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with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Annals of the American Academy of
Political and Social Science
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The Army and Navy in India
By SIR P. S. SIVASWAMY AIYAR, K.C.S.I.; C.I.E.
Member of the Executive Council, Madras, 1912-17; Advocate-General, 1908-12; President, Re-
cruitment Committee for India Defence Force, 1917
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20 THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY
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THE ARMY AND NAVY IN INDIA 21
end in 1895 and they were all brought
be (1) preventing or repelling invasions
under the direct control of the Com-
actual or threatened from foreign
mander-in-Chief. The reorganisation
countries, (2) the prevention and sup-
of the army with a view to the im-
pression of rebellion within British
India or its feudatory states andprovement
(3) of its efficiency has been
watching and overawing the armiesengaging
of the attention of the Com-
mander-in-Chief and the Government
feudatory Indian states. They pointed
of India almost continuously since the
out also that the duty of preserving
order and of protecting propertyappointment
and of Lord Kitchener as
Commander-in-Chief in 1902.
quelling disturbances was the primary
function of the civil police employed
POST-WAR CHANGES
by the civil government. They em-
In 1912, a committee was appointed
phasized the importance of keeping the
strength of the forces maintained byunder
the the presidency of Lord Nicholson
Indian feudatory states within the
to consider and report on the numbers
limits prescribed by the treaties and and
of constitution of the army required
to meet the military obligations of
not allowing them to be equipped with
improved modern armament. Arms India.
of Before the recommendations
of this committee could be carried out,
precision were not to be supplied to the
troops of Indian States and the British
the great war broke out and the various
Government should take no steps to
defects of organisation which were
employ the contingents of different
brought to light by the experience of
states together. the war led to the appointment of a
committee in 1919 under the presi-
As regards the position of the Com-
mander-in-Chief, the commission were
dency of Lord Esher. This committee
in favour of removing him from was the asked to report upon the organisa-
Executive Council. Apart from tion the of the army in India, including its
inability of the Commander-in-Chief
relations with the War Office and the
India Office and relations of the two
to maintain continuous personal con-
tact with the whole army and beingoffices to one another, upon the position
in his place in the Executive Coun-
of the Commander-in-Chief in his dual
cil at the same time, the commission
capacity as head of the army and
member of the Executive Council, and
pointed out that the existing system
was unprecedented in the organisa-upon other relevant matters. This
tion of any European Governmentcommittee
or made many important rec-
army and that it was contrary ommendations
to and the task of re-
one of the most essential and sal-
organisation was vigorously taken in
utary principles of sound administra-
hand by Lord Rawlinson who was
tion and to the common instinct and appointed Commander-in-Chief in
experience of all administrations 1920. Various important changes have
whether representative or despotic.
since been made in the organisation
The commission accordingly recom-of the army. The enormous growth
mended that the relative positions of
of military expenditure involved in the
the Government of India and the very extensive proposals for reorgani-
Commander-in-Chief should be the sation and reequipment and the
embarrassed condition of Indian fi-
same as those of the Secretary of State
for War and the Commander-in-Chief nances, led to the appointment of a
in England. The separate existence retrenchment committee, under Lord
of the presidential armies came to an Inchcape, which recommended con-
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22 THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY
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THE ARMY AND NAVY IN INDIA 93
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24 THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY
Force
change in the angle of vision ofon the
attractive conditions and the
British Government. It cannot be abolition of all invidious distinctions
between the Territorial Force to which
said, however, that the change has been
considerable or has gone very deep Indians were admitted and the Auxil-
iary
or that the feeling of distrust of theForce to which Europeans and
Eurasians were admitted. It would
people has disappeared from the British
mind. take too much space to reproduce all
the resolutions which were passed on
EFFORTS FOR INDIANISATION
this occasion which summed up the
The disabilities under which Indians demand of Indians for the Indianisa-
labour in the army of their own coun-tion of the army on lines which recom-
try and their natural aspiration tomended themselves to the Government
make their country self-contained inof India as then constituted, and to the
the matter of defence have found re- Commander-in-Chief.
peated expression in and outside the
legislatures. When Indians ask for COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
responsible government, they are told A committee was subsequently ap-
that they cannot expect full responsible pointed in 1924 under the presidency
government until they can defend of the Adjutant-General, Sir John Shea,
themselves and when they ask that to consider the problems connected
they should be trained for undertaking with the Indian Territorial Force and
the defence of the country, they are Auxiliary Forces, and another commit-
denied adequate facilities for the tee was appointed under the presidency
purpose. The whole question was of the Chief of the General Staff, Sir
dealt with in a series of resolutions in Andrew Skeen, to consider the feasi-
the Indian Legislative Assembly in bility of establishing a military college
1921, the very first year it came into like Sandhurst in India. Both these
existence, and though the resolutions committees submitted unanimous re-
were passed with the concurrence of the ports. The recommendations of the
Government of India, no serious at- Territorial Forces Committee have
tempt has been made to give effect to been substantially accepted in theory,
any of them. but there is no sign of any intention
One of these resolutions pressed for of giving effect to these resolutions.
the establishment of a military college The most important recommenda-
in India corresponding to Sandhurst, tions made by this committee were that
at which Indians should be trained for the University Training Corps should
all branches of the army. Another be expanded to the fullest possible
resolution recommended that the King limits and that Urban Battalions
Emperor's Indian subjects should be should be created for the purpose of
freely admitted to all arms of the mili- giving military training to educated
tary, naval and air forces in India, the Indians on the same conditions as those
Ancillary Services and the Auxiliary under which it is given in the Auxiliary
Forces, that every encouragement Force to Europeans and Eurasians.
should be given to Indians, including The existing strength of the University
the educated middle classes, subject to Training Corps and the Territorial
prescribed standards of fitness, to Forces is 19,000 odd. The maximum
enter the commissioned ranks of the strength of these two forces for which
army. Another resolution urged the provision is made in the military
organisation of an adequate Territorial budget for 1928-29 is only 20,000 and
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THE ARMY AND NAVY IN INDIA 25
establish a military college in India A few words will suffice for the
for the training of Indian cadets for
description of the situation with regard
the Indian army. to the Indian Navy. It was an oft
Another recommendation made byrepeated demand of the Indian people
the Skeen Committee was that what that they should be eligible for admis-
has been called the Eight Units' sion to the Naval Force. It was
Scheme should be abandoned. For the announced by Lord Reading in
that the Royal Indian Marine w
benefit of American readers, it may be
stated that the Eight Units' Scheme
be converted into a Royal Indian
was condemned by nearly all the wit- Navy and that commissions would be
granted to suitable Indians by compe-
nesses, official and non-official, military
and civil, who appeared before the
tition.
Skeen Committee, and was condemned The necessary measures for the
by the committee itself. This scheme creation of the Royal Indian Navy was
was devised by the military authoritiespassed through parliament a short
for the purpose of posting Indian cadets
time ago, but, when the bill which was
who succeeded in obtaining King's intended to provide for the discipline
commissions to these Specified eightof the navy, was introduced in the
units of Cavalry and Infantry only
Indian Legislative Assembly, it was
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26 THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY
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