"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."
How would our country be today if we had got independence in 1857 just after the mutiny?
If India had achieved independence in 1857, then the Indian subcontinent would be a single country. There would be no division between Pakistan, Bangladesh. There would have been Taliban infiltration into India in later years, and India would be more prone to terror attacks in the North-West. Through passing years, chances of divisive sentiments grew would be higher. The country's nationalist fervour really grew only towards the late 19th century and early 20th century it reached its peak. Without that kind of nationalist growth, we don't see Indians being the cohesive lot they are today.
A lot of the country's reserves would've been saved, that is one positive definitely. The British held on to India for so long because India's reserves were always aplenty. A majority of the British loot of India happened post India came directly under the Queen's rule in 1857. This could've been prevented for sure if we had gained independence back then. The country would have possibly risen to become one of the economic powers of the modern world.
Among one of the very few independent countries then, and a fairly large country at that, we would have definitely been one of the active participants in the World Wars, depending on how our political allegiances lay at that point in time.
Known to be a country that gave a lot of qualifications to education back then, it is possible that India would've been much better off in the educational sphere. We would have produced more no. of educational institutions, and a better quality of living in our country. After all, when the world was pushing hard the boundaries of science, we spent it fighting a war to get freedom.
But, now Only one country fought and won independence from the strongest military of the time, the British Empire, that too with the help of the French and because of good leadership and guerrilla warfare. The 13 colonies of the United States. They were successful because Geography, a good intelligence network, and a comparatively homogenous population were on their side. Their mystic tactics were to target and kill British Officers which rendered the British Army become the headless body.
Imagine India in 1857 -
- A vast land with many kingdoms and prosperity.
- Lack of education among the masses and ability to pick up weapons and fight, the war was fought mainly by mutineers and armies of princely states, contrast that with America where most people at least had a basic idea of how to make weapons and shoot them.
- The caste system prevailed wherein a lot of men wouldn’t be allowed to fight.
- India had crooked roads and technology, information would’ve passed slowly.
- Lack of national identity.
Keeping into account these factors it is difficult to imagine how India would’ve defeated the British Empire. The chances of the defeat of the British Empire were very slim.
Assuming