The British Indian Army in the First World War At the outbreak of the War in August 1914, the British Indian Army had around 194,000 soldiers with 46,000 others supporting them, A total of 250,000 men. By November 1918 when the war ended, the army had grown to nearly 1.5 million, with a million serving as soldiers. One in every six soldiers of the British Empire was from the Indian subcontinent (modern South Asia) which includes the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. It was larger than all the other armies of the mostly white European troops of the Empire outside the United Kingdom put together (that is Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa). The British only recruited soldiers from Indian peoples who they thought would fight well, had a record of loyalty and they believed were inferior to other Indians. Indians from Southern India for example were usually thought of as “ soft”. The British also avoided recruiting from Indian cities because Indians from there might have dangerous ideas such as that Indians should have independence from Britain or rule themselves. These soldiers might stir up mutiny and rebellion among their fellow Indian soldiers. Indian regiments were often made up from different Indian peoples or classes, deliberately mixed together to reduce the risk of mutiny or rebellion. British Indian soldiers were mostly Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs from Punjab, Brahmins, Rajputs and Gurkhas (who came from the independent country of Nepal). Hindus made up around 40% of the British Indian Army, Muslims 40% and Sikhs 20%. The British were careful to make sure that soldiers from one particular religion never became a majority in the army. These soldiers fought in all the major parts of the world where the First World War was fought, alongside British troops. Indian soldiers were all recruited as volunteers. They did so partly due to British propaganda that made them believe that most men were going to war, not to die away from their country but to serve with honour, good pay, a pension and to be sent home not to fight again if they were injured (even if it was only lightly). The last rule was changed from 1914 onwards and it was expected that Indian soldiers would return to fight again in most cases. Indian Amy soldiers were in action on the Western Front within a month of the start of the war. Around 140,000 men, comprising 90,000 front-line soldiers and 50,000 Indians in support saw active service on the Western Front in France and Belgium. Nearly 700,000 Indian Army soldiers served in the Middle East, fighting against the Ottoman (Turkish)Empire in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). Indian Army troops also served in Aden (modern Yemen), Egypt, Palestine, Persia, Italy, Salonica (in Greece), Russia, East and West Africa, on the Gallipoli peninsula (Turkey) and even in China. Indian Army soldiers won 9,500 medals in the five main theatres of war, i.e. France and Belgium, East Africa, Mesopotamia, Egypt and Palestine, and Gallipoli (they won a further 3,500 medals in India and in the frontier wars), including 11 Victoria Crosses – the supreme award for valour. By the end of the war a total of around 57,000 Indian Army soldiers had been reported dead or missing; 64,000 were wounded.

How well were British Indian soldiers treated on the front line during the First World War? How well were wounded British Indian soldiers treated in Britain during the First World War? What range of views did British people have about Indian soldiers during the First World War? What different kinds of memorials remember British Indian soldiers of the First World War? How did British Indian soldiers feel about fighting during the First World War? How did German attitudes towards British Indian soldiers change during the First World War? Why do the people of Dulmial village in Pakistan still remember the First World War?

Stage Two -presentation Stage One - Research Who will write and read out the different parts of your presentation? How might you make it interesting for other pupils? Do you have time to include something visual in your presentation? e.g. PowerPoint How will you make it clear to the audience who has completed work on particular parts of the presentation? What sources or quotes can you use to support what you are saying? Stage One - Research Decide how your group will be organised Decide what kind of information you will need to answer the enquiry question Decide who does what piece of research Read the information you have been given to research Highlight or write down information you decide is important in answering your enquiry question.

German treatment of British Indian prisoners of war When war broke out with Britain in 1914 Germany tried to defeat the British by persuading soldiers from the British Empire to desert to them. Millions of Muslims were ruled by the British Empire in India and over a third of the soldiers of the British Indian Army were Muslims. If the Germans could convince these Muslims to desert and rebel this could weaken Britain. In November 1914 the Germans persuaded their Muslim ally, Turkey to declare a jihaad (struggle) against Britain and its allies. In 1915, a joint German and Turkish expedition was sent to neutral Afghanistan to try and persuade the Afghan emir (king) to invade British India (the expedition failed). The Germans built the Half Moon Camp near Berlin which had its own mosque. Throughout the war this housed between four and five thousand African and Indian (mostly Muslim) prisoners of war. They were treated well, allowed to follow their own religions and encouraged to fight for Germany but there were very few recruits. In 1916, a German anthropologist, Egon von Eickstedt organised an examination of Indian prisoners. Their bodies were carefully measured and facial features, such as the length of their noses and eye colour, were recorded. They had their strength tested through nail biting and hand gripping. Family details and even tattoos were noted. Some were accurately drawn by a German artist while others were photographed. In a separate study by the Royal Prussian Phonographic Commission, the voices of some of these Indian prisoners were recorded talking in their own languages about aspects of their lives, war-time experiences, beliefs and customs. These recordings were officially kept by the German state. The Germans also backed a party of Indian revolutionaries based in North America who wanted to overthrow British rule in India by force. However their attempts to spread mutinies in the British Indian army failed and had little support. As Germans became more familiar with Indian troops through fighting against them and taking them prisoner, they came to admire and respect their fighting spirit. Whereas at the start of the war Indian soldiers were shown as blood-thirsty savages in German propaganda in the end Germans respected Indian courage and mercy towards the wounded.

Assessing presentations on the British Indian Army during the First World War. How well did the presentation answer the enquiry question? (mark out of five) How well did the group speak during the presentation? (mark out of five) How well did the group use historical evidence to support their presentation? How well did the group collaborate in creating their presentation? (mark out of five) Total = 20