Intoxicants and the Indian colonial army : consumption and control, 1857-1919
Between 1857 and 1919 the military hierarchy of the Indian Army had to learn to carefully control and manage colonial regiments. Indian soldiers elected to serve under the British, they did not do so from patriotism or a desire to subjugate India. Instead they fought for a mixture of incentives and a special relationship with their imperial rulers based on consensus and compromise. One of these compromises involved intoxicants as the wide variety of social groups who joined enjoyed a range of different drugs and alcohols. This project seeks to assess how the European component of Anglo-Indian forces considered, understood and reacted to these habits. It traces attitudes towards intoxicants in relation to key medical, military and political debates from the time of the Indian Mutiny where the European fear of the sepoy army was grounded. Military responses were from then on crucial in deciding policies based on these fears. They played a key role in combatting antinarcotic movements in India and later internationally. Throughout the First World War, the habits of sepoys were of key concern as the habitual user depended upon his source of intoxicants to function. Such examinations challenge the current understanding
Cavin, Christopher
Intoxicants and the Indian colonial army : consumption and control, 1857-1919. Between 1857 and 1919 the military hierarchy of the Indian Army had to learn to carefully control and manage colonial regiments. Indian soldiers elected to serve under the British, they did not do so from patriotism or a desire to subjugate India. Instead they fought for a mixture of incentives and a special relationship with their imperial rulers based on consensus and compromise. One of these compromises involved intoxicants as the wide variety of social groups who joined enjoyed a range of different drugs and alcohols. This project seeks to assess how the European component of Anglo-Indian forces considered, understood and reacted to these habits. It traces attitudes towards intoxicants in relation to key medical, military and political debates from the time of the Indian Mutiny where the European fear of the sepoy army was grounded. Military responses were from then on crucial in deciding policies based on these fears. They played a key role in combatting antinarcotic movements in India and later internationally. Throughout the First World War, the habits of sepoys were of key concern as the habitual user depended upon his source of intoxicants to function. Such examinations challenge the current understanding
indian colonial army consumption control military hierarchy indian_army learn carefully control manage colonial regiment indian soldier elect serve british patriotism desire subjugate india instead fought mixture special_relationship imperial ruler base consensus compromise compromise involve wide_variety social_group join enjoyed range_different drug alcohol project_seek assess european component anglo indian force consider understood react habit trace attitude_towards relation key medical military political debate time indian mutiny european fear army ground military response crucial decide policy base fear play_key_role combat movement india later internationally throughout first_world_war habit sepoys key concern habitual user depend_upon source function examination challenge_current