The Military Under the British
Modern History › Administrative and Judicial Developments Under British Rule · Topic 26.5
After 1857 the army was reorganised to prevent another revolt: European troops were raised to about one-third, Europeans were given the key arms and the officer corps, and the Indian branch was run on a policy of divide and rule, with the martial races theory favouring Sikhs, Gurkhas and Pathans over regions that had revolted. Indians could not become commissioned officers until 1918, and the army remained a costly machine.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Administrative and Judicial Developments Under British Rule
At a Glance
- Before 1857 Queen’s army and the Company’s troops
- After 1857 About one-third European troops; key arms in European hands
- Policy Balance and counterpoise; martial races
- Officers No Indian commissioned officers until 1918
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Administrative and Judicial Developments Under British Rule
Where Does It Fit?
This is the fifth topic of the category on administrative and judicial developments under British rule. The previous topic covered the police. This topic covers the military under the British. The next topic covers the judicial reforms under Warren Hastings. Previous topic: Evolution of the Police System in Modern India.
What Were the Armies Before 1857?
The military was the backbone of the Company’s rule. Before the revolt of 1857 two separate sets of forces were under British control in India. The first, known as the Queen’s army, were serving troops on duty in India and part of the Crown’s military force. The other was the Company’s troops, a mixture of European regiments of Britons and native regiments recruited locally with British officers.
Why Was the Army Reorganised After 1857?
After 1857 there was a systematic reorganisation of the army, since, as Dufferin warned in December 1888, the British should always remember the lessons learnt with such terrible experience thirty years earlier. Preventing a fresh revolt was the main reason. The Indian army was also to defend the Indian territory of the empire against other imperialist powers in the region, such as Russia, Germany and France. The Indian branch was to be used for expansion in Asia and Africa, while the British section was to be an army of occupation, the ultimate guarantee of British hold over India. The revolt is in Beginning and Spread of the Revolt: Meerut and Delhi.
How Was European Domination Ensured?
- The commissions of 1859 and 1879 insisted on the principle of a one-third white army, against 14 per cent before 1857.
- The proportion of Europeans to Indians was fixed at one to two in the Bengal Army and two to five in the Madras and Bombay Armies.
- Europeans kept a strict monopoly of key locations and departments such as artillery, tanks and armed corps. Even the rifles given to Indians were of inferior quality until 1900, and Indians were not allowed in these high-technology departments until the Second World War.
- No Indians were allowed in the officer rank, and the highest rank an Indian could reach until 1914 was that of subedar. Only from 1918 were Indians allowed in the commissioned ranks. As late as 1926 the Indian Sandhurst Committee envisaged a 50 per cent Indianised officer cadre by 1952.
What Was the Policy of Divide and Rule in the Army?
The Indian branch was reorganised on the policy of balance and counterpoise. The 1879 Army Commission said that next to the grand counterpoise of a sufficient European force came the counterpoise of natives against natives.
| Measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Martial races theory | Developed from the late 1880s under Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief from 1887 to 1892; it held that good soldiers came only from certain communities |
| Recruitment | Directed towards Sikhs, Gurkhas and Pathans, who had helped suppress the revolt and were relatively marginal groups, less likely to be affected by nationalism; soldiers of Awadh, Bihar, Central India and South India who had taken part in the revolt were declared non-martial |
| Mixed regiments | Caste and communal companies were introduced in all regiments, mixing various socio-ethnic groups to balance each other |
| Rivalry | Communal, caste, tribal and regional consciousness was encouraged to check nationalism; Charles Wood, Secretary of State, wished for a different and rival spirit in different regiments so that a Sikh might fire into a Hindu, a Gorkha into either, without scruple |
| Isolation | Soldiers were cut off from the thoughts of the rest of the population by keeping newspapers, journals and nationalist publications from them |
On the whole, the British Indian Army remained a costly military machine. As an analytical point, the post-1857 army was built as an internal-security and imperial force whose reliability depended on the balance among its parts, which is why the INA trials and the naval revolt of 1946, described in Red Fort, Delhi,…">Post-War Upsurge and the INA Trials and The Three Upsurges of Winter 1945-46, were taken as a sign that the foundation was weakening.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Reorganisation after 1857 The one-third white army is a stock Prelims fact
- Martial races A frequent Mains point on divide and rule
- Officer exclusion Shows limits of Indianisation
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the judicial reforms under Warren Hastings. Next topic: Judicial Reforms Under Warren Hastings.
Key People and Terms
- Queen’s army British troops on duty in India
- Martial races Communities held to be good soldiers
- Counterpoise Setting parts of the army against each other
- Subedar The highest rank an Indian could reach till 1914
- Commissioned ranks Officer ranks open to Indians from 1918
- Indian Sandhurst Committee The 1926 committee on Indianising officers
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- One-third white army after 1859 and 1879; 14 per cent before 1857.
- Ratio: 1:2 in Bengal; 2:5 in Madras and Bombay.
- Martial races under Lord Roberts (Commander-in-Chief 1887-92).
- Indians in commissioned ranks from 1918.
- Sikhs, Gurkhas and Pathans favoured.
Do Not Confuse With
- Queen’s army and Company’s army The Crown’s troops versus the Company’s mixed forces
- Martial and non-martial races Favoured recruiting groups versus regions that revolted
- Subedar and commissioned officer Highest Indian rank to 1914 versus officers from 1918
Memory Hook
A white third, the guns in white hands, and the Sikh set against the Hindu.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the policy towards the army after 1857. These points add depth.
- Purpose Prevent another revolt and serve imperial aims
- Means European domination and divide and rule
- Exclusion Indian officers
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe the reorganisation of the army after 1857 and the policy behind it.”
How to Answer
- Before 1857 Two forces.
- Reorganisation European share and key arms.
- Policy Martial races and mixed regiments.
- Conclude Costly machine.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the British reorganise the army after 1857?
They raised the European share to about one-third, kept key arms like artillery in European hands, fixed ratios of Europeans to Indians in each army, and ran the Indian branch on balance and counterpoise, so that Indian soldiers would be less likely to rebel again.
What was the martial races theory?
It was the idea, developed from the late 1880s under Lord Roberts, that good soldiers came only from certain communities. It justified recruiting Sikhs, Gurkhas and Pathans, who had helped suppress the revolt, and declaring soldiers from regions that took part in the revolt non-martial.
Why were Indians kept out of the officer ranks?
The British feared giving Indians command. Until 1914 the highest rank an Indian could reach was subedar, and Indians were admitted to commissioned ranks only from 1918. The Indian Sandhurst Committee of 1926 envisaged a 50 per cent Indianised officer cadre only by 1952.
How was divide and rule applied in the army?
Caste and communal companies were mixed in each regiment, and communal, caste, tribal and regional consciousness was encouraged to check nationalism. Charles Wood wished for rival spirits in regiments so that one group would fire on another without scruple.
What was the Indian army used for?
The Indian branch was to defend the Indian territory of the empire against other imperialist powers and to be used for expansion in Asia and Africa, while the British section was an army of occupation, the ultimate guarantee of British control.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 After 1857 the share of European troops was raised to about one-third.
It had been 14 per cent before 1857.
2 Indians were allowed in commissioned officer ranks from 1918.
Before that the highest rank was subedar.
3 The martial races theory was developed under Lord Roberts.
He was Commander-in-Chief from 1887 to 1892.
4 Key arms like artillery were opened to Indians soon after 1857.
Europeans kept a monopoly until the Second World War.
5 Soldiers from Awadh and Bihar were favoured as martial races.
They were declared non-martial.
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