The East India Company's rule in India: It ended with a bullet – and with a twist

A battered and crudely repaired East India Company cavalry pattern flintlock pistol, built by Reynolds of London, stamped 1806, found in an Afghan bazaar.

Subduing and ruling India wasn't easy. It needed the force of arms on a scale never seen before. British gun makers stepped in and between 1804 and 1817 alone produced 1,800,000 firearms to help make this happen. But then, they made a mistake: They decided to introduce the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle. It required biting cartridges greased with cow and pig fat. Indian soldiers rebelled and in 1857 attacked their rulers. That rebellion marked the end of the East India Company and lit a spark that would lead to Indian independence from British rule 90 years later. A final twist: The Enfield rifle company went on to create the Royal Enfield motorcycle. But long after it went out of business in Britain, Enfield India continues to build updated versions of their iconic motorcycle. Its name? Bullet!