Page 9 - ch 9

Module - III Colonial Era and the Indian Sepoy

Military History of the
development of the present day Indian Army. Obedience, hard work, patience,
Colonial Era
preparing them to work under any circumstances formed the basic ethos and life of an
Army soldier.

9.3.1 Identification of warrior class among Indian Society

Can you imagine a person without physical or mental fitness serving in the military?
No. The person has to be physically fit and should fulfil the criteria required by the
Note services. Therefore, the British recruited heavily from what they called as the 'martial
races' for service in the colonial army. The Marathas, Mysore army in the South and
Bengalis in the East created maximum problems for the British. Also, the Rajputs, Jats
and the Gurkhas were used to resist and fight with the Mughals and had the spirit of a
warrior.

The British, therefore created a Martial race and named the Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs and
Gurkhas as martial race communities. They did not include the South Indians and
Bengalis. The British wanted to create a caste difference and recruit only those whom
they considered as being loyal to the British Raj and the community. 'Martial race'
comprised typically brave and well-built men who had been wariors traditionaly suited
to the soldiers. Men from these communities had developed qualities.
Do you know which was the first army in British India? The Bengal Army was among
the first to come together to form a impressive unit, with recruits coming mostly from
Awadh (present-day Uttar Pradesh). The Hindu upper-caste from the Bengal Native
Army had a collective common interest. The Indian troops in the English East India
Company's service were recruited as infantrymen and commanded only by the
European officers.

The increase in the number of troops became essential between 1763 and 1805 and it
is accounted that the Bengal army grew from 6,680 to 64,000 men, the Madras army
from 9,000 to 64,000, and the Bombay army from 2,550 to 26,500.

Each Presidency army had a overall commands. For example, the officer who
commanded the Bengal army was the commander in chief and so it was for other
Presidency armies also. The recruitment of South Indians was required to defend the
British Empire against the French and also essential support units such as Engineers,
Artillery and cavalry were required. South Indians were recruited for such regiments.
This system continued upto the 1857 mutiny. The East India Company with its native
Indian army could not defeat the rebellion.

This prompted the Queen of England to establish British rule and have a proper army.
Thereafter the British had a relook at their requirement of army and made a policy of
recruiting soldiers from the Sikhs, Dogras, Gurkhas and select Muslim communities
from Punjab and Baluchistan. These soldiers were also tested in many places including
World War I and II.

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MILITARY HISTORY