Tony Norfield — Indian Boots On The Ground

British policy was to depend upon alliances alongside others, rather than to keep a large standing regular army itself. So it was of import to hold upwards able to describe upon a forcefulness of colonial troops when needed, including for the policing of the British Raj.

Important though they were for British power, Indian troops unremarkably faced racial discrimination, were looked downward upon yesteryear white officers in addition to were oft used equally cannon fodder, spell too beingness given worse bird arms in addition to equipment than regular British troops. Attractive equally a inexpensive armed forces resources for the Brits, these men could withal meet enlistment inward the regular army equally a reasonable option. There was regular pay in addition to regular food, something non ever available inward the Indian economic scheme dominated yesteryear British Empire interests….

Still going on inward a modified form. Now they are generally proxies in addition to mercenaries rather than subjects.

Of course, the same goes for the "cannon fodder" recruited from domestic resources on the same basis, given the alternatives at the depression terminate of the socio-economic scale.

Economics of Imperialism

Indian Boots on the Ground

Tony Norfield