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The Sepoy and the Raj

The Indian Army, 1860-1940

  • Book
  • © 1994

Overview

Authors:
  1. David Omissi

    1. Department of History and Centre for Indian Studies, University of Hull, UK

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Part of the book series: Studies in Military and Strategic History (SMSH)

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xx
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Recruiting Strategy

    • David Omissi
    Pages 1-46

  3. Enlisting Strategies

    • David Omissi
    Pages 47-75

  4. Fighting Spirit

    • David Omissi
    Pages 76-112

  5. Dissent

    • David Omissi
    Pages 113-152

  6. Indian Officers and Indianization

    • David Omissi
    Pages 153-191

  7. Military Power and Colonial Rule

    • David Omissi
    Pages 192-231

  8. Conclusion: The Sepoy and the Raj

    • David Omissi
    Pages 232-242

  9. Back Matter

    Pages 243-313
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Keywords

About this book

This is the first scholarly study of the subject for twenty years, and the only one based on extensive archival research. The Indian Army conquered India for the British, and protected the Raj against its enemies within and without. In this evocative and compassionate work, David Omissi examines the origins, motives and protests of the several million Indian peasant- soldiers who served the colonial power.

Reviews

'Genuinely original...A ground-breaking work of real importance...Challenges many of the assumptions about British rule in India.' - Bernard Cohn, International History Review

'This is an important book...because it poses questions which social and military historians ought to ask about all armies.' - David French, War in History

'Excellent...It yields nothing but treasure.' - John Keegan, Times Literary Supplement

'The eight decades of British colonial rule, as selected by the author, are covered extremely well in this book. It is well-researched, documented and presented. Besides being of general interest, it covers a number of issues related to the Indian Army which are topics of serious debate even today, and is recommended for professional study and understanding the British colonial psyche.' - Lt-General(Retd) K.S. Brar, India Today

'...extensive and impressive...professionally presented and supported by detailed tables, references and footnotes...a valuable research tool for other scholars working in this field...' - T.A. Heathcote, Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History

'This is an important book, not only because it deepens our knowledge of how the British-Indian army worked but because it poses questions which social and military historians ought to ask about all armies.' - David French, War in History

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of History and Centre for Indian Studies, University of Hull, UK

    David Omissi

About the author

DAVID OMISSI is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Hull. Before moving to Hull he was Prize Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford. His other books include Indian Voices of the Great War (Macmillan, 1999)

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