Status Updates From The Anarchy: The East India...

“In Parliament, James Silk Buckingham went even further: ‘The idea of consigning over to a joint stock association, the political administration of an Empire peopled with 100 million souls were so preposterous that if it were now for the first time to be proposed it would be deemed not merely an absurdity, but an insult to the meanest understanding of the realm”
Thank god this hasn’t been tried since. Oh…

“The Company’s army had expanded very quickly under Wellesley’s rule and within a few years its muster roll had gone up by nearly half from 115,000 to 155,000 men; in the next decade (early 19th century its numbers would rise again to 195,000, making it one of the largest standing European-style armies in the world, and around twice the size of the British army.”

“The rapidity of Tippoo’s marches was such that no army appointed like ours could ever bring it to action in the open country.’ This was partly because every Company officer travelled with at least six servants, a complete set of camp furniture, ‘his stock of linens (at least 24 suits); some dozens of wine, brandy and gin; tea, sugar and biscuits; a hamper of live poultry and his milch goat’.”

Say what you will about the world being a violent place, it has nothing on what went on in 18th century India on both sides. Seems like every other page is some Indian or Afghan warlord sticking needles in the eyes of their prisoners or people tied to elephants until they get trampled under them.

“Clive (to bribery allegations) objected strongly to being treated like ‘a common sheep-stealer’…
‘a great prince was dependent on my pleasure; an opulent city lay at my mercy; its richest bankers bid against each other for my smiles; I walked through vaults which were thrown open to me alone, piled on either hand with gold and jewels! Mr Chairman, at this moment I stand astonished by my own moderation.”