Did you Know?

9 untold facts and events during the British Raj.

In 1721 the Officers and Ship Crew of the East India Company played their first Cricket match. Later the game became so popular that the company founded the Calcutta Cricket club in 1792.

Ancient Chinese method of making silk. The art of making silk was kept secret by  the Chinese, but later in 18th century the East India Company acquired some silk worms. They developed them and the technology at their Botanical gardens in Calcutta. 

In 18th century many company’s English men Preferred marrying Indian girls, these wives were known as Bibis or Indian mistress. 90% of the Company servants were married to Bibis.

 'Punch’ non-alcoholic parties drink was favorite with the Company’s employees in India. The word Punch  is derived from the Hindi word Panch meaning five and refers to the five ingredients then used in the drink, namely: tea, arrack, sugar, lemons, water.

An Indian servant serving Gin and Tonic. Indian Tonic water contained Quinine and was used as anti-malarial agent, but the taste was unpalatable. To drink it, one has to mix it with dry Gin and it was used mostly by the company employees when they stayed in India. Thus, a perfect drink and known as Gin and Tonic.

The Porter Beer popular in England was not suitable to be exported in a long route vogue, it did not travel well. A lighter version of Ale beer was required; by 1752 the first pale beer was brewed by Hodgsons. It was named Pale India Ale for its pale color and was exported to India. Later it became India Pale Ale or IPA. In1830s around 5000 barrels of IPA were exported from England. 

In 1661 Mr & Mrs Harris were appointed to look after the company’s HQ. Mrs Harris Took charge of making tea for the committee meetings, she usually served tea exactly at 4oclock in the evening. The routine became a custom and was later know as Tea Breaks 

Sir Edward Dyer who came to India sometime around 1850 and stayed with his elder brother John who was a practicing barrister in Mussoorie. He wanted to find out what he could do to make a living, John advised him to set up a brewery as there was a great demand for beer among the British, and English beer coming via the Cape of Good Hope was expensive. He Started India’s First brewery at Kausili, the business was a success and the Dyer lived there happily. Reginald was the sixth of Edward and Mary Dyer's nine children. From their ayahs and servants they learnt to speak Hindi. He is known as General Dyer responsible for Jalliwanwala Baugh Massacre. 

All the following words have come into English from the Islamic world, India, Japan and China:
ALGEBRA ARSENAL BAMBOO BARBICAN BUNGALOW CAMPHOR CARAVAN CASHMERE CHEETAH CHINTZ CHUTNEY COFFEE CURRY DINGHY DUNGAREES GINGHAM GYMKHANA JUGGERNAUT	JUNGLE JUNK KHAKI KIMONO KIOSK LOOT MANDARIN MANGO MANTRA MONSOON MULLIGATAWNEY MUSLIN ORANGE PAGODA PEPPER PUCKA PUNCH PUNDIT	PYJAMAS RICE SAGO SARONG SHAMPOO SHAWL SHERBET SUGAR TARIFF TEA TEAK THUG TURBAN TYCOON VERANDAH YAK ZENITH

All the following words have come into English from the Islamic world, India, Japan and China:

ALGEBRA
ARSENAL
BAMBOO
BARBICAN
BUNGALOW
CAMPHOR
CARAVAN
CASHMERE
CHEETAH
CHINTZ
CHUTNEY
COFFEE
CURRY
DINGHY
DUNGAREES
GINGHAM
GYMKHANA
JUGGERNAUT

JUNGLE
JUNK
KHAKI
KIMONO
KIOSK
LOOT
MANDARIN
MANGO
MANTRA
MONSOON
MULLIGATAWNEY
MUSLIN
ORANGE
PAGODA
PEPPER
PUCKA
PUNCH
PUNDIT

PYJAMAS
RICE
SAGO
SARONG
SHAMPOO
SHAWL
SHERBET
SUGAR
TARIFF
TEA
TEAK
THUG
TURBAN
TYCOON
VERANDAH
YAK
ZENITH