Punjab and the British Indian Army

[ArainGang]

 

[Michael Corleone]

speaking of loyalty, using catridge that had animal fats (controversersaly either pig or cow fat) which was offensive to both hindus and muslims... is not loyalty... it's gulami. after the rebellion these were phased out, but imo punjabi troops that cooperated with british should have rebelled against the colonialism. unfortunate

 

[Kambojaric]

"Furthermore, the willingness of the Punjabi Muslims to fight against the Ottoman Empire during WW1 (when some Pashtuns and North Indian Muslims defected), had left the British openly impressed."

Can you provide a source for this? In fact one of the biggest defections/mutiny in the British Indian army during WW1 for fear of fighting the Turks was made by the 5th Light Infantry which was composed solely of Punjabi Muslims (see below*). The British knew the limitations of the Punjabi soldiers morale and preferred where possible sending Punjabi Muslims elsewhere.

On the whole I think periphery is the key word you use in your article. Punjab was distant from the Indian core due to religion, culture and tribe/ethnicity but still geographically close enough for the British to rely on soldiers from this region.

*

"the most significant and dramatic event in these years was the Indian Mutiny of 1915. Distressed by the fact that Britain was at war with Turkey, the Light Infantry - consisting solely of Punjabi Muslims - revolted, killed their officers and seized control of Alexandra Barracks, where the Germans had been detained. They released the German prisoners (since Germany was an ally of Turkey) and proceeded to kill any Europeans they met

Page 19, Marshall of Singapore: A Biography by Kevin Tan

The British had to make a conscious effort not to send Indian Muslims to Egypt, Sudan or Mesopotamia ... In fact, at Gallipoli, in May 1915, two battalions of Punjab Muslims had to be laid off as the commanding officer refused to take responsibility for the loyalty of his Muslim soldiers. Similar feelings among the soldiers erupted in the Singapore Mutiny of the fifth light infantry"

Page 118,
Colonial India and the Making of Empire Cinema: Image, Ideology and Identity by Prem Chowdhry

Singapore survived World War I without a single upset except a 10 day mutiny in 1915 by the single regiment that was left in Singapore. The 5th Light Infantry was composed of Indian Muslims from Punjab. Already out of sorts with Britain being at war against Muslim Turkey, when they were ordered to ship out for Hong Kong ... they mutinied out of fear that they would instead be sent to fight Turkey

Page 80, The History of Singapore by Jean Abshire

 

[Kabira]

"Furthermore, the willingness of the Punjabi Muslims to fight against the Ottoman Empire during WW1 (when some Pashtuns and North Indian Muslims defected), had left the British openly impressed."

Can you provide a source for this? In fact one of the biggest defections/mutiny in the British Indian army during WW1 for fear of fighting the Turks was made by the 5th Light Infantry which was composed solely of Punjabi Muslims (see below*). The British knew the limitations of the Punjabi soldiers morale and preferred where possible sending Punjabi Muslims elsewhere.

On the whole I think periphery is the key word you use in your article. Punjab was distant from the Indian core due to religion, culture and tribe/ethnicity but still geographically close enough for the British to rely on soldiers from this region.

*

Page 19, Marshall of Singapore: A Biography by Kevin Tan



Page 118,
Colonial India and the Making of Empire Cinema: Image, Ideology and Identity by Prem Chowdhry



Page 80, The History of Singapore by Jean Abshire

Looks like araingang does piss poor job at research.

 

[ArainGang]

"Furthermore, the willingness of the Punjabi Muslims to fight against the Ottoman Empire during WW1 (when some Pashtuns and North Indian Muslims defected), had left the British openly impressed."

Can you provide a source for this? In fact one of the biggest defections/mutiny in the British Indian army during WW1 for fear of fighting the Turks was made by the 5th Light Infantry which was composed solely of Punjabi Muslims (see below*). The British knew the limitations of the Punjabi soldiers morale and preferred where possible sending Punjabi Muslims elsewhere.

Some confusion here.

Most of these soldiers were Hindustani Rajput Muslims from Haryana. Haryana as you may know was part of British Punjab, but only some of its major tribes were shared with actual Punjab, while many were extensions of populations found in Uttar Pradesh. The Muslim Rajputs of Haryana, or "Ranghars" as they were called, were classed apart from Punjabi Muslims by the British, and lumped with their fellow Ranghars in UP and Northern Rajasthan.

So yes, these revolting soldiers were from British Punjab, but they weren't Punjabi, if that makes sense.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/lifestyle/step-back-to-move-forward-419823
Also see my article for the first source from Major Amin, where he describes the Singapore revolters as, "entirely composed of Ranghar/Hindustani Muslims".

 

[Kabira]

Some confusion here.

Most of these soldiers were Hindustani Rajput Muslims from Haryana. Haryana as you may know was part of British Punjab, but only some of its major tribes were shared with actual Punjab, while many were extensions of populations found in Uttar Pradesh. The Muslim Rajputs of Haryana, or "Ranghars" as they were called, were classed apart from Punjabi Muslims by the British, and lumped with their fellow Ranghars in UP and Northern Rajasthan.

