India India Involvement in Involvement in

WWIWWIBy: Priyanka GovaniBy: Priyanka Govani

The Beginning…

• England had become the greatest world power

• Industrial and agricultural advancements

• Needed natural resources to keep industrial power going

• See India as a positive contribution to their empire

Hindustan

• Hindustan: India and Pakistan before they were separated into two countries

• Provided riches such as jewels, gold, spices, and natural resources

• Always being ruled by foreign rulers

• Main religions: Hindu and Muslim

The East India Company

• The East India Trading Company

• England sought an opportunity to trade their good with the rest of continental Europe

• Found the company to be beneficial and grew an interest in Hindustan

British come to power

• British first arrived in early 17th century due to East India Company

• British government not officially involved yet

• India in 1875 had an uprising: Mutiny of 1857 (First War of Independence)

• In 1858, The East India Company was dissolved and the British Government took over direct administration of India.

• Took control and kicked out existing kings and rulers or government officials

• Called Queen Victoria of Great Britain the Empress of India

• Seized control

• British rule effected Hindustan in:– Social inequalities– Political loss– Economical injustices

Social Inequalities• Treated Native Hindustanis

less than human

• Took Indian’s into the British Indian Army but were not concerned with cultural differences

– Meat in bullet, etc

• Prevented their daily lives from being anything but simple

• Restrictions on what or what natives could or could not do

Political Loss

• Kings lost their territories and kingdoms

• Princes forced to give up crown and follow English rule – Play as puppets if

lucky• British military generals

and figures put into place to control each province of Hindustan

• Central Politics in hand of English now

Economical Injustices

• Riches and goods being sent out of country

• Taxes on salts and other homeland resources were imposed on Hindustanis

• Money was being exported and Hindustan was making no money of its own

England’s Grip on India

• Most prized possession of English crown

• Great investment for the British

• More English moved into the land and more Hindustanis felt discrimination and called for freedom and independence

WWI

• As WWI arose English enlisted willing and non willing Indians to fight in their favor

• Reason Indians enrolled: thought that they would be repaid with advancements towards their independence

                                 

          

Aid

• Total: 800,000 Indian troops fought

• 1.5 million volunteering to fight

• Fought in Gallipoli, North and East Africa

• Battles they fought in– Somme– Verdun

Different Organizations

• Indian Mountain Artillery

• Indian British Army• Indian Mountain

Batteries • Queen’s own corps of

Guides Infantry• Deccan Infantry

Officers

Subadar Zaid-Ullah Khan

• 121st & 2/155th PIONEERS

• Fought mainly against the Turks and keeping them from gaining more land

• Primary contribution: such as trench digging, anti-flood bund building, and bridge construction.

SUBADAR ALAM KHAN

• Queen Victoria’s Own Corps of Guides Infantry– part of the elite Punjab

Frontier Force • Part in the famous 32-mile long

march with the Guides Infantry from Mardan to Malakand – Awarded for his bravery

during attacks and handling his men with ‘great dexterity, coolness, and bravery.’

JEMADAR SHAH WALI KHAN • Sepoy• Sent to the North West

Frontier of India • Malakand Field Force'

under the command of Major-General Sir Bindon Blood

• Accomplishments: considerable and dangerous demolition work, & facing the Frontier tribes and the elements

SUBADAR HAR CHAND

• Overseas to Mesopotamia • Operations against the Mahsuds around Sarwakai

– Charged with lines-of-communication duties along the river

• Fought against hostile Arabs

SUBADAR CHATRA RAM

• Served with infantry• Fought in Persia and

soon after returned to India to take part in Third Afghan War in North Western India

• Had many victories and was a recipient of many metals from the British

SUBADAR GIRD ALI

• 24th Regiment of Bombay Infantry

• Awarded the East and West Africa Medal with M’wele

• Went to China with 26th Regiment of Bombay Infantry to take part in putting down Boxer Rebellion

• Also Awarded China 1900 medal

JEMADAR ILAM DIN

• Served with 67th Punjabis• Stationed in North west Frontier and in

Baluchistan • Awarded Star and a British War Metal but the

metals can not be found

SUBADAR JOTA SINGH

• Served with 28th Bombay Infantry• Served in Africa, all parts of India, Somaliland

efforts and many more• Metals are no where to be found although

SUBADAR BANTA SINGH

• Enlisted in Indian Army

• Waziristan Campaign with Mountain battery– 1936-1937

• 1939 promoted from Jemadar to Subedar

Battle of Somme

• The Indian cavalry• Only cavalry on the

British side for the entire duration of battle

• Strong yet forced to retreat due to – Horseback being a “old

military tactic”

• New technology was much more advanced and heavy fire caused the cavalry to retreat

India Gave

• India gave– Money– Soldiers– Best army & cavalry– Support– Generals– Land

In the end• India received

– No further development in political freedoms

– Slight to unnoticeable amounts of independence

• Still a strong hold by British

– Treatment and Racism towards Indians who fought and all in general did not improve

The morals

• People began become angry– Thought they got

nothing for what they did

– Rebellions grew stronger

– Feelings towards the British grew sour

After the War

• Racial fights became religious fights between the Muslims and Hindus

• No one was safe • Entire country calling

for independence and freedom from the English

Sum it up

• Without Indian support– British could not have won– They wouldn’t have had enough money first of all– Not enough Troops– Not a land to treat as their own to run back to – Wouldn’t have received help and aid in quick

amount of time when fighting in middle east area– Battle of Somme would never have had a cavalry

• After the war, India remained as it was before the war

• Nothing they hoped for was granted• Independence was still being a cry

throughout the country• Each organization had its own set of

stories and dissatisfactions towards the British Crown and its decisions during the War

The End

• You would hope a thank you was long due but their thank yous were said through metals and some were never to be found as you have saw and others just say a thank you was not needed it was their duty. Would the war have been affected in any measure if the Indian’s had not sided with the British and made them fight two wars at once? People may always wonder.