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See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post-partition) army of the Republic of India. The Indian Army (Bharatiya Thalsena भारतीय थाल्सेना is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based The Partition of India was the partition of the British Indian Empire which led to the creation on August 14, 1947 and August 15, India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country
A group of Sikh Indian soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ~1895.
A group of Sikh Indian soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ~1895.

The British Indian Army, officially called simply the Indian Army (IA), was the army in British India at the time of the British Raj (1858–1947). An army (from Latin Armata "act of arming" via Old French armée) in the broadest sense is the land-based Armed forces For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British [1][2][3] The Indian Army served both as a security force in India itself and, particularly during the World Wars, in other theatres.

Between 1903 and 1947 the Army of India consisted of two separate entities: the Indian Army and the British Army in India. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The former consisted of Indian Army regiments originating in India, while the latter were British Army regiments originating in the United Kingdom which were sent to India on a tour of duty.

Contents

Organization

A painting showing a Sowar (Sepoy), 6th Madras Light Cavalry. Circa 1845.
A painting showing a Sowar (Sepoy), 6th Madras Light Cavalry. A sepoy (ˈsipɔɪ (from Persian سپاهی Sipâhi meaning "soldier" was a native of India, a soldier allied to a European power usually the Circa 1845.

The Indian Army was formed after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as First War of Indian Independence or Indian Mutiny in 1857 by the British when the crown took over direct rule from the British East India Company. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of Sepoys of British East India Company 's army on the 10th of May 1857 in the town of Meerut, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or Prior to that the Company had their own army units, paid for by their profits and these operated alongside British Army units.

The army of the British East India Company recruited primarily from Muslims in the Bengal Presidency (which consisted of Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh), and high caste Hindus recruited primarily from the rural plains of Oudh. The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or The Bengal Presidency originally comprising east and west Bengal was a colonial region of British India, which comprised undivided Bengal which is present day Bangladesh Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang Bihar ( Hindi:बिहार Urdu: بہار bɪhaːr) is a state in eastern India. Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश اتر پردیش pronounced, Translation: Northern Province) referred to as '''U For the Oudh tree see Agarwood. Awadh ( Hindi: अवध Urdu: اودھ) also known in various British historical texts as Oudh These troops had been predominant in the Indian Mutiny allegedly due to crass and insensitive treatment by British officers evident in the rush to reinstate the Mughal king Bahadur Shah II at Delhi. Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar, also known as Bahadur Shah or Bahadur Shah II; 24 October 1775 7 November 1862 was the last of the Mughal

Post-Mutiny recruitment switched to what the British called the "martial races," particularly Rajputs, Sikhs, Gurkhas, Pashtuns, Garhwalis, Mohyals, and Dogras. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. Prithvi Naraya Shahdev and Sri Teen Maharaja Jung Bahadur The Way of Sacrifice The Rajputs Pages 28-30 Graduate Thesis South Asian Studies Department Dr Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called The Garhwali are a people of the hilly Garhwal Division of Uttarakhand, India. Mohyal ( Punjabi - Gurmukhi: ਮੋਹ੍ਯਾਲ Punjabi - Shahmukhi / Urdu: ﻣﻮﮨﻴﺎﻝ, Hindi: मोहयाल The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. They live predominantly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir but also in adjoining Jats and Balochis also provided many soldiers. The Baloch ( بلوچ; alternative transliterations Baluch Balouch Bloach Balooch Balush Balosh Baloosh Baloush) are an Iranian people inhabiting

The "Indian Army" is the name for the Indian Armed forces of India, and the meaning has changed over time:

1858–1894 The Indian Army was a collective term for the armies of the three presidencies; the Bengal Army, Madras Army and Bombay Army. The Bengal Presidency originally comprising east and west Bengal was a colonial region of British India, which comprised undivided Bengal which is present day Bangladesh Madras Presidency, also known as Madras Province and known officially as Presidency of Fort St The Bombay Presidency was a former province of British India.
1895–1902 The Indian Army meant the "army of the government of India" and included British and Indian (sepoy) units. A sepoy (ˈsipɔɪ (from Persian سپاهی Sipâhi meaning "soldier" was a native of India, a soldier allied to a European power usually the
1903–1947 Lord Kitchener was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India between 1902 and 1909. Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener 1st Earl Kitchener, KG, KP, GCB, OM The British Commander-in-Chief in India (or Commander-in-Chief of India) was the chief military commander for the British administration He instituted large-scale reforms, including merging the three armies of the Presidencies into a unified force and forming higher level formations, eight army divisions, and brigading Indian and British units. Following Kitchener's reforms:
  • The Indian Army was "the force recruited locally and permanently based in India, together with its expatriate British officers. "[4]
  • The British Army in India consisted of British Army units posted to India for a tour of duty, and which would then be posted to other parts of the Empire or back to the UK. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces.
  • The Army of India consisted of both the Indian Army and the British Army in India. This article deals with the Army of India before Independence in 1947

