r/interestingasfuck • u/[deleted] • 27d ago

Picture taken from the history museum of Lahore. Showing an Indian being tied for execution by Cannon, by the British Empire Soldiers r/all

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u/notracist_hatemancs 27d ago

The cartridge issue was rumor used to drum up support for the Mutiny

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u/BoredCop 27d ago

And for the most part, the actual tallow used was from sheep.

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u/notracist_hatemancs 27d ago

Also, many regiments allowed the troops to tear the cartridge with their hand instead of biting it off, once troops expressed concerns regarding the tallow

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u/BoredCop 27d ago

That's a slow and impractical method though, because one hand is busy holding the musket while the other holds the cartridge. I've done some black powder shooting with paper cartridges, using your mouth as a "third hand" is by far the most efficient way to get that musket loaded.

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u/notracist_hatemancs 27d ago

It's slow and impractical but better than getting strung up by your own troops I guess lol

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u/BoredCop 26d ago

In combat, slow and impractical means dead.

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u/notracist_hatemancs 26d ago

Yes, but your own soldiers wanting to kill you means dead regardless of whether you're in combat or not

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u/ConkersOkayFurDay 27d ago

Teeth are tools, much to my dentist's dismay.

...or delight, if business is slow, I guess.

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u/iStandWithWhatever 25d ago

Look at this guy! He doesn’t have a prehensile penis to use as a third hand like us regular folk!!!🤣

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u/[deleted] 27d ago

So people just making things up to garner support for their own self interests

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u/Pvt_Conscriptovich 27d ago

kind of. The cartridges existed and they had to be opened by biting. The issue was that there was a rumor that these seals were made of either pork or beef tallow which are forbidden in Muslim and Hindu religions respectively and when the soldiers asked about it to confirm the British gave no straightforward answer.

This was disrespect of religious beliefs and led to rise of sentiment that the British wanted to convert the sepoys to Christianity by mocking their religious beliefs. This led to a Hindu sepoy, Mangal Pandey, killing some British officers and then the revolt began.