Description
This book provides a comprehensive account of the numerous battles fought by India’s most formidable regiments prior to the First World War. The Indian Army at that time consisted primarily of Sikhs, Pathans, Punjabi Musalmans, and Gurkhas, each of which held a distinguished reputation for courage and military expertise in their own distinct manner. Reginald Hodder meticulously chronicles the renowned wars in which these brave native regiments from India actively participated. Among the notable conflicts covered are the war in Scinde, the first Sikh war, the third Afghan war, the battle of Dargai, and many others. Hodder initiates the narrative by providing brief introductions to the various regiments within the Indian Army during this period. He notes that Sikhs constituted nearly one-third of the Indian Army and were not strictly a race but rather a military and religious caste. The Pathans, hailing from the Afghan lineage, resided in the hilly regions along the northwest border of India. The Punjabi Musalmans, on the other hand, were the indigenous inhabitants of Punjab, characterized predominantly by their Rajput and Jat ancestry, with numerous clans among them.