Command

The officer commanding the Army of India was the Commander-in-Chief in India who reported to the civilian Governor-General of India. The British Commander-in-Chief in India (or Commander-in-Chief of India) was the chief military commander for the British administration The Governor-General of India (or from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India) was the head of the British administration in India, and His command was known as India Command and his staff were based at GHQ India. The British India Command the name given to the general staff of the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C India. The British India Command the name given to the general staff of the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C India.

Indian Army postings were less prestigious than British Army positions, but the pay was significantly greater so that officers could live on their pay instead of having to have a private income. British officers in the Indian Army were expected to learn to speak the Indian languages of their men, who tended to be recruited from primarily Hindi speaking areas. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Prominent British Indian army officers included:

Rank system

The rank system for the Indian army, with analogous modern-day British ranks. Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE (21 June 1884 &ndash 23 March 1981 nicknamed Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood 1st Baron Birdwood, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, CIE, DSO Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts 1st Earl Roberts, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, PC Field Marshal William Joseph "Bill" Slim 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, KStJ No equivalent to the Junior Commissioned Officer exists in the modern-day Brigade of Gurkhas; a Queen's Gurkha Officer is of the same status as other commissioned officers in the British Army. The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for British Army units that are composed of Nepalese soldiers

A photograph, circa 1895 showing a 7pdr Mountain gun of Hazara Battery in Hazara (Sikh soldiers and a Muslim soldier to the far right) listing the crew's ranks in the caption.
A photograph, circa 1895 showing a 7pdr Mountain gun of Hazara Battery in Hazara (Sikh soldiers and a Muslim soldier to the far right) listing the crew's ranks in the caption.

Function

The main role of the Indian Army was seen as being defence of the North-West Frontier Province against Russian invasion via Afghanistan, internal security, and expeditionary warfare in the Indian Ocean area. A Viceroy's Commissioned Officer ( VCO) was a senior Indian member of the British Indian Army. Subedar -Major is the senior rank of Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian and Pakistani Armies and formerly Viceroy's Commissioned Risaldar-Major was originally a cavalry officer of the British Indian Army, the rank was created in 1886 - a Risaldar-Major was the most senior Risaldar Subedar, a historical rank in Indian Army which ranked below British commissioned officers and above non-commissioned officers Risaldar (often called Ressaidar in the British Indian Army) meaning in Persian the commander of a risala (mounted troop is a mid-level rank Jemadar was a rank used in the British Indian Army, where it was the lowest rank for a Viceroy's Commissioned Officer (VCO Havildar was the Military 'In Charge' of a Fort during the times of Maratha Empire. A Company Sergeant Major ( CSM) is the senior non-commissioned soldier of a company in the armies of many Commonwealth countries responsible for standards Company Quartermaster Sergeant is a Military rank or appointment Havildar was the Military 'In Charge' of a Fort during the times of Maratha Empire. Daffadar was the equivalent rank to Sergeant in the Cavalry of the British Indian Army, the next rank up from Lance Daffadar. Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries police forces and other uniformed organizations around the world Lance Daffadar was the equivalent rank to Corporal in British Indian Army cavalry units ranking between Acting Lance Daffadar and Daffadar. Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations Lance Naik (L/Nk was the equivalent rank to Lance Corporal in the British Indian Army, ranking below Naik. Lance Corporal is a Military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide and also by some Police forces and other uniformed organizations A sepoy (ˈsipɔɪ (from Persian سپاهی Sipâhi meaning "soldier" was a native of India, a soldier allied to a European power usually the Sowar (सवार(ਸਵਾਰ(also Suwar in Hindustani and Persian) meaning 'The one who rides' in Persian, was originally a rank A Private is a Soldier of the lowest Military rank (equivalent to NATO Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP ( Urdu: śimāl maġribī sarhadī sūba) is the smallest of the four main provinces of Pakistan. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The British Indian Army had a strength of about 150,000 men on the eve of World War I in 1914.

