Questions tagged [british-empire]
For questions regarding the overseas empire established by Britain, beginning with England's overseas colonies and trading posts in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and reaching a quarter of the Earth's land surface by 1922. Domestic British questions should be directed as United-Kingdom, Britain, England, Scotland, Wales, or Ireland depending on the subject.
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What prevented Southern Rhodesia from acquiring Dominion status?
Southern Rhodesia established responsible government in 1923. The next step, in general, was for a colony to be granted Dominion status (e.g., Newfoundland). What prevented Southern Rhodesia from ...
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Was Voltaire actually present at the British Raid on Lorient in 1746, which was attended by David Hume?
Voltaire wrote a satirical account of the raid at which Hume himself was personally in attendance with General St Clair. However, it is difficult to find out if Voltaire was actually an eyewitness ...
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Did the famous French privateer Surcouf really drop that epic zinger on an anonymous British officer?
It is said that when a British captive officer taunted Surcouf with the words "You French fight for money while we fight for honour", Surcouf replied "Each of us fights for what he ...
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Cost of producing posters in World War I
I know that a lot of posters were printed out during World War I, but am confused by the cost for the government to produce all these. A google search normally yields some results, but this time it is ...
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When was Red Sea rig introduced into British Royal Navy?
Red Sea rig is a mess dress uniform variant. It is used by some naval officers in the (UK) Royal Navy and other navies, that inherited its traditions (Canadian, Indian, ...). In general, it is similar ...
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Why didn't the German population leave Dar es Salaam before the outbreak of WWII?
In the chapter 'The Beginning of the War' of his autobiography Going Solo, Roald Dahl recounts his role in stopping the German population of Dar es Salaam from fleeing to Portuguese East Africa (the ...
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What regiments of the British East India Company were in southeastern India in the late 1790s?
I have been researching ranks and positions that existed in various regiments and civil branches of the British East India Company during the late 1790s to early 1800s. Those aren't as hard as finding ...
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Where in America did James Macpherson travel?
I'm looking into James Macpherson, the 18th century Scottish writer, and I can't find much. I know that in 1764 he took a job as secretary to the colonial governor, George Johnstone, also a Scott, in ...
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In Indian census, were the children of a Thug recorded as "Yet to Be Thug"?
I read (can't remember where at the moment) that in a population census (probably around 1911) the child of a thug used to be recorded as "yet to be thug" in profession column in India. ...
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How many British people died due to war/trading activity in the East India Company (EIC)
Are there estimates that give an approximation of the total number of casualities per year or at least per decade (e.g. in the way Wrigley and Schofield report outmigration numbers in their Population ...
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Was impressment widespread outside the British Empire and its colonies?
I recently found a source referenced on wikipedia — Hill, J. R. (2002). The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy. Oxford University Press. pp. 135–137. ISBN 0-19-860527-7. — which allegedly ...
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Where can I find modern account of Macartney Embassy to China (1792–1794)?
Macartney Embassy was the first British diplomatic mission to China. It was such an important but little-known event. I read quite some Chinese materials but not many English materials. The wiki ...
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Can you identify this dress uniform (Lucknow, India, around 1911)?
My husband’s grandmother, born illegitimate, did not know her father. She was told that this is him. She was conceived in India in November 1911. I would like to identify the dress uniform. I know it’...
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Why did the British Empire try to criminalize cannabis in India three times when they had good experience with its taxation?
The British Empire passed a taxation act on cannabis in India in 1798, apparently for the well-being of the natives. What the most likely motivation behind the taxation act is, I don't know.
In 1838, ...
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Did Iqbal offer funeral prayers for the killer of someone who wrote a blasphemous book?
In 1929, Ilmuddin killed a man called Rajpal for writing a blasphemous book against Muhammad. He was later hanged by the British government.
According to several sources (like here), the national ...
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Did provincial elections occur in 1934 in the provinces of Punjab and Bengal?
I was reading about elections in British India that happened as per the rules of the Government of India Act, 1919. From 1920 till 1934, a total of five elections were conducted i.e. 1920, 1923, 1926, ...
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Was there something in Lord Palmerston's career that made him associated with temporary appointments becoming permanent?
While researching the quote "nothing more permanent than something temporary", I stumbled upon this quote from the "Royal United Service Institution Journal" from 1888:
I fear ...
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How many British and British affiliated Indians lost their lives in the Indian freedom struggle?
There is a lot of material on how many Indians lost their lives, killed or missing in the British colonial era.
But how many people affiliated to the East India Company and later, the British Empire ...
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Can you identify these military tunes (17th-century)?
Would anyone happen to know the names of two historic tunes (fifth and drum) in the Revolutionary War? I linked the descriptions below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPbn_uipW10&loop=0&start=...
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Before 1 July 1997, could British Nationals (Overseas) born in Hong Kong acquire British citizenship?
I'm asking just about people born in HK who were just BN(O), weren't British citizens, and had no other citizenship or nationality.
Is this Reddit comment right?
Andalucia1453. 10 points 14 hours ...
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What medal is shown in this 19th-century Canadian picture?
I have a photo of a Canadian male ancestor from around 1885 (he is about 45 years old), who is wearing a medal (see photo). I am having trouble identifying what the medal is. The photo quality is not ...
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Did the Luftwaffe tactically support Tobruk's capture in 1942?
In the comic AfrikaKorps, the capture of Tobruk in 1942 is highlighted as the consequence of tactical bombings of the Tobruk perimeter. The reasons of the defeat are given as:
Lack of antitank ...
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Is this uniform is from India or Burma in the 1800's?
Is this an Indian Brigade? Possibly RSF in India or Burma?
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How many slaves did the British Empire free between 1700 and 1900?
Parliament's 1833 Slavery Abolition Act bought, over a six-year time period, the freedom of all slaves in the British Empire
the Territories in the Possession of the East India Company, or to the ...
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What was the role of Midnapore town in present day West Bengal of India in the armed struggle for freedom in Bengal province of British India?
The famous extremist freedom fighter Khudiram Bose from Midnapore who was the first extremist freedom fighter in British India to be hanged is quite famous.
Who were all the famous extremist freedom ...