Why did the armies of the British East India Company – mostly comprising of Indian soldiers – win consistently against the more numerous and better equipped armies of the then Indian rulers ? Give reasons. (UPSC CSE Mains 2022 - General Studies Paper 1)
Indians were recruited for the British East India Company''s army because they were familiar with the conditions in India. Indians were prepared to take lower wages. As a result, the East India Company''s overall expenditures were cheaper than those of contracted British army men. Because of the immense distance that separated Britain from India, the British people were not willing to move India. The English had enforced every available means of war and administrative procedures in order to consolidate their own authority over India.
Superior military and armaments strategy:
- The British had cannon and assault rifles that were more advanced in terms of their range and shooting speed than Indian weapons.
- Many Indian rulers brought European weapons, but they were unable to develop war strategy like British authorities.
Armed regulation, dedication, and consistent remuneration:
- The British were very careful about a regular income and a rigid code of conduct that guaranteed the loyalty of the commanders and soldiers.
- The rulers of India lacked the resources necessary to make regular salary payments.
- Some of the kings were dependent on their own personal guards of unruly and disloyal mercenaries.
Effective leadership:
- Robert Clive, Warren Hastings, Elphinstone, Munro, and others demonstrated exceptional leadership traits.
- The British also profited from second-line commanders like Sir Eyre Coote, Lord Lake, Arthur Wellesley, and others who stand up for their nation''s interests and honor.
- While the Indian side had excellent commanders like Haider Ali, Tipu Sultan, Madhu Rao, Sindhia, and Jaswant Rao Holkar, they needed a second line of leadership.
A solid financial foundation:
- A great deal of wealth was contributed to England by British trade, which led to government assistance in the form of money, materials, and other resources.
Absence of national pride and unification:
- Indian rulers lacked a cohesive political nationalism, which the British skillfully exploited to incite civil war among them.
The East India Company had a private army. The corporation utilized its armed power to impose terrible taxes, carry out officially approved plundering, subjugate Indian governments and principalities with which it had previously entered into commercial deals, and defend its economic exploitation of both skilled and unskilled Indian workers.
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