During the days of British rule, the Indian Army proved a very crucial adjunct to British forces not only in India but also in other places, particularly during the First and Second World Wars. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Recruitment was entirely voluntary; about 1. 3 million men served in the First World War, many on the Western Front and 2. See Western Front (disambiguation for other meanings Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World 5 million in the Second. Initially the soldiers and NCO's were Indian, with British officers but later Indian officers were promoted as part of Indianisation (see King's Commissioned Indian Officer). A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force Indianisation was a process introduced in India under the later years of the British Raj whereby Indian officers were promoted to more senior positions in government A King's Commissioned Indian Officer ( KCIO) was an Indian officer of the British Indian Army who held a full King's Commission after training at the Royal Military

The Indian Army established the Command and Staff College in 1907 at Quetta, in modern-day Pakistan to provide the army with staff officers who had knowledge of local Indian conditions. The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. ( Urdu: کوئٹہ) ( Pashto: کوټه) also spelled Kwatah City is a variation of kwatkot a Pashto word meaning “fort Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The college still continues to train Pakistani Army officers. While young British Indian Army officers were usually trained at Sandhurst, the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun was opened in 1932 to train Indian officers. The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst ( RMAS) commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is the British Army officer initial training centre The Indian Military Academy is the premier officer training school of the Indian Army. Dehradun (देहरादून, also sometimes spelled Dehra Doon, is the capital city of the state of Uttarakhand (earlier called Uttaranchal

Operational history

Sikh Wars

Afghan Wars

The British Indian army took part in three Anglo-Afghan wars with the help of the Sikhs of Punjab. The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company between 1845 and 1846 The Second Anglo-Sikh War took place in 1848 and 1849 between the restive Sikh Kingdom and the British Empire. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule

See also: The Great Game and European influence in Afghanistan for a more detailed description. The First Anglo–Afghan War lasted from 1839 to 1842 It was one of the first major conflicts during The Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in The European influence in Afghanistan refers to political social and sometimes Imperialistic influence various European nations have had on this historical development of the The European influence in Afghanistan refers to political social and sometimes Imperialistic influence various European nations have had on this historical development of the For the film see The Great Game (film The Great Game was a term used for the strategic rivalry and conflict between the British Empire The European influence in Afghanistan refers to political social and sometimes Imperialistic influence various European nations have had on this historical development of the

Opium Wars

Internal Security

The British Indian Army provided armed support to the civil authorities, both for combating banditry and in case of riots and rebellion (the latter was a controversial measure not popular with officers). The First Opium War or the First Anglo-Chinese War was fought between the British East India Company and the Qing Dynasty in China from 1839

North West Frontier

Main article: North-West Frontier (military history)

The main "conventional" warfare task of the Indian army was to prevent an invasion of India via Afghanistan. The North-West Frontier of British India was fought over almost continuously from the British annexation of the Punjab after the First Anglo-Sikh War There was also a need to pacify warlike local people and prevent banditry. This involved numerous small scale actions.

World War I

See also: List of Indian divisions in World War I
A Benet-Mercier machine gun section of 2nd Rajput Light Infantry in action in Flanders, during the winter of 1914-15.
A Benet-Mercier machine gun section of 2nd Rajput Light Infantry in action in Flanders, during the winter of 1914-15. In the First World War the British Indian Army contributed a number of divisions and independent brigades The Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun was a French designed Light machine gun of the early 20th century developed and built by Hotchkiss et Cie. For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. The 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry, commonly shortened to 2nd Rajputs was a Regiment of the British Indian Army, with an origin in 1798 and amalgamated Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.
This photograph shows an emaciated Indian army soldier who survived the siege of Kut following his release from Turkish captivity.
This photograph shows an emaciated Indian army soldier who survived the siege of Kut following his release from Turkish captivity. The Siege of Kut was a major battle of World War I. It was part of the Mesopotamian Campaign (in what is now Iraq)

Prior to the outbreak of the Great War, the strength of the British Indian Army was at 155,000. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All By November 1918, the Indian Army rose in size to 573,000 men. [1] After Kitchener's reforms of 1902-1909, the Indian Army was organised along British lines, although it was always behind in terms of equipment. An Indian Army division consisted of three brigades each of four battalions. Three of these battalions were of the Indian Army, and one British. The Indian battalions were often segregated, with companies of different tribes, castes or religions.

