THE INDIAN TROOPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15807, 2 January 1915, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE INDIAN TROOPS.

RACES AND CASTES.

Theb.e are about 153,000 native troops in. the Indian Army, without counting reserves and volunteers of about 55,000 each. The use of some of these in

Europe raises no technical difficulties, as * the native troops are recruited for service within or without British territories or beyond '■ he sea if necessary. They include infantry, cavalry, mountain . batteries, garriaon artillery, and sappers and miners '

The races and castes which go to make up the native troops are very varied-— Pathans. Sikhs, and Gurkhas are names which most readily occur to the average Englishraai when he thinks of native Indian J troops, but these are only three of the many divisions of the peoples of India ; which a£e represented -in the army. Pun- ; jabis, both Mahometan and Hindu, Eaj-i puts: Jats, Brahmins, Tamils', and otipsrs are all included, and ,in the case of regiments formed on the " class . company" systeni': two or three different rases' and castes in their separate companies may go to form fate regiment. -About two- ! Mruds of the/Indian Army is" formed on j this;, system ; the remaining .third of the : regiments; are : <;» the "class* system," ! -, wfca-eJul the troops in the regiment are of the same *ace or caste. Tile " Gurkha i ' regiments are on the "class system.'"; The Sikiss are* recognised as the very * best of the native troops, both in loyalty and military prowess. One interesting thing about the Sikhs is that they are not Si race* -at all, but a religious sect. Founded as far back as the fifteenth century,, SikMsn* was at first a Wending of ati the* best features of the Hindu and Mahommedan faiths. ■ It wa3 a monotheistic sectand an essentially peacefulone. But a century of Mahometan persecution transformed the Sikhs into a military and religious commonwealth of the finest fighting men, who later needed sis pitched batles with the English before their power, was broken. For a time ; their military "zeal was daunted: but the ultimate return which they made to their conquerors' was to save India for the British Crown during the Mutiny. There are now about, 30.000 Sikhs in the Indian Array. Sikhism is cherished by the aaili- i tary authorities, who attach great importance to the pahul, or " baptism of the sword,'' whereby"the sect is entered- JIo ; man* born a Sikh— becomes one by baptism, which is delayed, like the English confirmation, until the candidate has ; reached "years of discretion." It is after this ceremony that every Sikh adds " Singh'' to his original name. As befits a fighting creed, Sikhism is one of "considerable austerity ; the greater part of its adherents are bound to abstain from ' tobacco and wine, though only very orthodox Sikhs observe the latter prohibition liiyKSThe Gurkhas whom, by arrangement ' ■"■ vith. the' Government,, ..there have been 5 -about' 120,000 recruited" for the- Gurkha ' ~jj- "class company" rßghnentsof the Indian •** Army— as infantry soldiers. They are the. ruling Hindu '..race, in Nepal These is a strong dash of Mongolian blood in them, and their average height is less than th.it of the other Indian troops. (Guikhaa ara accepted at a minimum height of sft, as against oft 4in * for the other unmounted branch of the native service.) ' But what they lack in inches they make up in endurance, courage, and independence. Pride might be added to the last of their qualities, as they have a considerable contempt for all other Orientals, and prefer to reserve their admiration and friendship for Euro peans, whose ideals in sport and war they share.

Tbe Fathans are the warlike Afghans of the Indian borderland, and they ire also scattered throughout the country. They include all the" strongest and most pugnacious tribes, of the .North-west Frontier, and enlist in large numbers in the Indian Army. ' They' make very fine soldiers, ruidsjui recent years have been largely used in, the formation o " class- company" regiments and in the native militia.