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The centenary commemorations of the Great War saw a renewed
interest in the conflict which shaped the course of modem world
history. This was reflected in the number of publications that examined
the war and its consequences from a variety of perspectives. Many of
these took the reader away from the metropole to hitherto unexplored
areas on the periphery. In the context of Britain and its empire this
translated into a closer look at the largely unacknowledged contribution
of India and its armies to the prosecution of the war effort in various
battlefields around the world.
In 1914 the Army in India had three major components: the regular
British army in India, the Indian army, and the armies of the semiautonomous
Indian Princely States known at the time as the Imperial
Service Troops. Professor Peter Stanley has recently examined the role
of the ‘Terriers’ that replaced the British regulars in India during the
war and there have been a number of books on the Indian army in the
conflict, but none that have traced the contribution of the Imperial
Service Troops in any great detail. The only publications on the subject,
other than the rather sketchy war histories produced by the states of
Bikaner, Gwalior and Patiala, were two official publications produced
in 1919 and 1930 - History o f the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry
Brigade during the Great War, 1914-1918' (London: HMSO, 1919);
and Maj Gen Sir Harry Watson, 'A Short History o f the Services
Rendered by the Imperial Service Troops during the Great War, 1914-
1918' (Calcutta: Govt of India Central Publication Branch, 1930).
This gap in the historiography of the Great War has been filled by Tony
McClenaghan’s latest book For The Honour o f My House, which forms
a part of Helion’s series on ‘War and Military Culture in South Asia,
1757-1947’. Well known for his long-standing association with the
Indian Military Historical Society, Tony is also the acknowledged
authority on matters relating to the military history of the Indian
Princely States, a passion he shared with the late Richard Head, to
whom the book is dedicated. Tony and Richard had previously coauthored
the two-volume Maharaja’s Paltans: A History of the Indian
State Forces, 1888-1948 (New Delhi, Manohar Publishers, 2013). He
also produced Indian Princely Medals: A Record o f the Orders,
Decorations, and Medals o f the Indian Princely States (New Delhi,
Lancer Publishers, 1996). The title of the current book is derived from a
letter sent by the Maharaja of Patiala to his regiment of lancers serving
in Egypt Written after their poor performance during the battle of Mahadat on 29
April 1915, he exhorts them to uphold ‘the honour of my house’ on the
field of battle. Drawing on extensive archival research in repositories
in Australia, India and the UK, the book presents readers with a deep
insight into the myriad ways that the Indian princes and their armies
served not just Britain and her empire but also attempted to further the
cause of India’s military and political interests.
The book starts with a historical perspective which provides a brief
background to the development of the Imperial Service (l.S.) Troops
scheme in 1889 and its attendant travails and triumphs up until the start
of the First World War. The next chapter is devoted to the role of the
ruling princes and their individual contributions - military, financial
and political - to the war effort. This is followed by a look at the
manner in which the officers and men of the various l.S. Troops
followed the lead of their rulers. This chapter examines the various
factors affecting recruitment, discipline and morale among them. It is
worth pointing out that the Indian princes were not always the
handmaidens of imperial policy but also held forth on important issues
that were vital to Indian interests. Chief among these was the
anomalous position regarding the appointment of Indians as officers in
the army and their support for greater political autonomy for India as a
reward for its services in the war. The colonial reluctance to trust
Indians troops with sophisticated weapons such as machine guns and
heavy artillery at the end of the war, was also perceived as an insult by
some of the rulers.
The global nature of the contribution of the state units is reflected in the
next six chapters. These describe in detail the deployment of the l.S.
Troops in France and Flanders, East Africa, Gallipoli, Egypt &
Palestine, Mesopotamia and other minor theatres such as Macedonia,
the North West Frontier and the Third Afghan War. These are followed
by an excellent chapter on Honours, Rewards and Commemoration,
and an equally illuminating concluding ‘Aftermath’ which highlights
the role of Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner and other princes, in the
diplomatic and political arena, among other things. Ganga Singh was a
signatory of the Versailles Peace Treaty on behalf of India.
The book contains five useful appendices. These include a unit-wise list
of the battle honours awarded, deployments at a glance and an annual
listing of unit-wise caste returns. Two appendices containing the Roll
of Honour and Honours & Awards have not been included in the book
but are available for reference as a PDF on the Helion website. The seven maps in the book have been exceedingly well produced and
greatly assist the reader in following the operational narratives. The
book is highly recommended both to the professional historian as well
as the lay reader with an interest in the old Indian Army and the Great
War.
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