India’s Role in the First World War

When the First World War broke out in August 1914, India’s total military strength stood at around 240,000 men. By the end of the war in November 1918, India had mobilized nearly 1.3 million volunteers, including over 800,000 combatants and 400,000 non-combatants. It was the largest volunteer army raised anywhere in the world during the conflict. Over 1 million Indian personnel served overseas across multiple theaters. The casualties suffered by the British Indian Army were immense, with over 74,000 soldiers losing their lives and another 67,000 wounded.

Recruitment Patterns and the Martial Races Theory

Recruitment was heavily influenced by the colonial “Martial Races” doctrine, which assumed certain ethnic and regional groups possessed natural fighting abilities.

• Major Regions of Recruitment: Punjab provided over half of the total recruits. Other prominent recruitment zones were the United Provinces, North-West Frontier Province, Nepal (for Gurkha units), and Rajputana.
• Demographic Composition: Sikhs constituted about 20% of the infantry strength despite forming roughly 2% of the total Indian population. Punjabi Muslims, Pathans, Dogras, Marathas, Gurkhas, and Garhwalis formed the backbone of the combat units.
• Non-Combatant Roles: Non-combatants served as mule drivers, laborers, cooks, stretcher-bearers, and sappers, fulfilling vital supply chain logistics under harsh environmental conditions.

Global Deployment: The Indian Expeditionary Forces (IEFs)

To manage operations globally, the British Empire organized Indian military contingents into seven distinct Indian Expeditionary Forces designated from A to G.

Key Battles and Military Milestones

Western Front (1914–1915)

The 3rd (Lahore) Division and 7th (Meerut) Division arrived at Marseille in September 1914. They filled vital gaps in the British lines during the First Battle of Ypres, preventing a early German push toward French ports. At the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915, Indian troops made up nearly half of the attacking allied force. Due to heavy casualties and extreme weather conditions, the Indian infantry divisions were relocated to the Middle East in late 1915, while the Indian cavalry remained in Europe.

Mesopotamian Campaign (1914–1918)

Nearly 700,000 Indian troops fought against the Ottoman Empire in Mesopotamia. Initial objectives focused on securing the Anglo-Persian oil pipelines at Abadan. After capturing Basra, the 6th (Poona) Division advanced toward Baghdad but was trapped and besieged at Kut-al-Amara. The surrender of Major-General Charles Townshend’s force in April 1916 marked a devastating allied defeat. Following reorganization under Lieutenant-General Stanley Maude, Indian troops launched a fresh offensive, liberating Baghdad in March 1917.

Sinai, Palestine, and Transjordan (1915–1918)

Indian forces defended the Suez Canal against Ottoman attacks in early 1915. Later, the 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions played a central role in General Edmund Allenby’s offensive. The Jodhpur, Mysore, and Hyderabad Lancers (consisting of Imperial Service Troops from Princely States) executed a celebrated cavalry action at the Battle of Haifa on September 23, 1918, capturing the city from fortified Ottoman and German positions.

Gallantry and Battlefield Honors

Indian troops earned over 13,000 medals for gallantry during the war, including 12 Victoria Crosses (VC)—the highest British military decoration.

• Sepoy Khudadad Khan: Belonging to the 129th Duke of Connaught’s Own Baluchis, he became the first Indian to be awarded the Victoria Cross for holding his machine-gun post at Hollebeke, Belgium, during the First Battle of Ypres in October 1914.
• Darwan Singh Negi: Serving in the 1st Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles, he was awarded the VC for clearing enemy trenches under heavy fire at Festubert, France, in November 1914 despite severe injuries.
• Rifleman Gobind Singh: Awarded the VC for twice running messages across open ground under intense enemy fire during the Battle of Cambrai in December 1917.

Financial, Economic, and Material Contributions

India’s assistance extended well beyond manpower, serving as a primary base for raw materials, animal transport, and direct financial gifts to the imperial war chest.

Material Supplies and Logistics

India exported vital military stores, including textiles for uniforms, jute for sandbags, leather for boots, and timber for railway sleepers. Over 170,000 animals, including horses, mules, and camels, were sent overseas to assist transportation in difficult terrains like East Africa and Mesopotamia. Indian railway workshops were repurposed to supply tracks, locomotives, and rolling stock to build supply networks across the Middle East.

Financial Grants and War Loans

The Indian Taxpayer directly subsidized the Allied war effort through large capital transfers.

• Direct Cash Gift: In 1917, the Indian administration made a direct financial contribution of £100 million (roughly Rs. 150 crore at the time) to the British government.
• War Loans and Taxes: The British government floated War Bonds in India to collect funds from Indian princes, merchants, and citizens. To meet these expenses, direct taxes were raised, custom duties were hiked, and an Income Tax was re-introduced in 1916.
• Inflationary Impact: Overall British military purchases in India led to currency expansion, causing severe inflation between 1914 and 1918, where prices of basic food grains doubled.

Internal Security and Frontier Defense

While vast armies were sent abroad, the internal defense of India remained vulnerable. Most regular European troops stationed in India were recalled to Europe in 1914, leaving the domestic security apparatus heavily reliant on local territorial units and police forces.

• North-West Frontier Operations: Divisions such as the 1st (Peshawar), 2nd (Rawalpindi), and 4th (Quetta) Divisions were retained along the Afghan frontier to suppress tribal raids.
• Defeating Anti-Colonial Conspiracies: The Defense of India Act 1915 was passed to suppress revolutionary activities, such as the Ghadar Mutiny led by the Ghadar Party and the Silk Letter Movement (Reshmi Rumal Tehrik) organized by Deobandi leaders.
• Neutrality of Afghanistan: Despite a German diplomatic mission led by Niedermayer and Hentig reaching Kabul in 1915 to incite a Holy War (Jihad) against the British, Emir Habibullah Khan maintained strict Afghan neutrality throughout the war.

Facts and Trivia

Lord Hardinge II was the Viceroy of India when the war broke out in 1914, succeeded by Lord Chelmsford in 1916. Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck later remarked that Britain could not have survived both World Wars without the Indian Army. The Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial in France was erected by the Imperial War Graves Commission to honor over 4,700 Indian soldiers and laborers who fell on the Western Front and have no known grave. In New Delhi, the All-India War Memorial, popularly known as India Gate, was built in 1931 to commemorate the 84,000 Indian Army soldiers who died in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. The Imperial Service Troops were dedicated forces maintained by Indian Princely States, such as Bikaner, Mysore, Jodhpur, and Patiala, who sent over 26,000 troops overseas to support the Allied forces. The 1915 Singapore Mutiny saw 850 soldiers of the 5th Light Infantry revolt against the British Army before being suppressed by Allied ships.