Indian Army

The Indian Army was one of the most important colonial institutions that the British created. From its humble origins as a mercantile police force to a modern contemporary army in the Second World War, this institution underwent many transitions. This book examines the Indian Army during the later colonial era from the First Afghan War in 1839 to Indian independence in 1947. During this period, the Indian Army developed from an internal policing force, to a frontier army, and then to a conventional western style fighting force capable of deployment to overseas’ theaters. These transitions resulted in significant structural and doctrinal changes in the army. The doctrines, and tactics honed during this period would have a dramatic impact upon the post-colonial armies of India and Pakistan. From civil-military relations to fighting and structural doctrines, the Indian and Pakistani armies closely reflect the deep-seated impact of decades of evolution during the late colonial era.

This collection of seventeen essays based on archival data breaks new ground as regards the contribution of the Indian Army in British war effort during the two World Wars around various parts of the globe.

A short history of each regiment, including 22 Cavalry, 21 Infantry & 10 Gurkhas Regiments.

This study traces the origins of the Indian National Army in the imagination of Iwaichi Fujiwara, a young Japanese intelligence officer, and the relationship between the Imperial Japanese Army and the Indian National Army as it evolved under the leadership of Bengali revolutionary, Subhas Chandra Bose. The study is unique in its use of Japanese archival sources for analysis of the relationship between Japanese policy formulation and the Indian independence movement in its military phase.

Steven I. Wilkinson explores how India has succeeded in keeping the military out of politics, when so many other countries have failed. He uncovers the command and control strategies, the careful ethnic balancing, and the political, foreign policy, and strategic decisions that have made the army safe for Indian democracy.

During the first four decades of the twentieth century, the British Indian Army projected an illusion of racial and religious inclusivity. The army recruited diverse soldiers, called 'Martial Races,' including British Christians, Punjabi Sikhs, Hindu Rajputs, Muslims from northwestern India and Afghanistan, and 'Gurkhas' from Nepal. They incorporated some of these soldiers' traditions into the army to keep them disciplined and loyal. This included allowing Muslims to fast during Ramzan, mandating purification ceremonies for Nepali Hindus, and enabling Sikhs to carry religious swords. Military officials hoped that bringing these practices into the army would undermine criticisms of imperial military service within communities where anti-colonial sentiment grew stronger. Instead, as Faithful Fighters shows, it created unintended dialogues between soldiers and civilians while hardening differences between and among communities. Though the illusion of soldiers' detachment from anticolonialism crumbled during World War II, Kate Imy argues that the army militarized racial and religious difference, creating lasting legacies for the violent partition and independence of India, and the endemic violence of the postcolonial world. Faithful Fightersreceived the NACBS Stansky prize and the Pacific Coast Branch Book Award of the American Historical Association.

A unique examination of the role of the Indian army in post-World War II India in the run-up to Partition. Daniel Marston draws upon extensive archival research and interviews with veterans of the events of 1947 to provide fresh insight into the final days of the British Raj.

This book explores the origins of the Indian army from its early exploitative role, to its performance in World War II when it confronted extreme political and military challenges. Cohen examines the doctrine of civilian control in India and the evolution of the theory of so-called martial races. The book serves as an interpretation of the history of the Indian Army in the light of contemporary approaches to nation-building and development theory.