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Tarak Barkawis soldiers of empire reviewed-Part two
1. This is second part of critical book review of above
mentioned book by Mr Tarak Barkawi.
Mr Barkawi is addicted to making vague and general
statememts and hoodwinks being specific which requires
relatively much greater command over the subject.
Thus he hoodwinks the Indian Armys class composition in
two world wars which where Indian Armys class
composition and organisation had vastly changed:-- (PAGE-
23 of Tarak Barkawis book)
2. Now Barkawis claim that by the time of the world wars is
historically in bad order and ignores Indian Armys actual
composition in 1914 and its far altered composition after
1922 or from 1922.
There were 30 infantry battalions organised as single
religion or single ethnic group battalions during WW 1
,OTHER THAN GURKHAS !
These are listed below.So Barkawis assertion is factually
incorrect as far as Indian Armys actual class composition is
concerned in First World war .
3. The situation altered radically after 1922 and single class
units were significantly reduced but Dogras
,Garhwalis,Mahrattas were wholly trusted as single class unit
and some Sikhs were also trusted and their single class
structured retained , even in second world war.
INFANTRY UNITS ORGANISED ON SINGLE
RELIGIOUS GROUP OR SINGLE ETHNIC GROUP
IN WW 1 and WW 2 are shown as below:--
Serial
No
Unit Ethnicity or Class
WW 1
Ethnicity or Class
WW 2
1 1st
Brahmans
100 % UP
Brahmans
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922
4. and unit
disbanded in 1931
2 2nd
Rajputs 100 % UP Hindu
Rajputs
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922
and unit
disbanded in 1931
3 3rd
Brahmans
100 % UP
Brahmans
DISBANDED IN
1922
4 4th
Rajputs 100 % Hindu
Rajput
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
5 5th
Light
Infantry
100 % Hindustani
Muslim and
Ranghar
Disbanded 1922
5. 6 6th
Jat 100 % non
Punjabi Hindu Jat
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
7 7th
Rajput 100 % Hindu
Rajput
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
8 8th
Rajput 100 % Hindu
Rajput
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
9 10th
Jats 100 % non
Punjabi Hindu Jat
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
10 11th
Rajputs
100 % Hindu
Rajputs
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
11 13th
Rajputs
100 % Rajputana
Hindu Rajputs
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
12 14th
Sikhs 100 % Sikh 100 % Sikh
13 15th
Sikhs 100 % Sikh 100 % Sikh
6. 14 16th
Rajputs
100 % Hindu
Rajput
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
15 17th
Infantry
100 % Hindustani
Muslim
Disbanded 1921
16 18th
Infantry
100 % Hindustani
Muslim
ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
17 23rd
Sikh
Pioneers
100 % Sikh Disbanded 1932
18 34th
Sikh
Pioneers
100 % Sikh Disbanded 1932
19 35th
Punjabis
100 % Sikh ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
20 36th
Punjabis
100 % Sikh ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
7. 21 37th
Dogras 100 % Hindu
Dogra
ALTERED TO
MIXED IN 1922
BUT REVERTED
TO 100 %
DOGRA ABOUT
1935
22 38th
Dogras 100 % Hindu
Dogra
ALTERED TO
MIXED IN 1922
BUT REVERTED
TO 100 %
DOGRA ABOUT
1935
23 39th
Garhwal
100 % Garhwali
Hindu
100 % Garhwali
Hindu
8. 24 2/39
Garhwal
100 % Garhwali
Hindu
100 % Garhwali
Hindu
25 3/39
Garhwal
100 % Garhwali
Hindu
100 % Garhwali
Hindu
26 4/39
Garhwal
100 % Garhwali
Hindu
100 % Garhwali
Hindu
27 2/41st
Dogras
100 % Dogra and
raised in 1917-18
ALTERED TO
MIXED IN 1922
BUT REVERTED
TO 100 %
DOGRA ABOUT
1935
28 45th
Sikhs 100 % Sikh 100 % Sikh
9. 29 47th
Sikhs 100 % Sikh ALTERED TO
MIXED in 1922 .
30 50th
Kumaon
100 % Hindu
Kumaon Rajputs
100 % Hindu
Kumaon Rajputs
31 103
Mahratta
Light
Infantry
Mixed unit All Mahratta
Hindu unit after
about 1930
32 105
Mahratta
Light
Infantry
Mixed unit All Mahratta
Hindu unit after
about 1930
33 106 Hazara
Pioneers
100 % Hazaras Disbanded 1932
10. 34 110
Mahratta
Light
Infantry
Mixed All Mahratta
Hindu unit after
about 1930
35 114
Mahratta
Light
Infantry
Mixed All Mahratta
Hindu unit after
about 1930
36 116
Mahratta
Light
Infantry
Mixed All Mahratta
Hindu unit after
about 1930
11. 37 117
Mahratta
Light
Infantry
Mixed All Mahratta
Hindu unit after
about 1930
38 2/124
Baluchistan
Infantry
100 % Muslim Mixed from about
1927
39 127 QMO
Baluch
Light
Infantry
100 % Muslim Mixed
composition from
about 1927
40 129 DCO
Baluchis
100 % Muslim Mixed
composition from
about 1927
12. 41 130 KGO
Baluchis
100 % Muslim Mixed
composition from
about 1927
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF BRITISH INDIAN
MILITARY HISTORY THAT TARAK BARKAWI
MISSED
1. Tarak Barkawis bibliography misses the most influential
pamphlet on reorganizing British Indian Army that had
great influence on the post 1857
reorganisation.”CAUSES OF INDIAN MUTINY” ,
by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
2. Tarak did not read books like Nawabzada Sher Ali
Khans autobiography where he described how FM
Auchinleck actually rewarded Khan by bestowing on
13. him command of the FMs own unit when Sher Ali Khan
took a principled stand which was regarded as defiance
by his British seniors .
3. Tarak neglects WW 1 which was a far tougher and
bloody affair in terms of casualties suffered , while
second world war was a much smaller affair as far as
casualties suffered.
4. Tarak hoodwinks or perhaps is ignorant about the fact
that Sikh defiance of British in WW 1 led to the most
important change in Indian Army i.e reduction of Sikhs
in infantry from first position to third position and the
elevation of Punjabi Muslims from third to first
position.
14. 5. Barkawi has nothing to say about why no Sikh was
awarded a VC despite being in highest numbers in
infantry in WW 1.
6. Barkawi totally misses the most important event in
British Indian Army history after 1857, i.e the 23rd
Cavalry mutiny in 1915 that possibly led to British
decision to reduce Sikhs in infantry and raise Punjabi
Muslims to highest numbers in infantry.
7. The book has no index and the reader is blind and
clueless and at the mercy of Barkawis endless anecdotes
which are not good military history.
Tarkawi overrates the Indian political movements which
were by and large a convincing failure and did not lead
anywhere.
15. The book is rich in anecdotes and light reading but cannot
be taken as a serious military historical work.