Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Four People’s Signatures (1)

1856.

The Crimean War began to stop rapidly as Russia’s tsar, Nicholas I died.

“There is still opportunity!”

“Even if doing peace negotiations must negotiate after securing 1 win-”

“Until now never won and now saying will try to win?”

“Your Majesty! If losing again we are really finished!”

“After the previous emperor passed cannot endure the sorrow, how can continue terrible things like war? Ministers receive my will and end the war promptly.”

Through the war how much Russia is a paper tiger, how much a noisy empty cart was thoroughly exposed and the Russian army that only seemed with the momentum to conquer the world was now devalued as an uncivilized slave army composed of idiot Ivans.

Some claimed must end the war only after securing victory for Russia’s honor and prestige, but if losing again while doing that cannot handle the aftermath was the majority opinion.

Especially in this war human casualties were enormous, no matter how Russia is a country that digs Ivans instead of potatoes from the field being ground meaninglessly like this is another problem.

Britain and France won, but these also were not just happy.

“Quickly end the war and finish.”

“Don’t even guess how much was spent.”

“Turk bastards... haa... not the level of the sick man of Europe but the corpse of Europe separate.”

The Crimean War truly left only wounds to everyone.

That means, must earn as much as this wound elsewhere for the gentleman’s country British Empire to live up to the name value!

“Give money!”

“Give land!”

“Hehe! Give all possessed!”

First the proud East India Company moved.

The East India Company had been itchy wanting to reassemble Burma’s chin from long ago, but as the Second Opium War - Joseon opening - Japan opening - Crimean War occurred in succession continued postponing the invasion of Burma.

Just then as the war finally ended, they immediately gathered all ships that were hunting Russian ships in the Pacific and immediately attacked Burma.

That the Burmese government harshly treated British captains and sailors was the claim mentioned in the declaration of war, but Burma fired all related officials etc. twisting the whole body and strained to avoid war but could not block the British Empire’s will.

“From now here the East India Company rules!”

“Well, became like that. Just know.”

The Burmese Kingdom was unilaterally notified that about half the country’s land was annexed as company territory. No treaty whatsoever was concluded, but if annoyed fine doing war?

While one side was splitting Burma in half and killing the other side also was not just staying still.

“Persian bastards invaded Afghanistan.”

“Persia is receiving Russia’s support.”

“Definitely Russia that lost in the Crimean War is behind Persia!”

“War!”

Persians traditionally had strong influence in Central Asia, and wanted to beat Afghanistan taking advantage of the gap while Britain and Russia were at war.

But this was a terrible misjudgment.

Britain was prepared to inflict miserable retaliation on all acts threatening India’s safety, and did not leave alone Persia suspected of being pro-Russian daring to raise conquest wars or whatever.

The war ended with Persia getting beaten to death and acknowledging Afghanistan as an independent country.

That Persia was less smashed in this war was purely because of Britain’s own calculation. If crushing the current dynasty too much and revolution occurs and they completely stick close to Russia wouldn’t it become more tiring? Rather better the thick-headed but known faces remaining.

And.

The year of destiny came.

***

Why did the sepoy rebellion occur?

I don’t know. If wanting to know that I would have graduated from history department.

But when seen with the eyes of a 21st century democratic citizen who fell into the 19th century sees a bit differently. Because I see in 3D... no, because kicked only shit balls enough that not exploding is strange.

First the rumor <​Britain’s rule collapses in 100 years> spread. Actually this much is close to apocalypse theory existing anywhere.

And the rule of the British East India Company was truly fuck-like even in my view. This is also a thing that naturally occurs in colonies.

From the beginning ruling a country as a ‘company’ topic was extremely bizarre. Are you guys a corporate state? Not cyberpunk but hoping profits come out even after stamping opium punk 1757 or whatever?

Idiots of 100 years ago thought ‘wow! If conquering and collecting taxes surplus will come!’, but sadly such a thing did not happen. Will surplus come that easily.

1. To collect taxes must make an administrative system and employ civil servants. Not locals but conquerors so resistance is strong. Must have an army too.

2. Since that much fixed costs go out to see surplus must raise taxes more.

3. Locals pissed at high taxes either don’t pay taxes obediently or if things go wrong raise rebellion.

4. Must suppress rebellion so that much costs more more more...

Falling into a hellish infinite loop is also a natural thing.

On top of this destroyed local commerce saying will earn more money, overturned fine rice fields and ordered to cultivate opium, destroyed the highly famous cotton textile business and forcibly shouldered Britain’s cotton textiles. Since did this acts anger overlaps even more.

If listing the East India Company’s shit balls there is no end.

On the Indian land full of countless small kingdoms, British people announced the truly amazing policy <​now countries without legitimate successors the East India Company eats> and actually ate fine countries like this. Even if there is a successor countries that look tasty were just merged using all sorts of means.

At first the East India Company and army had a high proportion of those who ‘respect’ local Indian culture or customs, but as time passed the number of such people rather decreased even more.

Of course that custom respect or cultural relativism is quite ambiguous.

“What? Say condone burning widows to death! These bastards, know shame! Are you Christians doing that?”

“We also do according to our customs! Catch the bastards who burned widows and hang them on the gallows!”

“Aigo! Blue-eyes are trampling our tradition!”

“Widows to the end just jump into the flames themselves unable to bear sorrowing the husband’s death too much!”

“If this tradition disappears how much women will harm husbands from now on! Ah, scary!”

Right now isn’t India the country of that famous caste and sati.

