Martial Race

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Martial Race or Martial Races Theory is an ideology based on the assumption that certain ethnic groups are inherently more martially inclined than others. It was a term originally used by the British, who observed that the Scottish Highlanders were more fierce in battle than others in Britain, and extended this concept to India, where they classified each ethnic group into one of two categories: 'Martial' and 'Non-Martial'. A 'martial race' was typically considered brave and well-built for fighting but was also described as 'unintelligent'.[1] The 'non-martial races' were those whom the British believed to be unfit for battle because of their sedentary lifestyles. Of late, this concept has been dismissed as Imperialistic and based on racial stereotypes.[2]

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'Martial Race' was a designation created by officials of British India. The British faced fierce resistance in some regions while easily conquering some others. This led the British officials to conclude that the peoples of these regions were naturally warlike 'races' which possessed qualities such as courage, loyalty, self sufficiency, physical strength, resilience, orderliness and fighting tenacity and were hard-working and skilled in military tactics[citation needed]. These 'martial races' tended to be hunting or agricultural cultures from hilly or mountainous regions with a history of conflict, whether internally or with external groups, who were considered better capable of enduring hardship than the inhabitants of the hot, flat plains of the country who were thought to be unwarlike and unfit for military service[citation needed]. Still others were excluded due to their 'ease of living' or branded as seditious agitators.[3] The doctrine of 'martial races' postulated that the qualities that make a useful soldier are inherited and that most Indians, with the exception of the specified groups, did not have the requisite genes that would make them warriors.[4]

The British recruited heavily from the 'martial races' for service in the colonial army.[5] Sensing the inequalities and fierce loyalty to one's tribe or group of the diverse native peoples of the subcontinent, the British found opportunity to use it to their own great advantage. These already wide divides were a fertile breeding ground to inculcate pride in one's identity based on 'race'. This served the British in two ways. On the one hand it made sure that there was no repeat of the Indian rebellion of 1857 by ensuring there was no unity among the different subjects of the Raj. On the other hand it encouraged a sense of competition among the different 'races'. The British found willing Indians to aid and abet them in the suppression of the rebellion to begin with[citation needed]. A British general and scholar, Lieutenant General Sir George Fletcher MacMunn (1869-1952) noted in his writings "It is only necessary for a feeling to arise that it is impious and disgraceful to serve the British, for the whole of our fabric to tumble like a house of cards without a shot being fired or a sword unsheathed".[6] To this end, it became British policy to recruit only from those tribes whom they classified as members of the 'martial races' and the practice became an integral part of the recruitment manuals for the Army in the British Raj. "The Martial Race theory had an elegant symmetry. Indians who were intelligent and educated were defined as cowards, while those defined as brave were uneducated and backward."[7]

The British regarded the 'martial races' as valiant and strong but also intellectually challenged, lacking the initiative or leadership qualities to command large troops.[8] They were also regarded as politically subservient or docile to authority.[9] For these reasons, the 'martial races' theory did not apply in the case of officer recruitment, which was based on social class and loyalty to the British Raj.[10] One source calls this a "pseudo-ethnological" construction, which was popularised by Frederick Sleigh Roberts, and created serious deficiencies in troop levels during the World Wars, compelling them to recruit from 'non-martial races'.[11] In fact, Winston Churchill was reportedly concerned that the theory was abandoned during the war and wrote to the Commander-in-Chief, India that he must, "rely as much as possible on the martial races".[12] After Indian Independence, the Indian Army abandoned this theory and recruitment took place without discrimination.

Critics of this theory state that the Indian rebellion of 1857 may have played a role in reinforcing the British belief in 'martial races'. During this event some Indian troops (known as 'Sepoys'), particularly in Bengal, mutinied, but the 'loyal' Punjabis, Gurkhas,Kumaoni/Kumaunis and Garhwalis did not join the mutiny and fought on the side of the British Army. From then on, this theory was used to the hilt to accelerate recruitment from among these 'races', whilst discouraging enlistment of 'disloyal' Bengalis and high-caste Hindus who had sided with the rebel army during the war.[13] Some authors, such as Heather Streets, argue that the military authorities puffed up the images of the martial soldiers by writing regimental histories, and by extolling the kilted Scots, kukri-wielding Gurkhas and turbaned Sikhs in numerous paintings.[14] The 'Martial Race' theory has also been described as a clever British effort to divide and rule the people of India for their own political ends.[15] The hillmen Kumaonis, Garhwalis, Dogras and Gorkhas were initially a great impediment to the establishment of the British Empire but once they gave their loyalty to the British they helped them greatly in their administration and were thus conferred the status of martial race. Kumaonis had helped the British in their efforts against the Gurkhas in the Nepal War. Kumaonis were observed by the British to be fighting from both sides the British as well as the Gorkha side, their valour was thus given recognition by the British and were included in the British Army. It is interesating to know that the 3rd Gorkha regiment was known as the Keemaon battalion when it was formed and it included Kumaonis as well as the Garhwalis along with the Gorkhas.