So yes, these revolting soldiers were from British Punjab, but they weren't Punjabi, if that makes sense.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/lifestyle/step-back-to-move-forward-419823
Also see my article for the first source from Major Amin, where he describes the Singapore revolters as, "entirely composed of Ranghar/Hindustani Muslims".

This is interesting break down, never seen this before. Puts things in perspective. Looks like no single group dominated as one would believe. Yes sikh jats made major part of it but still only 13.6%. I guess this include NWFP pashtuns as well? Overall looks like muslims dominated punjab army in 1931.

Do you have break down of WW2 composition of punjab army? I remember reading somewhere British promised muslims independent country if they joined army for WW2, which resulted in even more increased recruitment from punjab.

 

[ArainGang]

The Pashtuns and Balochis are from Punjab, not NWFP or Baluchistan. Many of them had ancestors that settled in the region well before the British arrived, and were fluent in Punjabi.

I don't have a full tribal breakdowns for WW2 Punjabis, though I suspect you'd see a lot more "non-martial" tribes recruited relative to the Jats and Rajputs, as the British dramatically expanded recruitment to meet war-time needs.

 

[Joe Shearer]

This is interesting break down, never seen this before. Puts things in perspective. Looks like no single group dominated as one would believe. Yes sikh jats made major part of it but still only 13.6%. I guess this include NWFP pashtuns as well? Overall looks like muslims dominated punjab army in 1931.

Do you have break down of WW2 composition of punjab army? I remember reading somewhere British promised muslims independent country if they joined army for WW2, which resulted in even more increased recruitment from punjab.

Not true.

There was never any such commitment.

The military establishment would never, ever, get involved in a political commitment.

The Pashtuns and Balochis are from Punjab, not NWFP or Baluchistan. Many of them had ancestors that settled in the region well before the British arrived, and were fluent in Punjabi.

I don't have a full tribal breakdowns for WW2 Punjabis, though I suspect you'd see a lot more "non-martial" tribes recruited relative to the Jats and Rajputs, as the British dramatically expanded recruitment to meet war-time needs.

Happened both in WWI and WWII. These expanded zone recruits were as dramatically dumped, and their formations dissolved, once the war ended. Remember Geddes' Axe.

 

[Rusty]

speaking of loyalty, using catridge that had animal fats (controversersaly either pig or cow fat) which was offensive to both hindus and muslims... is not loyalty... it's gulami. after the rebellion these were phased out, but imo punjabi troops that cooperated with british should have rebelled against the colonialism. unfortunate

So I took a Mughal History class in University back in the day and this topic came up.
for hundreds of years the British had mostly recruited from the Bengal area as that is where they arrived first.
just before the mutiny, the British had conquered Punjab with the troops that were now mutinying and the Punjabi troops thought it as a bit of revenge.

Of course only the British were laughing at the end but that is history.

 

[Naofumi]

This is interesting break down, never seen this before. Puts things in perspective. Looks like no single group dominated as one would believe. Yes sikh jats made major part of it but still only 13.6%. I guess this include NWFP pashtuns as well? Overall looks like muslims dominated punjab army in 1931.

Do you have break down of WW2 composition of punjab army? I remember reading somewhere British promised muslims independent country if they joined army for WW2, which resulted in even more increased recruitment from punjab.

Any explanation why Jat Sikhs were nearly double than Jat Muslim when the population of Jat Muslim was much more? Sikh Empire's legacy?

 

[Naofumi]

Jat Sikh 13.6, Rajput Hindu 6.2, Khatri 3.6 and Brahmin 5.7
13.6 + 6.2 + 3.6 + 5.7 = 29.1
Non muslims were only 29.1 percent in this army. What was the non Muslim population of Punjab?

My comment was simply in relation to Jats.

 

[Naofumi]

Is jat ethnic group? I used to think it is Punjabi translation of word kisan.

I think it's both, an ethnic group that is indulged in farming but it's not the exclusive farmers community.

We have Jats in Rajasthan, Haryana, UP too but they're not the only farmers.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Any explanation why Jat Sikhs were nearly double than Jat Muslim when the population of Jat Muslim was much more? Sikh Empire's legacy?

Sikh recruitment was never greater than panjabi muslims. But they made a big number wrt their population size.

 

[TheGreatMaratha]

Great article in justifying the fact that Punjabi recruitment in British Army was because of loyalty.

 

[Naofumi]

Sikh are a mystery, even the non-martial Dalit Sikhs have their regiment (SLI) but Muslims don't, is it simply the legacy of Sikh empire or something more?
@Joe Shearer @xeuss

Sikh recruitment was never greater than panjabi muslims. But they made a big number wrt their population size.

I was just expecting that according the Martial race theory, only caste would matter in recruitment but religion also did.