Home Region: Western Europe (Europe)

British Empire II

1850 CE 1968 CE

D G SC WF

OTHER gb_british_emp_2

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

1690 CE 1849 CE British Empire I (gb_british_emp_1) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity:

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General Description

The British Empire consisted of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a constitutional monarchy. Governors, Proconsuls, and Viceroys were tasked with translating directives from London into forms that were suited to conditions in the colonies. ^[1]

At its peak, at the end of the nineteenth century, the British Empire was the largest empire in history, comprising territories of almost one-quarter of the worlds land surface, and a population that was one-quarter of the entire world’s population.

By 1858 the British Crown had taken full control of India from the East India Company after the mutiny and rebellion against the EIC in 1857. British India was then renamed as the British Raj. This lasted until the end of this polity period with the independence of India from the British Empire.
A system of self-governance was gradually applied to some colonies after the independence of the American colonies. Dominion status was given to Canada (1867), Australia (1901), New Zealand (1907), the Union of South Africa (1910), and the Irish Free State (1921).
Following World Wars I and II, the call for independence for the British territories and colonies across the Empire gained momentum. The breakup of the Empire began in 1947 when India was granted full independence, quickly followed by Pakistan, Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and Burma.
At the same time that the breakup of the empire began, The Commonwealth of Nations was established.
The remaining territories would not be granted independence until after the end of this polity period. African colonies gained independence starting with the Gold Coast in 1957. In 1997 the last major colony of Hong Kong was returned to China.

[1]: (Burroughs 1999) Peter Burroughs. Imperial institutions and the Government of Empire. Andrew Porter. ed. 1999. The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume III: The Nineteenth Century. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

Religion

2 Religious Tradition

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

2 Population of the Largest Settlement

2 Polity Territory

4 Polity Population

1 Largest Communication Distance

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

1 Source Of Support

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

1 Communal Building

1 Utilitarian Public Building

1 Symbolic Building

1 Knowledge Or Information Building

1 Entertainment Building

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

1 Trading Emporia

1 Special Purpose Site

1 Enclosure

1 Ceremonial Site

1 Burial Site

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

1 Store Of Wealth

1 Debt And Credit Structure

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

1 Weight Measurement System

1 Volume Measurement System

1 Time Measurement System

1 Length Measurement System

1 Geometrical Measurement System

1 Area Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions

5 Power Transition

Instability Events

76 Instability Event

General Variables

Identity and Location British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	30 N	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Original Name	British Empire II	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Capital	London	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Temporal Bounds British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1921 CE ➜ 1925 CE]
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Duration	[1850 CE ➜ 1968 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Preceding Entity 1690 CE 1849 CE	British Empire I (gb_british_emp_1) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	loose	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Language British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Religion British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religious Tradition	Protestant	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Religious Tradition	Hinduism	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	3,250,000 people	1877 CE
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Population of the Largest Settlement	[4,500,000 to 6,500,000] people	1900 CE
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Polity Territory	20,090,019 km²	1881 CE
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Polity Territory	30,800,000 km²	1900 CE
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Polity Population	303,512,568 people	1881 CE
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Polity Population	400,000,000 people	1900 CE
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Polity Population	458,000,000 people	1922 CE
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Polity Population	531,000,000 people	1938 CE
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Largest Communication Distance	20776	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	6	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Religious Level	7	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Military Level	18	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Administrative Level	7	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Professions British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Source Of Support	salary	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Merit Promotion	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Examination System	Present Inferred	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Law British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Judge	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Court	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Irrigation System	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Communal Building	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Utilitarian Public Building	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Symbolic Building	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Knowledge Or Information Building	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Entertainment Building	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Transport Infrastructure British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Port	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Canal	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Bridge	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Special-purpose Sites British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Trading Emporia	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Special Purpose Site	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Enclosure	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Ceremonial Site	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Burial Site	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Information / Writing System British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Script	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Sacred Text	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Practical Literature	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Philosophy	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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History	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Fiction	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Calendar	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Information / Money British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Absent Inferred	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Precious Metal	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Paper Currency	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Foreign Coin	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Article	Absent Inferred	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Store Of Wealth	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Debt And Credit Structure	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Information / Postal System British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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General Postal Service	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Courier	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Information / Measurement System British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Weight Measurement System	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Volume Measurement System	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Time Measurement System	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Length Measurement System	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Geometrical Measurement System	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Area Measurement System	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Modern Fortification	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Moat	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Fortified Camp	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Earth Rampart	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Ditch	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Military use of Metals British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Iron	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Copper	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Bronze	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Projectiles British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Self Bow	Present Inferred	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Javelin	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Crossbow	Present Inferred	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Composite Bow	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Handheld weapons British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Sword	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Spear	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Polearm	Present Inferred	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Dagger	Present Inferred	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Battle Axe	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Animals used in warfare British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Elephant	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Donkey	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Dog	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Camel	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Armor British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Shield	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Plate Armor	Absent	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Limb Protection	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Helmet	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Chainmail	Absent	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Naval technology British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	1850 CE 1968 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Human Sacrifice British Empire II (gb_british_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More