Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-18
ENGLAND'S INDIAN
TROOPS NOTED FOR
STRIKING COURAGE
Will Reinforce British in
France - Complement Of
100000 Ready for Serv-
ice.-"Bobs'' Praises 10y
atty.
atty.

Brtain's native forces in India, some
of whom are to be brought to France
to reinforce the British army, number
10000 men. with whom about 10000 white
soldiers are mingled. so that no large
force of natives is left alone at any
point. The natives are organized into
forty regiments of cavalry and l54 bat
talions of infantry, each having seven
teen British and sixteen native officers.
The native officers are all company or
squadron officers, the British occupying
the higher positions. Each cavalry regi-
ment is divided into four squadrons, and
each infantry battalion into four double
companies.
AS further precaution against native
troops breaking out into mutiny, there
Is no native artillery, except twelve
mountain batteries.
The backbone of the native army Is
composed of Slkhs and Gurkhas, the two
elements favored in recruiting and espe-
cially relied on by the British officers
In the early days the native troops were
mainly Sepoys from the Hindu prov
ince of Bengal 1t was the Sepoys who
mutinied In 1851 and massacred many
Britons. The Sikhs. who had been con-
quered in the Punjab war only ten years
before, helped to subdue the Sepoys at
that time, and have been dependable
troops ever since.
SIKHS NATURAL FIGHTING MEN.
-he Sikhs are generally tall and we'll
built. and natural fighting men. THE
Sikh" says the Encyclopedia Britannica.
lis a fighting man and his best qualities
are shown in the army which is his
natural profession. Hardy. brave and
slow -witted, obedient to discipline, at
tached to his officers. he makes the finest
soldier of the east. In victory he retains
his steadiness, and In defeat he will die
at his post rather than yield"
There are only 1000. 900 Sikhs in India
out of the 800, 600 people there. but
there are 10000 Sikhs in the British army
There is no Sikh tribe, but the name sig
nities religion, an offshoot from Brah-
manism dating from the fifteenth cen
tury. The Sikhs are found in three tribes
in the Punjab and the Northwest Presi-
dency. They are fatalists and their faith
is higher type than Brahmanism.
GURKHAS ALL RIFLEMEN
The Gurkhas are little fellows, but
splendid fighters as their record in the
Afghan wars will show. They are not
from India proper. but from Nepal a n in
dependent state in the Hmalayas, north
east of India. Nepal has been friendly
TO the British for many years and the
Gurkhas are not discouraged from en-
listing in the British army Nepa has a
army of her own, $1,000 strong.
There are 20,OOO of them in the army of
India, In ten regiments of two battalions
each. all rlfiemen, They are the descend
ants of BTahmans who were driven from
the plains of India by the Moslems CEN
turtles ago, and their faith is a form of
Bra hmanisn.
The other native troops Of India are
picked men from the northern part of
the country. Those of the south are
no longer worked with as army mate
rial. Outside of the Sikhs and Gurkhas
faiths and are brigaded with white
troops,
PRAISED BY ROBERTS
Lord Roberts. who wrote a book on
'Forty-one Years In India" speaks
highly of the native troops as they are
now organized. though he did not think
much of the sepoys of early days
II have a thorough belief I'm and ad-
miration for Gurkhas. Sikhs, Dogras,
Rajputs, Jats and selected Mohometans."
says "Bobs" i'm his book. Il thoroughly !
appreciate their soldiery qualities Bri- !
gaded with British troops | would be
proud TO lead them against any European /
enemy"
The Sikhs are especially noted for their
DEVOTION and one Of them made shield .
# his body to save Lord Roberts in one
# the Afghan battles.