The Indian Army had very little artillery (only 12 batteries of mountain artillery), and Royal Artillery batteries were attached to the divisions. Mountain guns are Artillery pieces designed for use during Mountain combat. There was also no corp of engineers equivalent to the Royal Engineers, although there were battalions designated as Pioneers or 'Sappers and Miners', which gave some divisions a whole extra infantry battalion with specialist training. An Assault Pioneer is a trained Infantry soldier who is responsible for The construction of tools for infantry soldiers to cross enemy terrain and natural obstacles A sapper is an individual engineer soldier usually in British or Commonwealth military service

Before the war, the Indian government had decided that India could afford to provide two infantry divisions and a cavalry brigade in the event of a European war. They felt that any more would jeopardise national security. These divisions and brigade formed the Indian Corp that was sent to the Western Front in 1914. The high number of officer casualties the corp suffered early on had an effect on its later performance. British officers that understood the language, customs, and psychology of their men could not be quickly replaced, and the alien enviroment of the Western Front had some effect on the soldiers. However, the feared unrest in India never happened, and while the Indian Corp was transferred to the Middle East in 1915 India provided many more divisions for active service during the course of the war. [5]

In World War I the Indian Army saw extensive service including:

About 43,000 Indian soldiers were killed and 65,000 wounded during World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the German army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining Ottoman advance towards the Suez Canal The Ottoman Empire at the urging of their German ally chose to attack British and Egyptian forces in Egypt and shut the Suez Canal The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of the Great War fought between Allied Powers represented by the British Empire The Siege of Kut was a major battle of World War I. It was part of the Mesopotamian Campaign (in what is now Iraq) East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. The Battle of Tanga (sometimes nicknamed the " Battle of the Bees " was the blundered attempt by the British Indian Army to capture German East

Also serving in World War I were so-called "Imperial Service troops," provided by the semi-autonomous Princely States. For other uses see Principality, Other princely states A Princely State (also called Native State or Indian State) was a About 21,000 were raised in World War I, mainly consisting of Sikhs of Punjab and Rajputs from Rajputana (such as the Bikaner Camel Corps and Jodhpur Lances). Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule Rajput constitute one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups from India Rājputāna, also called Rājwār was the name of present Rājasthān state the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area before its formation in 1949 CE The Bikaner Camel Cops was a military unit from India that fought for the Allies in World War I and World War II. These forces played a prominent role in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. Ottoman advance towards the Suez Canal The Ottoman Empire at the urging of their German ally chose to attack British and Egyptian forces in Egypt and shut the Suez Canal

World War II

Main article: India in World War II

At the outbreak of World War II, the Indian army numbered 205,000 men. The Provinces of India (which included most of modern-day India and parts of Pakistan and Bangladesh) being imperial colonies of Great Britain World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Later on during World War II the Indian Army would become the largest all-volunteer force in history, rising to over 2. 5 million men in size. These forces included tank, artillery and airborne forces.

Particularly notable contributions of the Indian Army during that conflict were the:


About 87,000 Indian soldiers lost their lives during this conflict. The Middle East Theatre of World War II is defined largely by reference to the British Middle East Command, which controlled Allied forces The East African Campaign refers to the battles fought in East Africa during World War II. The Anglo-Iraqi War was a conflict between the United Kingdom and the Nationalist government of Iraq during World War II. The Syria-Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Vichy French -controlled Syria and Lebanon The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran was the invasion of Iran by British and Commonwealth forces and the Soviet Union, codenamed Operation Countenance During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from June 10, 1940 Operation Compass was the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II. Operation Crusader ( 18 November &ndash 30 December 1941) was the third the largest the longest and ultimately successful attempt to relieve the 1941 The First Battle of El Alamein 1&ndash27 July 1942 was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of World War II, fought between Axis forces commanded The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The Battle of Malaya was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from December 8 1941 to January 31 The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United The Battle of Kohima (the " Stalingrad of the East" was the turning point of the Japanese U Go offensive into India in 1944 in World War II The Battle of Imphal took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in North-East India from March until July Monte Cassino has made it the repeated scene of battles and Sieges from antiquity. Indian soldiers won 30 Victoria Crosses during the Second World War. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since (See: Indian Victoria Cross recipients. )

The Germans and Japanese were relatively successful in recruiting combat forces from Indian prisoners of war. These forces were known as the Tiger Legion and the Indian National Army (INA). The Legion Freies Indien, or the Indische Legion, variously known as the Tiger Legion, the Free India Legion (in English the Azad Hind Legion The Indian National Army ( INA) or Azad Hind Fauj ( Hindi: आज़ाद हिन्द फ़ौज was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists Indian nationalist leader Subhash Chandra Bose led the 40,000-strong INA. Subhas Chandra Bose (সুভাষ চন্দ্র বসু (born January 23, 1897; presumed to have died August 18, 1945 From a total of about 40,000 Indians taken prisoner in Malaya and Singapore in February 1942, about 30,000 joined the INA,[6] which fought Allied forces in the Burma Campaign. Others became guards at Japanese POW camps. The recruitment was the brainchild of Major Fujiwara Iwaichi who mentions in his memoirs that Captain Mohan Singh Deb, who surrendered after the fall of Jitra became the founder of the INA. was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II, and later a Lieutenant general in the Japan Ground Self Defence Force. Mohan Singh (1909–1989 was an Indian Military officer and member of the Indian Independence Movement most famous for his role in organising and leading the Jitra is a town in Kedah, Malaysia. The town is currently the third biggest urban area in Kedah after the state capital Alor Star and Sungai Petani

