An account of the Punjabi soldiers who became the cannon fodder of the colonising power in World War I, and the mournful songs and literature this episode in history generated in its wake.
United India recruited 1,440,437 men, including 877,068 combatants and 563,369 non-combatants. By the end of the war, Punjab had provided some 360,000 combat recruits (almost half of all Indian combat force) and 97,288 non-combatants, including 136000 Muslims, 88,925 Sikhs and 23,000 Dogras (Hindus). In districts such as Jhelum and Rwalpindi, 40% of all males of military age enlisted. More than Thirty Five Thousand Punjabis lost their lives in WW1.
Visit my Author Page at The News on Sunday to read "From the War Front" and my articles about the Punjab and Punjabi Themes and Literature.
http://tns.thenews.com.pk/writers/mahmood-awan/
United India recruited 1,440,437 men, including 877,068 combatants and 563,369 non-combatants. By the end of the war, Punjab had provided some 360,000 combat recruits (almost half of all Indian combat force) and 97,288 non-combatants, including 136000 Muslims, 88,925 Sikhs and 23,000 Dogras (Hindus). In districts such as Jhelum and Rwalpindi, 40% of all males of military age enlisted. More than Thirty Five Thousand Punjabis lost their lives in WW1.
Visit my Author Page at The News on Sunday to read "From the War Front" and my articles about the Punjab and Punjabi Themes and Literature.
http://tns.thenews.com.pk/writers/mahmood-awan/
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