In the West missionaries endlessly entered, and the East India Company kept passing vicious bills like <​allowing widows’ remarriage> or <​prohibiting local Indian customs of depriving inheritance rights from those who converted to Christianity as wrong>.

Locals suspected that British people’s final purpose is precisely to convert all people of this land to Christianity. Truly a grounded suspicion.

Nevertheless the reason the company’s rule continued somehow until now is only one.

Because there was a strong army pledging loyalty to the company - sepoys.

But these sepoys’ dissatisfaction was also accumulating at a very steep speed.

Since the East India Company began ruling Bengal the British army and East India Company army were invincible, and sepoys serving under that firmly believed themselves warriors fighting in the world’s best army and the company will also repay their dedication.

But in 1842, in Afghanistan the British army tasted a fatal and terrible defeat. Sepoys realized the fact that the British army is not an invincible invincible legion.

Britain accepted Sikhs or Gurkhas who fought fiercely with them as new sepoys. Existing sepoys felt insult as pagans and barbarians became unit members the same as them.

As the East India Company’s occupied areas widened and small kingdoms were merged, service areas that were previously processed as ‘dispatch’ and received danger allowance bonuses were all regarded as mainland service and allowances disappeared. Sepoys whose salaries decreased of course got very angry.

Whether because of Hindu doctrine or using doctrine as an excuse, at this time there were very many soldiers who wanted to avoid overseas expeditions as much as possible.

But Britain short on troops and many wars sent sepoys mercilessly all to the Crimean War, Persian War, Burmese War. This also became their dissatisfaction.

Like pulling out blocks of Jenga, sepoys’ loyalty gradually became looser.

The company seemed no longer repaying their dedication.

The basic salary without additional allowances was extremely thin, overseas dispatches only increased, officers not even respecting them kept talking about converting, and their surroundings were filling with poverty and pain day by day.

So.

“Said the oil of the new bullets is cow and pig oil!”

“Said will drop us into hell!!”

“Death to British people!!”

Actually that mere oil or whatever was not very important.

They were the ruled people of the colony before being the company’s officers and soldiers.

Since realizing that fact chillingly to the bones.

They had no choice but to hold the sword backwards.

***

British Empire.

London.

[Sepoy large-scale rebellion!!]

[Traitor Indians raise an uprising!!]

- Uh. Uuh...

Right!

Started. Started!

Was believing, Indians!!

The club’s atmosphere was literally a funeral home.

Said a large-scale rebellion occurred in India, if the club atmosphere where East India Company people are gathered in clusters is okay that would really have been hit by hypnosis beam.

I did not open the mouth this or that and quietly spent time only filling new tobacco in the long pipe.

Because no reason to make a fuss.

When the time comes somehow, gazes will focus on the one who prophesied this.

“...Arthur.”

“Yes.”

“Knew it would become like this?”

“I warned from a few years ago. Said will explode soon.”

I detached the mouth from the long pipe and briefly put it down. In Britain no particular such etiquette, but I who learned the strict little China etiquette cannot unfold the bastard move of puffing tobacco hard in front of elders?

“Not that used Eastern sorcery. The result of rational inference.”

“Until now no problem.”

“What importance is that? From when was truth such a great virtue on this London floor?”

Right.

Ultimately exploded.

But next?

“The East India Company has too many enemies. They will not respect the company’s merits at all, rather will claim the country is seeing losses because of the company. That mess that occurred in India will add strength to their claims.”

Skillfully changed the words.

The East India Company and I belong to <​us>, and make someone outside the common enemy - ‘them’.

“Must abandon what to abandon. Since the rebellion exploded, guys who will shout must blow away the company are overflowing.”

“Know? Already nothing remains in the East India Company except that India’s ruling right.”

“In all matters an end arrives. Is what we want the survival of the East India Company, the right to rule India, or gold?”

Must return to the essence.

“Even if the company’s name disappears, ultimately the person who knows India best cannot help but be from the company. If not wanting to get entangled in responsibility disputes, no choice but to claim not ‘our’ fault but the fault of gentlemen who came down by parachute.”

These few years.

Weight was loaded on my words and actions.

Anyone sitting in the club now with a funeral face sucking one of alcohol and tobacco, or both knows my steps.

In my portfolio India’s proportion is not high at all. The one receiving influence is about saltpeter on the Nobel side. Even this fine changing to Chilean saltpeter.

Moreover the Joseon sepoys that became my new piggy bank now became one of the troops the East India Company can trust the most.

I composed my investment portfolio waiting only for the day of the Indian great uprising that will explode someday.

Among the people sitting in this club the person who received the least damage - no, rather one of the people who gained the most is precisely me.

“Then, what do you think we must do now?”

“Must cut the tail.”

Such me was telling them the story they most want to hear.

And if saying the tail to be cut was already decided.

“Said pickle the governor general?”

“If not the governor general’s fault the company’s ruling failure?”

“Damn.”

Marquess of Dalhousie James Andrew (James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie).

A politician who ruled India for about 8 years as governor general of India and president of the East India Company and withdrew last year receiving everyone’s applause.

Everyone who was in this seat praised his great achievements dry and worn at the retirement last year.

And now.

Must make him the world’s rice insect and short-sighted incompetent governor general.

“Were thinking up to here? Trying to make us stab Dalhousie with our hands?”

“I always thought Marquess of Dalhousie’s policies were like a madman’s.”

“Not trying to send because at odds with Gladstone?”

“No way.”

I held a faint smile of the mysteries of India, and lightly brought the index finger to the mouth.

It was three days before the British Empire parliament ordered the dispatch of Joseon sepoys to Bengal.

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