However, most Indian Army personnel resisted recruitment and remained POWs. An unknown number captured in Malaya and Singapore were taken to Japanese-occupied areas of New Guinea as forced labour. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known Many of these men suffered severe hardships and brutality, similar to that experienced by other prisoners of Japan during World War II. About 6,000 of them survived until they were liberated by Australian or U. S. forces, in 1943-45. [6]

November 9, 1945. Jemadar (junior commissioned officer) Chint Singh of the Indian Army at an identification parade in New Guinea, indicating a Japanese soldier whom Singh claimed had mistreated him, while he was a prisoner of war.
November 9, 1945. Jemadar (junior commissioned officer) Chint Singh of the Indian Army at an identification parade in New Guinea, indicating a Japanese soldier whom Singh claimed had mistreated him, while he was a prisoner of war. Jemadar was a rank used in the British Indian Army, where it was the lowest rank for a Viceroy's Commissioned Officer (VCO

Post World War II

Following the war, the British formations and units that had been part of the British Army of India were divided amongst India and Pakistan, with the British regular Army units returned to UK or other stations outside India or Pakistan. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

The formations, units, assets and indigenous personnel of the British Indian Army were divided, with 2/3 of its assets retained by India, and 1/3 by Pakistan. [7] Due to shortage of experienced officers, several hundred British officers remained in Pakistan on contract until early 1950s. Equipment from most British units was retained by the Indian Army as only one infantry division was stationed in Pakistan before partition. The Indian Army (Bharatiya Thalsena भारतीय थाल्सेना is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based The remainder of the army's Muslim personnel proceeded to join the newly created Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army ( Urdu:) is the largest branch of the Pakistan military, and is mainly responsible for protection of the state borders the security of administered

The new Indian Army and Pakistan Army were thus formed from previously British Indian Army units and both forces retain varying degrees of British Army traditions. The Indian Army (Bharatiya Thalsena भारतीय थाल्सेना is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based The Pakistan Army ( Urdu:) is the largest branch of the Pakistan military, and is mainly responsible for protection of the state borders the security of administered

Four Gurkha regiments were transferred to the British Army, and formed the Brigade of Gurkhas, departng for their new station in Malaya). Prithvi Naraya Shahdev and Sri Teen Maharaja Jung Bahadur The Way of Sacrifice The Rajputs Pages 28-30 Graduate Thesis South Asian Studies Department Dr The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for British Army units that are composed of Nepalese soldiers The Malayan Union was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements excluding Singapore.

Soon after the Partition of India, both the newly formed armies fought each other in the First Kashmir War from 1947 - '48 which begun the bitter rivalry that has continued into the 21st century. The Partition of India was the partition of the British Indian Empire which led to the creation on August 14, 1947 and August 15, The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, sometimes known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir from

See also

External links

Further reading

Footnotes

  1. ^ Peter Duckers The British Indian Army 1860-1914 Pub: Shire Books, ISBN 978-0-7478-0550-2
  2. ^ Indian Army: History "the total strength of the British-Indian Army was 90,000"
  3. ^ Brig (Retd) Noor A Husain The Role of Muslims Martial Races of Today's Pakistan in British-Indian Army in World War-II
  4. ^ Oxford History of the British Army
  5. ^ Haythornthwaite P. J. (1992). The World War One Sourcebook, Arms and Armour Press.
  6. ^ a b Peter Stanley "Great in adversity": Indian prisoners of war in New Guinea website of the Australian War Memorial
  7. ^ Brian Lapping, 'End of Empire,' Guild Publishing, London, 1985, p. The Australian War Memorial is Australia 's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated 75-6, p. 82: 'By comparison with the two great provinces [Punjab & Sindh] partition of the army and the civil service was easy, though by any other standard, it was difficult, wasteful, and destructive. . . . The men were transferred in their units. Regiments of Sikh and Hindu soldiers from the north-west frontier had to make their way through Muslim territory to get out of what was to be Pakistan. '
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