British Indian army: Role of Punjab in the World War I

Abstract

The British Indian Army evolved out of the three presidencies of Bengal, Madras and Bombay, which had come under the control of the East India Company in the second-half of the eighteenth century. With the outbreak of the Sepoy mutiny 1857, both the administration and the Indian army were radically restructured. The Punjab's strategic location, the onset of the Great Game, and what was believed to be the martial character of local people played an important role in placing this region in the center of British planning. This paper examines the role of Punjab in providing soldiers as well as generous politico-economic support to the British Empire during the World War I. - 2018 Journal of Sikh and Punjab Studies.All Rights Reserved.