Tribes & groups designated by the British as martial classes

"Rajputs" (anonymous, c.1860) From the collection of the British Library
"Rajputs" (anonymous, c.1860)
From the collection of the British Library

British declared 'martial races' in India [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21], listed in alphabetical order:

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The British often labelled the Sikhs 'the greatest of the martial races'.[33] The Sikh Regiment is the Indian Army's most highly decorated regiment, as well as being highly awarded in battle honours by Britain.

The Marathas were classified as 'non-martial', ignoring the military achievements of the Maratha Empire or the Maratha Regiment's contribution against the Turks during the First World War, when they were recruited by the British Indian Army.

In the Poorabiya regiment, the Bihari Rajputs and Bhumihar Brahmins made up the bulk of the soldiers. The Nairs of Kerala were initially included in the list, however after the Nairs of Travancore rebelled against the British under Velu Thampi Dalawa, they were recruited in lower numbers.

Modern usage

Though seldom used in today's context, it has been alleged that Pakistan Military believed in the concept of martial races and they thus felt that they should easily defeat India in a war, especially prior to the Second Kashmir War[34][35][36] Based on this belief in the martial supremacy, it was popularly hyped that one Pakistani soldier was equal to four to ten Hindus/Indian soldiers (including a large number of Sikh soldiers and officers),[37][38][39] and thus numerical superiority of the foe could be overcome.[40]

The Pakistan Army was also accused of bias and racism by the Bengalis of East Pakistan who felt humiliated by this dubious theory that was being floated in West Pakistan, that they were not 'martially inclined' compared to the Pashtuns and Punjabis.[41] Pakistani author Hasan-Askari Rizvi notes that the limited recruitment of Bengali personnel in the Pakistan Army was because, the West Pakistanis, "could not overcome the hangover of the martial race theory".[42] This was to be one of the factors for the Bangladesh Liberation War, where Bengalis aided by the Indian Military defeated the Pakistan Army in just a fortnight, which subsequently lead to the taking of 93000 as Prisoners of War - the largest surrender since World War II.

Defence writers in Pakistan have noted that the defeat was partially attributable to the flawed 'Martial Races Theory' which merely led to, 'wishful thinking' that it was possible to defeat the Indian Army.[43] Author Stephen P. Cohen notes that "Elevating the 'martial races' theory to the level of an absolute truth had domestic implications for Pakistani politics and contributed to the neglect of other aspects of security."[40] Since then, the 'martial race' theory has rarely, if ever, been used by Pakistan.

Arun Shourie an Indian writer, journalist and politician (former Minister of Communications and Information Technology) refers to the Sikhs as, "having retained a false pride in martial temperament and abilities".[44] The tenth Sikh Guru Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed that one Sikh was equal to sava lakh (one hundred twenty five thousand) and a fauj-a one man army.[45] The Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was reported to have said 'One Sikh could easily reckon with thirty-five Hindus.'[46]

Treatment in fiction

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Please see the discussion on the talk page. (May 2008)
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Sir V.S.Naipaul in his novel Magic Seeds portrays an example of a 'martial race': the docile and oppressed Tamils rise against the oppressor. [47]

