All Questions
Tagged with 19th-century british-empire
16 questions
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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 ...
4
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546
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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 ...
- 141
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1
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What laws governed the Punjab under British rule during the Board of Administration between 1849 and 1853?
Given that the Indian Penal Code wasn't introduced until 1860 and then later the Punjab Laws Act of 1872 I am trying to gain a better understanding of the laws governing the Punjab under British rule ...
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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 ...
- 4,375
8
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Would Victorian era British soldiers wear their short sword bayonets while wearing uniform when off duty?
In depictions of the Victorian era we often see lower ranks of soldiers wearing uniform when off duty in pubs or frequenting fairs, or just milling about as extras in the background etc.
My question ...
- 183
11
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1
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Why did the British take Hong Kong instead of any other of the later treaty ports?
The aftermath of the first Opium War declared that Hong Kong and the island of Kowloon should be ceded to the UK as a port for refitting ships and storing cargo. It also meant there was easy access ...
- 129
17
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3
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4k
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How profitable was India for the British Empire in the 1800s?
I recently read Imperial Twilight, an excellent history of the opium wars. The author claims several times that while the British trade with China was very lucrative, India was by contrast "...
- 3,636
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611
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Racism, or Nationalism, represented in 19th century English Wills?
Lucy Monoux, 1777-1843, was the daughter of a baronet, and rich, owning at least one farm and a large house with its own land. She wrote a will in 1841 leaving ownership of most of her estate to ...
- 1,071
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713
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Why the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–55) was "the last of the old sieges"?
During the Crimean War (1853–56), Charles George Gordon took part in the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–55), calling it "the last of the old sieges".
What made Sevastopol so "old fashioned" for a comment ...
- 3,159
10
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3k
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Where is the Nemesis?
Where is the Nemesis today? Is it simply 'lost at sea', at a museum somewhere, or more likely (as it was an EIC vessel), was it sold for scrap?
I did a brief search (of the web), but couldnt find it. ...
- 202
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In 19th century India, pre and post Raj, did any private British citizens actually own land in India?
I've never been able to clarify this question.
From what I can tell, the land that the British occupied in India was either "owned" (if this is the right term) by the Company during the time of its ...
- 596
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In the British empire, what was the difference between a Governor General and a Viceroy?
In the many colonies of the British empire, it seems that the rulers of some were known as Governors General and others were officially titled as Viceroys. Was there a practical distinction between ...
- 2,878
3
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What compelled Benjamin Disraeli to label 1857 revolt as a "National Revolt"?
It is still debated whether the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in British India was just a soldiers' mutiny or a National revolt for the independence.
But in July 1857, in House of Commons, Benjamin ...
- 2,665
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Did the Ottoman Empire lose some control over Egypt during the Crimean War?
What were the effects of the Crimean War on the relationship between the British and Ottoman empires? Did they lose partial control over Egypt?
- 3,537
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Sources for letters written during the Boer Wars?
For a project at my school I need to make a 'letter home' of a Canadian soldier that participated in the Second Boer War. I need to draw from primary sources and I'm not having luck finding any. Does ...
- 91
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What were the reasons that the British colonies in North America rebelled but not others?
I know more about the American War of Independence than about other British colonies, but I have begun to wonder why was it just America. The British had colonies in other places but there doesn't ...
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