The barely acknowledged contributions of South Asian Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus to the allied victory in World War 1

By Fareed Khan

 
The controversy preceding Canada's Remembrance Day observance in 2019 shifted the focus away from the sacrifice of veterans onto the ramblings of a man whose bigotry was evident when he said in a November 9th Hockey Night in Canada segment “You people that come here . . . whatever it is, you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you could pay a couple of bucks for a poppy.”  The implication of Don Cherry’s statement was taken to mean that immigrants don’t honour the sacrifice of veterans sufficiently the way white Canadians do.  

 

The reaction and condemnation of the statement on social media was swift, and two days after making the remarks Cherry was fired from his job on Hockey Night In Canada – a job he had held since 1986.  The one positive that came out of this controversy was the discussion around the role that people from around the world (not just Canadians, American and Europeans) played in defending freedom and democracy in both World Wars.

One of the biggest contributions to the war effort in World War 1 came from British colonial troops, particularly Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs from what is present day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.  These soldiers played a vital role in the victory in that war, and the preservation of the British Empire.  Sadly, their service and sacrifice on the battlefields of the War is all but forgotten at annual Remembrance Day services in Europe and Canada.

 

The role played by troops from Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and the sacrifices they made are well documented in the history books.  More than 1.2 million soldiers fought in the Great War on the side of the Allies.  What Canadians don't know is that South Asia's contribution to World War 1 provided more soldiers than all of the above four British Empire nations combined, and it deserves to be acknowledged during coverage about Remembrance Day.

More than 1.5 million men from Britain's Indian colonies fought alongside the British and their fellow colonial soldiers from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean in all of the major theatres of war.  They earned awards for valour and gallantry in battles that are etched into Canada's military history – Vimy Ridge, Paschendale, Ypres, Somme and Flanders.

On August 4, 1914 – the outbreak of World War 1 – the British army was ill prepared to take on the German army, which advanced quickly and tore through the north west of continental Europe inflicting heavy casualties on British forces.  The British Expeditionary Force was in full retreat under Germany's military onslaught, and if left unchecked the German attack could flank the British taking them to the coast of the English Channel, allowing them to secure the strategic coastal ports of Nieuport, Calais and Dunkirk before the British.

As casualties mounted and unable to replenish their forces with fresh troops from Britain in a speedy manner, a call was sent to colonies across the Empire.  The first to answer and send troops to Europe was the British Indian Army.  Their arrival in the early days of the war prevented German forces from advancing further, and saved the French ports on the English Channel from falling into German hands.  Had that occurred it would very likely have altered the entire course of World War 1.

Unlike its counterparts from Britain, Canada and Australia, the British Indian Army was multi ethnic and multi religious force, being comprised of roughly 700,000 Muslims, 150,000 Sikhs, and 650,000 of Hindus and other South Asian religious groups, hailing  from present day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The first British Indian Army regiment to land in France and enter the trenches was the Punjabi and Pathan, Duke of Connaughts 129th Baluch Regiment, which was comprised entirely of Muslims.  The regiment continues to exist today as the 11th Battalion of the Baloch Regiment of the Pakistan Army.

The 129th were on the front lines of British Indian troops fighting on the Western Front in Europe.  The regiment became renowned for its courage, heroism, fearlessness and sacrifice.  When their tour ended after 12 months in the trenches of Europe only 9 officers and 20 soldiers remained from the original contingent of 790.  The casualties suffered by this one regiment is but one example of the sacrifices made on the European front lines by colonial troops, and is a testament to their contributions made in defence of their colonial masters.

One of the survivors from this regiment was Khudadad Khan, a 26 year old Punjabi Muslim, who received British Empire’s highest decoration for bravery, the Victoria Cross, which was placed on his chest by King George V.  He became the first British Indian soldier and first Muslim to receive this singular honour and he would not be the last.

 

World War 1 is filled with many little known stories of bravery, heroism and sacrifice by Canadian, British and Australian troops, as well as hundreds of thousands of troops from colonies across the British Empire, many of whom were Muslim, Sikh and Hindu.  The contributions of these brave men and women should be remembered and honoured with as much reverence as are those of the mainly white Christian troops from Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

Canadians need to remember this important part of world history, the sacrifices of more than 1.5 million troops from the British Indian Empire with roots in current day Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, with the same respect and admiration that we remember Canadian and British troops.  More than 113,000 British Indian Army personnel were reported dead, wounded or missing by the end of the war.  They fought and died along with other Canadian, British and colonial soldiers in all theatres of World War 1.

It is long past time to create awareness and educate Canadians about the magnitude of the sacrifices made by South Asian soldiers, and the vital role they played in achieving victory in that horrible conflict.  During a critical time of the War, when they were needed the most, South Asian soldiers manned one third of the Western Front.  They stood toe to toe with the German army, fighting and dying side by side with Canadian and British troops in key battles of the War.

The two World Wars impacted every family in Canada and millions of families in colonies across the former British Empire. We should now take time to acknowledge the ancestors of those Muslim, Sikh and Hindu soldiers from South Asia, who did their duty as part of the Allied forces and made a major contribution to winning World War 1.  The ancestors of many of the South Asian soldiers from Pakistan and India currently live in Canada and it is important that Canada remembers and honours their sacrifices.

Acknowledging a shared history of families from opposite sides of the globe allows us to envision a shared future here in Canada, where people from different faiths and ethnicities more than a century ago showed that they could come together into a unified force to fight for a common goal.  Don Cherry (and Canadians in general) would be well advised to become educated about the history shared by people who come from other parts of the world, who do not fit into the predominantly white narrative around the two World Wars.  Because that is the only way to remember the sacrifices made on this most solemn of days, and it is the only way to honour those who shed blood in defence of a colonial empire that did not see them as equals.

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