reflections on British Indian Army recruitment as discussed by family elders July 2020 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.21931.26408 Project: MILITARY HISTORY Agha H Amin

1. reflections on British Indian Army
recruitment as discussed by family
elders

2. reflections on British Indian
Army recruitment as
discussed by family elders
 July 2020
 DOI:
 10.13140/RG.2.2.21931.26408
 Project:
 MILITARY HISTORY
 Agha H Amin
Discussed in detail in this scribes
book :--

3. Political Consequences of First World
War on British Indian Armys Class

4. Composition and myths about class
composition Paperback – December
5, 2019
https://www.amazon.com/Political-Consequences-British-Composition-
composition/dp/1091628475/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=political+consequence
s+%2C+agha+h+amin&qid=1595054788&s=books&sr=1-1

5. Product details
 Paperback: 167 pages
 Publisher: Independently published (December 5, 2019)
 Language: English
 ISBN-10: 1091628475
 ISBN-13: 978-1091628472
 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches
 Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
This short book deals with political consequences of soldiers from various
ethnicities on the recruitment policy of the British in India.This scribe is of the
view that political loyalty was the ultimate factor in British recruitment policy in
India starting from 1858.This book deals with First World War in particular.We will
start by examining each infantry unit of the British Army in 1914 and post first
world war.Firstly there are nonsense myths that have been repeated and
persist.Major General Fazal Muqeem Khan of Pakistan Army fallaciously claimed
that there were no all Muslim units in British Indian Army.This was totally false.
There were many all Muslim units between 1890 and 1914 and some till
1947.What Fazal Muqeem was trying to imply was that Muslims were regarded
as most dangerous and untrustworthy by the British.Interestingly the opposite is
true. For example Sikhs dominated fighting arms like infantry as late as end of
first world war but were reduced after 1918 as they exhibited politically defiant
anti British behavior in some units in first world war.On the other hand Punjabi
Muslim were most loyal in first world war and thus Punjabi Muslims quota in
infantry was increased and exceeded Sikh quota only after first world war
ended.This was not due to any fighting qualities but pure political loyalty.Such
was British mistrust of Sikhs that all Sikh units were mixed with Punjabi Muslim
companies.Two Pakistani origin authors are in lead in holding Guinness book
records of making false claims .Thus Major General Shaukat Riza on page-101
of Pakistan Army-1947-1949 published in 1989 makes an absolutely false and
unsubstantiated claim that “In 1939 about 70 % of the rank and file of Indian
Army was from Muslim tribes” . Shuja Nawaz on page-3 of his book “Crossed
Swords” falsely claims that Punjabi Muslims dominated British Indian Army.Thus
makes the factually false claim that “Punjabi Mussulmans dominated recruitment
during British period”.The correct position was from 1757 till 1885 the British
Indian Army was Hindustani majority.From 1885 till 1921 Sikhs were in the
highest numbers in infantry , the main fighting arm of the British Indian
Army.Kaushik Roy in an article in Journal of Military History of USA makes a

6. false and unsubstantiated assertion that Muslims were 45 % of the Bengal Army
that rebelled in 1857.
Political Consequences of First World War on British
Indian Armys Class Composition and myths about
class composition
by Agha H Amin | Dec 5, 2019
Paperback
$29.99$29.99
Ships to Pakistan

7. reflections on British Indian Army
recruitment as discussed by family
elders
Questioning is crucial form of
research and learning and here is
what this scribe learnt from questions
asked by one Mr Shahzad in our
whatsapp group.
A.H Amin bottomline is that british after 1857
had decided to trust only punjabis and pathans --
this followed following course (1) Hindustani

8. majority in Bengal army reduced to minority
between 1885 and 1914 (2) Punjabis and pathans
introduced in bombay and madras army -1880 to
1903 (3) Sikhs most preferred in INFANTRY and
CAVALRY from 1858 to 1922 (4) Sikhs lose to
Punjabi muslims in WW 1 as punjabi muslims more
loyal and punjabi muslims readch position 1 in
infantry and posn 2 in cavalry after 1922 (5)
Pashtuns also slightly reduced and TRIBALS reduced
substantially and replaced by khattak yusufzai
bangash orakzai etc (6) Hazaras eliminated due to
persian expedition defections by 1932 (7) baloch
also eliminated due to ww 1 defiance of baloch
sardars and almost nil by 1930
A.H Amin bottom line was reliability as a
britisher summed up in ireland in 1998-you dont
want a servant who f___s you or your wife
A.H Amin cause not analysed and put forward
by my maternal grandfather seventh generation
cavalry was EXTENSIVE use of local liquor and Bhang

9. in UP and Bihar which had made soldiers
erratic,Decadent and unreliable--In punjabs barani
area and NWFP this was less likely to happen
A.H Amin there are charge sheets of risaldars
abusing british adjutant as late as 1880s in front of
whole cavalry units-mostly hindustani and ranghar
A.H Amin if you study charge sheets in india
office library london between 1800 and 1900 you
have clear idea @ SHAHZAD UK
A.H Amin recruitment was complicated process
and my XXXXXXXX elder and relative from CID and
police served as recruitment officer in pindi from
1910 to 1925 and died in 1982. he explained to me
in great detail.
A.H Amin for recruitment officer read " police
officer doing clearances"
A.H Amin and main man who SCR_________D
SIKH recruitment was RM Hissamuddin in 23 Cavalry

10. later part of PAVO after 1922 in lahore in 1915
when he BUSTED 23 Cavalry mutiny and was
rewarded with commission
A.H Amin Effendi failed to discuss this most
important part of PAVO Cavalry history in his book
A.H Amin sikhs cursed him for ages--but now
knownj in pakistan
these are priceless NUGGETS i am sharing with you
and these come by word of mouth from family
elders @ SHAHZAD UK