RESULTS OF THE SEPOY MUTINY

451 moment the empire's foundations, but it cleared the area for reconstruction and improvement. In a previous chapter it has been said that for the twenty years im- mediately preceding, from 1837 to 1857, there had been only short intervals of peace between recurrent wars, and that British territory had been greatly extended THE MASSACRE AT CAWNPCR, JUNE 26, 1857. by successive annexations. When, in 1849, the Pan jab had been subdued and pacified after two hard-fought campaigns, and when Oudh, the last and largest king- dom in northern India, had been incorporated by Lord Dalhousie in 1856, it might have been plausibly antici- pated that the rough war-time had ended, and that the whole country could settle down in tranquillity under our dominion.