Narain, N., “Co-option and control: the
role of the colonial army in
“This
thesis scrutinises the processes whereby the colonial state made sure of a
capable and largely loyal army: the identification of potentially trustworthy
groups, the evolution of pertinent recruiting patterns, and the construction of
a unique and for the times, a highly advanced welfare system.…. However,
throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the conflict between its mutually exclusive
imperial and domestic responsibilities was being widened by the rapidly
changing internal and international situation. By concentrating on specific
aspects of the army's structure and organisation, this thesis analyses the
relationship that developed between the army, the colonial state and the
national movement during these decades, the most conspicuous consequence of
which was the introduction of Indians as officers. It then goes on to examine
how the Indian Army's contribution to the Second World War wrought fundamental
transformations in its ethos and organisation, which, while transforming it
into a more representative and dynamic force, limited its ability to perform as
the Raj's military prop.” From the abstract.