See also


References

  1. ^ Rand, Gavin (March 2006). "Martial Races and Imperial Subjects: Violence and Governance in Colonial India 1857–1914". European Review of History 13 (1): 1–20. Routledge. doi:10.1080/13507480600586726. 
  2. ^ Martial Races: The military, race and masculinity in British Imperial Culture, 1857-1914 By Heather Streets.
  3. ^ Ethnic Group Recruitment in the Indian Army by Dr. Omar Khalidi.
  4. ^ Sahib and Sepoy: An Inquiry into the Relationship between the British Officers and Native Soldiers of the British Indian Army Jeffrey Greenhut Military Affairs, Vol. 48, No. 1 (Jan., 1984), Pg 15.
  5. ^ Glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and NWFP, H A Rose.
  6. ^ The Armies of India. 1911. London: Adams and Charles Black.
  7. ^ Dr. Jeffery Greenhut "The Imperial Reserve:The Indian Corps on the Western Front, 1914-15. "The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, October 1983.
  8. ^ Prostitution, Race and Politics: Policing Venereal Disease in the British Empire By Philippa Levine, Pg 284.
  9. ^ Ethnic Group Recruitment in the Indian Army: The Contrasting Cases of Sikhs, Muslims, Gurkhas and Others by Omar Khalidi.
  10. ^ Ethnic group recruitment in the Indian army: The contrasting cases of Sikhs, Muslims, Gurkhas and others by Omar Khalidi.
  11. ^ Country Data - Based on the Country Studies Series by Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress.
  12. ^ The Magic of Indian Cricket: Cricket and Society in India By Mihir Bose After, Pg 25.
  13. ^ Country Studies: Pakistan - Library of Congress.
  14. ^ Book review of Martial Races: The military, race and masculinity in British Imperial Culture, 1857-1914 By Heather Streets in The Telegraph.
  15. ^ Insurgents, Terrorists, and Militias: The Warriors of Contemporary Combat by Richard H. Shultz, Andrea Dew (Pg 47).
  16. ^ Each of the following groups are mentioned in the Annual Class Return, 1925, pp 96-99.
  17. ^ See Refs also: Restricted Peasants and the Restraint of Imperial Power, Indian Army and the Making of Punjab, 2003, R. K. Majumdar.
  18. ^ See: Punjab Alienation Land Act XIII of 1900 (Lahore Amrit Electric Press, 1924), Appendix A, Notified Tribes, pp 146-149, Nihal Chand Anand.
  19. ^ A Handbook of fighting Races of India, 1889, p 81/82, 179/181, P. D. Bonarjee.
  20. ^ See also: The Martial Races of India, George Fletcher (Sir), MacMunn, 1933.
  21. ^ Cf also: Wealth and Welfare, p 214, Calvert.
  22. ^ The The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions By Syed Siraj ul Hassan
  23. ^ The Tribes and Castes of Bombay By Reginald Edward Enthoven
  24. ^ Ethnic Group Recruitment in the Indian Army by Dr. Omar Khalidi.
  25. ^ Ethnic Group Recruitment in the Indian Army by Dr. Omar Khalid.
  26. ^ American Asiatic Association (1942). Asia: Asian Quarterly of Culture and Synthesis. Asia Magazine, 22. 
  27. ^ Paul Hartmann, B. R. Patil, Anita Dighe (1989). The Mass Media and Village Life: An Indian Study. Sage Publications, 224. 
  28. ^ Kumara Padmanabha Sivasankara Menon (1965). Many Worlds: An Autobiography. Oxford University Press, 2. 
  29. ^ Hugh Gantzer (April 1975-March 1976). Imprint. Business Press, 80. 
  30. ^ The Indian Army and the Making of Punjab, By Rajit K. Mazumder, pp 99, 205
  31. ^ Annual Class Return, 1919, pp 364-7
  32. ^ Annual Class Return,1925, pp 96-9
  33. ^ The Mughals: The Sikhs.
  34. ^ Insurgents, Terrorists, and Militias: The Warriors of Contemporary Combat Richard H. Shultz, Andrea Dew: "The Martial Races Theory had firm adherents in Pakistan and this factor played a major role in the under-estimation of the Indian Army by Pakistani soldiers as well as civilian decision makers in 1965."
  35. ^ An Analysis The Sepoy Rebellion of 1857-59 by AH Amin The army officers of that period were convinced that they were a 'martial race' and the Hindus of Indian Army were cowards. Some say this was disproved in 1965 when despite having more sophisticated equipment, numerical preponderance in tanks and the element of surprise the Pakistan Armoured Division miserably failed at Khem Karan.
  36. ^ United States Library of Congress Country Studies Most Pakistanis, schooled in the belief of their own martial prowess, refused to accept the possibility of their country's military defeat by "Hindu India".
  37. ^ Indo-Pakistan War of 1965.
  38. ^ End-game? By Ardeshir Cowasjee - 18 July 1999, Dawn (newspaper).
  39. ^ India by Stanley Wolpert. Published: University of California Press, 1990. "India's army... quickly dispelled the popular Pakistani myth that one Muslim soldier was 'worth ten Hindus.'"
  40. ^ a b The Idea of Pakistan By Stephen P. Cohen Published by Brookings Institution Press, 2004 ISBN 0815715021 pp 103-104.
  41. ^ Library of Congress studies.
  42. ^ Military, State and Society in Pakistan by Hasan-Askari Rizvi, Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 0-312-23193-8 (Pg 128).
  43. ^ Pakistan's Defense Journal.
  44. ^ Arun Shourie, Lessons from the Punjab, in The Punjab Story, edited by Amarjit Kaur et al., Roli Books International, 1984, pages 178-179.
  45. ^ Ranbir S. Sandhu, Sant Janail Singh Bhindranwale - Life, Mission, and Martyrdom, Sikh Education and Religious Foundation, Dublin, Ohio, 1997, page 10.
  46. ^ Kuldip Nayar and Khushwant Singh, Tragedy of Punjab, Vision Books, New Delhi, 1984, page 27.
  47. ^ Magic Seeds by V.S. Naipaul - Books - Random House

External links

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