Sowars and Sepoys in the Great War 1914-18 Calvary and Infantry Regiments

Synopsis

This is THE authoritative record of the iconography, services, battle honours, and ethnicity of these regiments. It is regarded as a “must have” for those who are interested in the Indian combat units of the Great War.

Sowars and Sepoys in the Great War 1914–1918 bridges an important gap in the historiography of what was then known as the British Indian Empire during the First World War. Focusing on the cavalry and the infantry regiments of the British Indian army, it records their war services, battle honours, and ethnic composition, along with a detailed record of the regimental iconography worn during that period; all are illustrated life-size in excellent colour images.

An early chapter in the book explains the complex class structure, martial race theory, identity, and the primary elements that created an effective combat regiment and, more importantly, how the military authorities structured Indian regiments to exploit and reinforce a South Asian soldier’s most deeply rooted values and his sense of self. This book therefore is a significant historical and scholarly contribution about South Asia and the First World War.