Tarak Barkawis soldiers of empire reviewed-Part two
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This document criticizes Tarak Barkawi's book for inaccurately portraying the class composition of the British Indian Army during World War I. It provides evidence that there were 30 infantry battalions organized along single ethnic or religious lines during WWI, contrary to Barkawi's claims. It also notes several important aspects of British Indian military history that Barkawi failed to address, such as the influence of the 1857 mutiny on reorganization, acts of defiance by Indian officers, and the impact of casualties and mutinies on changes to the army's composition. The critic concludes that while the book provides anecdotes, it cannot be considered a serious military history work due to factual inaccuracies and omissions.
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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.