Political Quotes

Edmund Burke: The talisman, (your Lordships will remember his use of the word,) that charm which kept all India in order, which kept…

On the record
The talisman, (your Lordships will remember his use of the word,) that charm which kept all India in order, which kept mighty and warlike nations under the government of a few Englishmen, would, I verily believe, have been broken forever, if he, or any other Governor-General, good or bad, had been killed.
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Edmund Burke

Editor's note · Context

Burke reflects on the fragile nature of British control in India and the potential consequences of losing a governor-general.

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