Friday, 16 September 2011

India during World War I


World War I
 began with loyalty and goodwill towards the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from mainstream politicians of India, contrary to initial British fears of a revolt while they were committed militarily to a European war. British India contributed massively to the British war effort by providing men and resources. About 1.3 million Indian soldiers and labourers served in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, while both the Indian administration and the princes sent large supplies of food, money, and ammunition. However, Bengal andPunjab remained sources of anticolonial activities. Revolutionary attacks in Bengal, associated increasingly with disturbances in Punjab, were significant enough to nearly paralyse the regional administration.[6][7] From the beginning of the war, the expatriate Indian population (notably in the United States, Canada, and Germany) attempted to initiate insurrections in India. Managed by the Berlin Committee and the Ghadar Party, Irish republicans, Germans, and Turks helped foment a widespread conspiracy that has since come to be termed theHindu-German conspiracy.[8][9][10] This conspiracy also attempted to rally Afghanistan against British India.[11] A number of failed attempts were made at mutiny, of which the February mutiny plan and the Singapore mutiny are the most notable. This movement was suppressed by means of a massive international counterintelligence operation and strict political acts (including the draconian Defence of India act 1915) that lasted nearly ten years.[12][13]


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