When one thinks about World War One one probably thinks about Britain, Germany and United State of America. Or the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914. And during this war that lasted till 1918, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers) fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States (the Allied Powers).
There is a "not so tiny" detail missing here - the role of India in World War One. It is a story almost entirely missing from the public domain, including the memory of Indians, most of whom likely never even think about it.
As a youngster I was hooked to the history of world wars ever since I saw Steven Spielberg's movie 'Saving Private Ryan' which. As I watched and read more about the world wars I didn't found any reference of India. I haven't found any book that talks about India and World War One in great depth, perhaps just a parting reference here and there.
As a British Colony India was expected to follow suit of Britain Empire unconditionally. Sardar Patel said (Chopra and Chopra, The Collected Works of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel , vol. 8, p. 170.), "In the 1914 [First World War], one hundred crore rupees were given after sanctioning in assembly [in India], and at the termination of war we were given the boon as Jallianwala Bagh." India also provided the largest voluntary force ever assembled in history with around 1.5 million individuals.
I quote here the forgotten stats of 1914 and the forgotten heroes of India that supported the British Empire in these dire times when a united effort was much needed (source: https://www.india1914.com/ww1bus.aspx) to overcome this deadly global crisis.
Almost 1.5 million Muslim, Sikh and Hindu men in the Indian Expeditionary Force.' Photo of members of a Waziri Khasadar, India, 1917-19” (https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-was-india-involved-first-world-war)
Did you know that India provided the largest force ever assembled in history (IWM) with around 1.4 million individuals during WWI?
Commissioned officers, British and Indian, held identical ranks to commissioned officers of the British Army. Recruitment was entirely voluntary; about 1.75 million men served in the First World War.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Indian_Army)
India played a significant part in World War One. However, India’s part in the war is frequently overlooked as a result of the horrors experienced in trench warfare and by Europe’s tendency to home in on battles such as those fought at the Somme and Verdun, which many assume only Europeans fought in. In total, 800,000 Indian troops fought in all the theatres of the war with 1½ million volunteering to fight. (https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-one/india-and-world-war-one/)
India made a vital contribution to Allied success in the First World War. The Indian Army grew from some 150,000 in 1914 to nearly 1.4 million by 1918.” (https://www.cwgc.org/history-and-archives/first-world-war/forces/indian-army)
The Indian Army played a crucial role in WW1, fighting in every major theatre of operations alongside British units. During the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, March 1915, the Indian Army provided as much as half of the attacking force. For the first time, Indian soldiers were fighting on European soil.” (https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/content/332)
In both WW1 and WW2, Indian soldiers formed the backbone for Great Britain’s land forces as Britain’s main advantage was its naval power. Millions of Indian soldiers and volunteers participated in both wars on Britain's side. It would be no exaggeration to say that without Indian soldiers, Britain might have lost the war and Germany would have conquered Europe.” (https://cmvtcivils.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/role-of-india-in-ww1-and-ww2-and-what-are-its-effects-on-india/)
Nearly 74,000 Indian Soldiers died, 67,000 wounded and 10, 000 missing during the First World War.
India also supplied 170,000 animals, 3,7 million tonnes of supplies, jute for sandbags, and a large loan (the equivalent of about £2 billion today) to the British government, writes Anne Bostanci in an article in britishcouncil.org.
Yet Britain ignored all of this as it kept its cash cow subjugated under its knees (a harsh reality, perhaps politically incorrect but a fact). As Irish Times writes, "By 1919, British duplicity – declining demands even for local self-government, similar to Canada’s – became apparent. This deceit fueled efforts by Mahatma Gandhi, newly returned from South Africa, into launching India’s independence struggle with renewed fervor."
It was a war where India as a British Colony was heavily involved yet in India it remains a forgotten part of our history. Our brave soldiers laid down their lives and British kept exploiting India for another three decades before the World War 2 will break it's back and the political struggle (including the forgotten mutiny of Royal Indian Navy in 1946) will open the thick eyes of British Empire to leave India.
But not until they did an everlasting damage to Indian geopolitical sanctity by crudely and grudgingly dividing it into two. You can read more about this great game played by British Empire in the book 'The Shadow of the Great Game: The Untold Story of India's Partition'.
Comments
Post a Comment