WORK OF THE INDIAN ARMY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1523, 28 February 1901, Page 45

WORK OF THE INDIAN ARMY.

The Indian Army comes second perhaps only to the Bi’itish in the variety of work that it has to perform and the variety of climates in which it serves. First of all, India has to be defended. So f? 1 ' the army has never been called upon for the defence of the Indian Empire. There are some who think that, should such a juncture arise, the standing army would be unable to cope with an invader. Others, again, who have studied frontier matters and the inseparable subject of the character of the native races beyond the frontier, are confident that at its present strength the Indian Army could prevent any enemy from gaining the plains of Northern India. Then India has to be policed. Three hundred million people, the most sensitive on the face of the earth, require more than a force of 150,000 organised police to keep the peace. However, in India proper, the police duties of the army are not very onerous, the mere presence of soldiers preventing disturbances when anything has transpired torender them probable. But the policing of the frontier districts is much more serious, and in this duty a portion of the Indian Army is actively engaged from year to year. Not a month elapses without military operations on some scale, and at the present moment some thousands of troops are engaged in a blockade of the Mahsud territory, on the north - west frontier. The “little war system/ and the forward policy cannot be avoided. The King s peace cannot be maintained on one side ot a. geometric line without frequent castigation of the disturbing tribesmen on the other, and thus the Punjab Frontier Force is kept constantly engaged. This has, of course, a beneficial effect on the efficiency of the’troops, and accounts for the large number of decorations. Then there are - all the frontier posts, along thousands of miles of frontier, to be garrisoned. This is another tax upon the Indian Army, and calls for a considerable amount of roadmaking bridge-building and other engineering work, which is generally done bv the troops. The Bengal, Bombay and Madras armies all have regiments of engineers. sappers and miners. Along the stretch of frontier from Quetta to Chitral there is a diversity of climate sufficient to try the hardiest troops. From Quetta to Peshawur the climate is the climate of the plains of India, while north of this, during the cold season, snow lies for wesks on the ground, and the most common aiL ment among the troops is frost-bite. So much for India itself; and up to the time of the mutiny Indian troops were not em-

ployed outside India. Now the case is different. Whatever military duty has to be done in the East the Indian troops are liable to be called upon to do it. Conthey are scattered over the whole of Southern and Eastern Asia, Eh,;'.*' Africa, and even West Africa. There are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Mauritius. the Straits Settlements, Ceylon, Perim and Suakim in the Bed Sea Aden and numerous military posts garrisoned by Indian troops. There are Indian, troops in Burma and Hongkong, Indian police in Shanghai and the Chinese settle ments, Singapore, and at numerous other spots, Indian guards to the Eastern legations, Indian troops building up the British Empire in East Africa, and Indian drill sergeants in Uganda, and even in West Africa. All the new “plantations ' in the East are a tax on the Inman establishment, and at the present time fifteen thousand Indian troops are engag a in the operations of the allies in- China, while several thousands were recently employed in ambulance work in South Africa. TJ-ns it will be seen that besides defending India, the Indian Army is playing an important part in building up the Empire m I he East, and is thereby setting free for the war in South Africa and for garrison duty all over the wmrld a very large number of British regular troops. The testimony of Lord Roberts, "Bobs Bahadur, who'spent forty-one years in the Indian Army, would be a lugli encomium to any troops. “I have/’ he says, “ a thorough belief in and admiration for Gurkhas, Sikhs. Dogras. Rajputs, Jabs arid selected Mohammedans. Brigaded with British troops, I would be proud to lead them against any European aimy. ,, ‘ THE SIKHS. The Sikhs were formerly a purely religious sect, professing a fine form of religion, which hold that all men are equal, and that the main things necessary for true religion are a belief in one God, purity, chastity and charity. They are not allowed to smoke or to cut their hair, and must wear steel on some part of their body, steel being the emblem of all that is strong, by which alone they think that happiness is to be attained. According-ly.-.they generally wear a steel quoit fastened into their turban. About two centuries ago they came into prominence as a military sect hound together by a fierce hatred of Mohammedans. They then changed their name from Sikhs to '‘Singhs’* (lions), and fighting, as enjoined by their religion, has always been honourably and faithfully carried out. SOME DISTINGUISHED MEN. Colonel Dadbha, of the Jamnagar I.S. Cavalry, the senior native officer, is one of the "most handsome men in the contingent. He is an officer of great attainments, a fine scholar, and an accomplished linguist. He is married to a cousin of Prince Ranjitsinhji. Rissalder-Major Mishari Khan, of the 18th Bengal Lancers, is an officer who has seen a good deal of service and is credited with being one of the finest riders m India, besides being a clever trick rider. When in India the Prince of Wales (now King Edward) presented Mishari Khan with a silver dagger in recognition of his dexterity with the sword. Subahdar-Major Savaz Khan, of the Queen’s Own Corps of Guides Infantry, marched with Lord Roberts from Kabul to Kandahar, and holds medals also for the Afridi. Chitral, Malakand and Tirah campaigns. Subahdar Ghulam Mohammed, of the 33rd Punjab Infantry, is an officer who holds decorations for numerous campaigns. He served under! Lord Roberts on the march to Kandahar, and gained distinction in a hand-to-hand fight in the Mainland. Subahdar-Major Gnrdad Singh, of the 15th Sikhs, is another distinguished officer. He holds the Khedive s Star for service in Egypt in 1882, and the Suakim medal (f 885). He was a great favourite

of the late General Sir W. Lockhart, who presented him with a beautiful silvermounted stick in recognition of his courage. Subahdar-Major Gangi Thapa, of the sth Gurkhas, was one of Lord Roberts’s faithful orderlies in the Afghan campaign. Kot-duffadar Thaman Singh, of the 6th Bengal Cavalry; Rissaldar Suchet Singh, of the 4th Lancers (Hyderabad contingent), and Rissaldar-Major Diliz Khan, of the 19th Bengal Lancers, all marched to Khandahar with Lord Roberts. Subahdar-Major Chirangi Lai Tewarri, of the 4th Infantry (Hyderabad Contingent) is a stern-looking, black-moustach-ed veteran. Among his numerous medals are the Gold Star of British India (of the first-class), Burma 1885-87 and ISB7-88, and the Frontier 1897-98. He has over thirty-two years’ service. It is to be hoped that during their stay * in Wellington arrangements may be made for the Indian troops to give a display of their skill in arms and riding. While in Svdney they gave a capital representation, . of frontier warfare, showing the tribesmen in each stage of demoralisation befor the little expedition of the Sirkar. Exhibitions were also g ven of riding, 6word exercise, tent-negging, etc.