states under our protection. The strongest of these was that of Hyderabad, originally known as the Nizam s army, and consisting of two brigades of infantry and cavalry, with artillery. Changes were also made in the organisation of the army. The staff was enlarged, sanitary improvenientseffected, manufacturing establishments instituted or increased, and
the administration of the army generally improved.The officering and recruiting of the three armies was in all essentials similar. The officers were mainly supplied by the Company s Military College at Addiscombe (established in 1809), and by direct appointments under the patronage of the directors. The Bengal army was recruited from Hindustan, the infantry being mostly drawn from Oudh and the great Gaugetic plains. The soldiers were chiefly high-caste Hindus, a sixth being Mahometans. The cavalry was composed mainly of Mahometans, recruited from Itohilcund and the Gangetic Doab. The only other elements in the army were the four Ghoorka regiments, enlisted from Nepaul, and the local Punjab irregular force. The Madras army was chiefly recruited from that pre sidency, or the native states connected with it, and consisted of Mahometans, Brahmins, Mahrattas, Telingas or Gentoos, and Tamils. The Bombay army was recruited from its own presidency, with some Hindustanis, but chiefly formed of Mahrattas and Mahometans ; the Bombay light cavalry mainly from Hindustan proper.
In the year preceding the great mutiny the Indian army had reached its highest strength. The establishment in the several presidencies was as follows:—
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Bengal. Madras. Bomtfty. Total British Cavalry Regiments... ,, Infantry Battalions.. Company s European Battalions 2 15 3 1 3 3 1 4 3 4 22 9 European and Native Artil- j lery Battalions } 12 7 5 24 Native Infantry Battalions... Native Cavalry Regiments . . . 74 28 52 8 29 3 155 39
Including the local and irregular troops (about 100,000 strong), the total strength amounted to 38,000 Europeans of all arms, with 276 field guns, and 348,000 native troops, with 248 field guns, truly a magnificent establishment, and, outwardly, worthy of the great empire which England had created for herself in the East, but inwardly unsound, and on the very eve of crumbling to pieces.|1}}
It would be impossible, within the limits of a short article, to do more than briefly summarise the causes which led to the great Sepoy mutiny of 1857. For many years the discipline of the Bengal army had been relaxed. The system under which the ablest regimental officers were -ithdi-awn to staff and civil employ was incompatible with efficiency, the centralisation of the army administration was excessive, and the powers of commanding officers had greatly diminished. The supposed wrongs of Oudh stirred up the soldiers so largely recruited from that province, and the religious prejudices of those otherwise well disposed were inflamed by the secret emissaries of the disaffected. The Sepoys were told that the Government wished to force them to break their caste and abjure their religion, that they were to be sent across the sea to die in foreign and detested lands, or to be sacrificed on their own shores. Even the ridiculous endeavour to assimilate native to British soldiers in outward appearance was turned to account by these emissaries. The "greased cartridges" were but the spark which set the whole aflame. The miserable delusions spread, the loyally-disposed east in their lot with the disaffected, feeling that when once a mutinous spirit had been shown all was lost to them as a military body, and the Bengal native army was in a short space of time only a chaotic mass of disbanded and mutin ous soldiers.[1] The story of the rebellion is the history of those days, and cannot be treated in this place. Fortunately for our power in India, the mutiny did not spread to the Madras or Bombay armies ; and in the darkest days our ancient enemies the Sikhs not only remained faithful, but came forward to render us powerful assistance.
By the autumn of 1858 the mutiny was virtually crushed, and the task of reorganisation commenced. On the 1st September 1858 the East India Company ceased to rule our Indian empire, and Her Majesty s Government took up the reins of power. On the important question of the reorganisation of the Indian army the opinions and advice of the most distinguished soldiers and civilians were invited. Masses of reports and evidence were collected in India, and by a royal commission in England. On the report of this commission the new system was based. They recom mended the abolition of a local European army, and the amalgamation of the existing one with the royal army ; that the native army should be enlisted for general service, and be of mixed nationalities and castes , .that the irregular system should mainly obtain in the native cavalry; and that the native infantry should be mainly regular.
The European force was permanently increased, while the native army was largely reduced. The Indian artilleries were transferred to the Eoyal Artillery, the Company s European cavalry became the 19th, 20th, and 21st Hussars, and their European infantry became regiments of the line, numbered 101 to 109. The transference of the Company s Europeans to the Crown was not unattended with trouble. The men considered that faith had not been kept with them, and a mutinous spirit was shown. Ultimately they were offered their discharge, which a large number accepted.
officers and men who did not accept service in the new royal regiments, now formed with the native soldiers the new Indian army. The reorganisation of this by the Indian Government was a task of no ordinary difficulty, involving much besides reconstruction. Many of the levies hastily raised during the mutiny had to be disbanded, or formed into line regiments, and various miscellaneous corps had to be got rid of. The Government was further ham pered by the necessity for providing for the large number of officers whose regiments no longer existed. In 1861 a "staff corps" was formed in each presidency, "to supply a body of officers for service in India, by whom various offices and appointments, hitherto held by officers borne on the strength of the several corps of the Indian forces, shall in future be held." Promotion in this corps was to be by length of service, twelve years to attain the rank of captain, twenty years that of major, and twenty-six years that of lieutenant-colonel. The staff corps was filled up by a large number of Indian and British officers holding various staff employments (the new regimental employments being counted as staff duty), and all kinds of civil posts and situations, and has been gradually opened wider, till it includes the great majority of the Indian officers. The new organisation of the cavalry and infantry of the Indian army was promulgated in 1863, but did not take effect in Bombay and Madras till 1864 and 1865. Cavalry regi ments are on the "silladar" or irregular system; their establishment consists of 1 commandant, 1 second in command (also commanding a squadron), 2 squadron officers, 1 adjutant, 2 doing duty officers (Europeans), and 13 native officers, 444 non-commissioned officers and troopers, or " sowars." The infantry battalions have each
1 commandant, 2 wing commandants, 1 adjutant, 1 quarter-- ↑ Of 74 native infantry regiment.?, 45 mutinied, 20 were disarmed^ and 3 disbanded. Six only remained true.
