Both India and Indonesia were large and influential empires prior to World War I. The two countries were very different in terms of their political systems and economies, but both were led by strong and effective leaders.
In India, the British East India Company had effectively ruled the country since the early 1700s. However, beginning in 1857, the company was gradually replaced by the British government. The British Raj, as it was known, was ruled by a series of British …