UPSC Mains 2022 GS1 Q2 — Modern Indian History

"The second important pillar of the British regime in India was the army. It fulfilled three important functions. It was the instrument through which the Indian powers were conquered: it defended the British Empire in India from foreign rivals; and it safeguarded British supremacy from the ever-present threat of internal revolt. The bulk of the Company's army consisted of Indian soldiers, recruited chiefly from the area at present included in U.P. and Bihar. For instance, in 1857, the strength of the army in India was 311,400 of whom 265,900 were Indians. Its officers were, however, exclusively…"

"The Indian army was carefully reorganised after 1858. Some changes were made necessary by the transfer of power to the Crown. Thus, the East India Company's European forces were merged with the Crown troops. But the army was reorganised most of all to prevent the recurrence of another revolt. The rulers had seen that their bayonets were the only secure foundation of their rule. Several steps were taken to minimise, if not completely eliminate, the capacity of Indian soldiers to revolt. I never wish to see again a great Army, very much the same in its feelings and prejudices and connections, co…"

"The firearms used by the English, which included muskets and cannons, were better than the Indian arms both in speed of firing and in range. On realising this, many Indian rulers imported European arms and employed European officers to train their troops but unfortunately the Indian military officers and the ranks could never match the English officers and English armies; in the absence of originality, the military officers and armies of Indian rulers became mere imitators.…"

"Also, the Indian Army was to be used to defend the Indian territory of the empire from other imperialist powers in the region—Russia, Germany, France, etc. The Indian branch of the army was to be used for expansion in Asia and Africa, while the British section was to be used as an army of occupation—the ultimate guarantee of British hold over India. To begin with, domination of the European branch over the Indian branches was ensured. The commissions of 1859 and 1879 insisted on the principle of a one-third white army (as against 14% before 1857). Finally, the proportion of Europeans to Indian…"

"In the wake of the transfer of power from the British East India Company to the British Crown, a section of European forces employed under the Company resented the move that required the three Presidency Armies to transfer their allegiance from the defunct Company to the Queen, as in the British Army. This resentment resulted in some unrest termed as White Mutiny. Prior to 1861, there were two separate military forces in India, operating under the British rule. One was the Queen's army and the other comprised the units of the East India Company. The Company's troops received batta, extra allow…"