Indianisation (British India) facts for kids

Indianisation of British colonial bureaucracy was a plan in British India during the early 1900s. It aimed to promote Indian officers to higher jobs in government and the military. Before this, these important roles were mostly held by British people. For example, in the Indian police, a new rank called Deputy Superintendent was created. This helped Indian officers get ready for even higher positions. In the army, Indianisation meant replacing British officers with Indian ones.

However, this process was very slow. Many Indian politicians who wanted independence were not happy with the speed. Big events like the Second World War and India's independence in 1947 changed everything. These events moved faster than the Indianisation plan itself.

Indian Army: A Path to Leadership

The idea of having Indian officers in the British-Indian Army was first suggested in 1844. Sir Henry Lawrence thought it would keep Indian soldiers loyal. This would stop them from offering their skills to Indian rulers. By the 1880s, British leaders and Indian politicians seriously discussed Indianisation.

Big Questions About Indian Officers

The main debate had two key questions:

• Could Indians lead in the military as well as the British?
• If so, how could they join the army's command without threatening British rule?

The second question was very important to the British. They still remembered the "sepoy mutiny" of 1857-58. Some British officers worried that training Indians too well would make them dangerous. Others felt that only "real" Indians from rural "martial races" should be considered. They believed these groups "wisely realised" that top officer jobs were for the British. Indian nationalists, however, argued that not allowing Indians these roles broke a promise. The Queen's Proclamation of 1858 had promised jobs for Indians in all parts of British-India's government.

Early Attempts: The Imperial Cadet Corps

In 1901, Lord Curzon, a British Viceroy, tried to solve the Indianisation problem. He started the Imperial Cadet Corps (ICC). This school was meant to give military training to Indian princes and nobles. It also offered them special officer commissions.

However, the ICC failed for two reasons:

• The special commissions given to ICC graduates were "extra-regimental." This meant they didn't give the holder real command power over anyone.
• The ICC's purpose was unclear. Was it a military school or a finishing school for a few rich Indians?

The Imperial Cadet Corps was closed down in 1915.

World War I and New Opportunities

The Great War changed things. India recruited about 1.3 million men for the British and Allied war effort. Indian nationalists also pushed harder for rewards for their loyalty. Because of this, the Indianisation issue stayed alive.

On August 20, 1917, it was announced that Indians could now become King's Commissioned officers in the Indian Army. The first nine Indians to get these commissions were graduates of the ICC. Ten spots were also set aside for Indians at Sandhurst, a famous British military academy.

Training at Sandhurst

Training at Sandhurst was tough for young Indian men. It put them against young Europeans in very different conditions. The results were not always good. Out of the first 25 Indian cadets, ten failed. Two died, two resigned, and one lost his commission. Only ten passed.

To help with this, the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College was opened on March 13, 1922. Its goal was to prepare Indian cadets for entry into Sandhurst.

The Eight Unit Scheme

On February 17, 1923, the British government announced the "Eight Unit Scheme of Indianisation." This was the first step to Indianise the army. Indian suggestions for faster progress were turned down. Instead, slow plans were proposed, which would take over forty years.

Finally, only eight units of the Indian Army were chosen for Indianisation:

• Five infantry battalions out of 104.
• Two cavalry regiments out of 21.
• One pioneer battalion out of seven.

These units were to be set up like the British Army. They would have King's Commissioned Indian Officers at every officer level. Indian Warrant Officers would replace Viceroy's Commissioned Officers.

The eight units chosen were:

• 7th Light Cavalry
• 16th Light Cavalry
• 2nd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
• 5th (Royal) Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
• 1st Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment
• 1st Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment
• 4th Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, 1st Madras Pioneers

One of these units, the 2nd Battalion the 1st Madras Pioneers, was disbanded in 1933. However, ten years later, another eight units were chosen. One of these was the 8th Battalion the 19th Hyderabad Regiment, which is now the 4th Battalion, the Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army.

Why Indianisation Was Slow

Indians felt that the Indianisation plan was a failure. The British government refused to speed up the process. Also, British officers were often unwilling to treat Indian officers as equals, both professionally and socially.

The scheme was stopped when the Second World War began. By then, only a few military units had been Indianised. The process was never restarted. During the war, many new officers, both British and British Indian, joined all units. By the end of the war, the highest-ranked British Indian officer was a brigadier.

In 1947, India became independent. Indian officers could then immediately fill senior positions. They also received faster promotions.

Indian Surveyors: Mapping the Land

In the 1800s, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) trained Indian surveyors. These skilled individuals were often called pandits. Famous examples include cousins Nain Singh Rawat and Krishna Singh Rawat.

These Indian surveyors took part in many important mapping projects. These included the Great Trigonometrical Survey. They also explored areas like the 1869 Kailash-Mansarovar expedition. Other journeys included the 1871-1872 Shigache–Lhasa expedition. They also went on the 1873-1874 Yarkand–Kashgar expedition. Another notable trip was the 1878-1882 Darjeeling–Lhasa–Mongolia expedition.

See also

• Indianisation
• Sanskritization