 1: and now it is on my list of museums I 515 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 1: would love to go to because I have fond memories 516 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 1: of roller skating in my basement as a child. Um. 517 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: Since hi, Tracy and Holly, I thought you might enjoy 518 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: this lovely historical roller skating fashion. This museum is actually 519 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 1: full of beautiful costumes and fascinating relics from the history 520 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: of roller skating. Thank you so much for your podcasts. 521 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:35,840 Speaker 1: You make every day I listen to you a better day, 522 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: and I have learned so much from you. Keep up 523 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: the great work. And it's this beautiful picture of a 524 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: woman and a little Victorian ensemble, uh, wearing her roller 525 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: skates and looking very zazzy, and like always happens when 526 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 1: we get cool pictures like this, and like I want 527 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: to make that outfit. Will it happen? I don't know. 528 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: I haven't roller skated in a long time. I'd probably 529 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: break my neck. But you would like to write to us, 530 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: you can do so at History Podcast at how stuff 531 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 1: works dot com. You can also find us across the 532 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 1: spectrum of social media as Missed in History, So that's 533 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Tumbler. If you would like 534 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:13,960 Speaker 1: to visit our parent site, which is how stuff Work, 535 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: so you can do that type in almost anything you're 536 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: interested in. In the search bar, you're gonna get an 537 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: assortment of fun content UH to explore and learn from. 538 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 1: You can also visit us at missed in history dot com, 539 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 1: where we have an archive of every episode of the 540 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:30,160 Speaker 1: show ever of all time, as well as show notes 541 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: for any of the episodes that Tracy and I have 542 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 1: worked on together UH, and occasional other goodies. So we 543 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:36,960 Speaker 1: hope you come and visit us at missed in history 544 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 1: dot com and how stuff works dot com. For more 545 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics, visit how stuff 546 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 1: works dot com.