Editing Industrial Revolution (section)

=== The Indian Mutiny ===
In 1853 the cost of rifling had come down enough that the British could transition from smoothbore firearms supplemented by specialist riflemen, both using the slow and relatively unreliable flintlock system, to standardizing on a rifled, percussion-cap weapon, resulting in the 1853 Enfield. Like many firearms of this era, it was loaded via cartridges consisting of the powder and ball in a sealed paper sleeve. The rifle was loaded by tearing open the cartridge (often by biting it), pouring in the powder, and ramming in the ball. This significant arms upgrade eventually reached India. In 1857 rumors (which were never proven) developed that the cartridges were coated with animal fats including beef tallow and pork lard, pissing off the Hindu and Muslim natives. This proved to the final straw for a long-brewing rebellion. Shortly into the Mutiny, the mutineers at Cawnpore slaughtered women and children who had surrendered. This proved to be a PR disaster for the rebels, killing any claim they had to legitimacy or the moral high ground and enraging the British public enough to warrant a very strong response. One important note is that the mutiny was not total (in fact, the conflict was mostly contained to Bengal), and many colonial troops fought against the mutineers, particularly Sikhs who had no prohibitions on pork or beef and were keen on the idea of getting to kill Hindus and Muslims. The conflict would lead to the effective end of the British East India Company in favor of direct rule (the "British Raj"), which was generally a serious improvement in conditions for Indians if you continued to ignore the lack of influence they had over how they would be ruled.

While relatively short (a year and a half), there was little lull in the action and there are a lot of firsthand accounts one can look through to get an understanding of combat in the era. Of particular note is the several accounts of rebels being shot multiple times with a revolver but living long enough to kill or seriously injure men with their swords, which remain important in any consideration of knife vs. gun. One officer even managed to kill ~10 rebels with a ''spear'' by funneling them through a narrow doorway.

As a side note, the rifle at the center of this would eventually be exported to the Confederate States of America (see above) in large numbers, which after its defeat would then be sold surplus to the post-Sakoku Japanese government (see above again).