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Why did the British East India Company army have Indian soldiers?

Why did the British East India Company army have Indian soldiers?

Formed in 1600, the East India Company traded in Asian textiles, spices, porcelain and tea. As it grew, it needed to secure its Indian settlements from European rivals and hostile locals. It purchased land from Indian rulers and recruited troops to protect these ‘Presidencies’.

Why did Indians join East India Company?

The East India Company was initially created in 1600 to serve as a trading body for English merchants, specifically to participate in the East Indian spice trade. It later added such items as cotton, silk, indigo, saltpeter, tea, and opium to its wares and also participated in the slave trade.

How did Britain benefit from India?

India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. As well as spices, jewels and textiles, India had a huge population. Soldiering was an honourable tradition in India and the British capitalised on this. They regimented India’s manpower as the backbone of their military power.

What was the highest position for an Indian in the British army?

Field marshal is the highest rank in the British Army. Throughout the 20th century it was reserved for army and army group commanders in wartime, and retiring Chiefs of the General Staff. Peacetime promotions to the rank of field marshal have now been discontinued.

What was the salary of the Indian soldiers in the British army?

For instance, a General in the UK military would earn close to $23,000 a month as basic salary in purchasing power parity terms while his Indian counterpart would get less than $10,000 every month. In the US, the figure is around $15,000 for a top ranking army official.

Who ruled India before British?

The Mughals ruled over a population in India that was two-thirds Hindu, and the earlier spiritual teachings of the Vedic tradition remained influential in Indian values and philosophy. The early Mughal empire was a tolerant place. Unlike the preceding civilisations, the Mughals controlled a vast area of India.

Why did British invade India?

The British East India Company came to India as traders in spices, a very important commodity in Europe back then as it was used to preserve meat. Apart from that, they primarily traded in silk, cotton, indigo dye, tea and opium. They landed in the Indian subcontinent on August 24, 1608, at the port of Surat.

Was India rich before British rule?

From 1 century CE till the start of British colonisation in India in 17th century, India’s GDP always varied between ~25 – 35% world’s total GDP, which dropped to 2% by Independence of India in 1947. At the same time, the Britain’s share of the world economy rose from 2.9% in 1700 up to 9% in 1870 alone.

Did the British destroy India?

Britain’s devastation of India The British took thriving industries — like textiles, shipbuilding, and steel — and destroyed them through violence, taxes, import tariffs, and imposing their exports and products on the back of the Indian consumer.

What was the highest position an Indian?

The Field Marshal rank is the highest rank in the Indian Army. It is a ceremonial or wartime rank and Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and Field Marshal KM Cariappa have been the only two officers to be elevated to the rank of Field Marshal.

How many British soldiers died in India?

By the end of the war a total of 47,746 Indians had been reported dead or missing; 65,126 were wounded. Also serving in the First World War were so-called “Imperial Service Troops”, provided by the semi-autonomous Princely States.

Which country has the highest paid army?

Conclusion. The highest-paid military in the world is Australia. Flight instructor is the highest paying role in military. The 5-star general makes $200000 which is equine to $294000.

How many soldiers did the East India Company have?

2. The East India Company controlled its own army, which by 1800 comprised some 200,000 soldiers, more than twice the membership of the British Army at that time.

Why was the British East India Company formed?

The British East India Company was a private corporation formed in December 1600 to establish a British presence in the lucrative Indian spice trade, which until then had been monopolized by Spain and Portugal.

How did the Indian Rebellion affect the British Army?

The rebels, many of whom were the Indian troops within the Company’s army (which at this time was over 200,000 men strong, with around 80% of the force made up of Indian recruits) caught their employers off guard and succeeded in killing many British soldiers, civilians and Indians loyal to the Company.

What was the difference between the Indian Army and the British Army?

Whereas the British Army in India referred to the British Army units posted to India for a tour of duty, and which would then be posted to other parts of the Empire or back to the UK. Comparatively, the term ‘ Army of India ‘, meant the combined forces of both the Indian Army and the British Army in India.