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WWII : The following article is about the Indian Army's northern regiments, known as 'Punjabi' regiments. During WWII India was still part of the British Empire, and provided a large part of the troops fighting for Britain. |
Indian Army in WWII
Punjabi Regiments
During WWII Britain's ability to fight on equal terms with the Axis powers was due in large part to the sizable number of troops raised in countries like Canada, South Africa and India. These areas, who were either currently or formerly part of the British Empire, raised their own regiments that fought alongside British troops on every front of the war.
India was the largest contributor among the Empire, and Indian regiments fought with distinction in North Africa, Italy, and South-East Asia. At the time India still consisted of what are now three independent countries, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In fact, the India of WWII was actually 565 states ruled by local leaders that had varying degrees of independence from the British Crown. Over a period of 100 years the Indian Army had evolved to become a very distinct part of the British armed forces, with its own customs and traditions.
Sikh Soldier
In 1941 the Indian army had 18 regular regiments, along with 10 regiments of the legendary Gurkhas from Nepal. Of the 18 Indian regiments 13 were raised from the mountainous northern regions of the Punjab, Kashmir, and Jammu, an area known today for being the focal point of tense conflict between India and Pakistan. Together these areas were considered Punjabi for recruiting purposes. A brigade in the Indian Army would often consist of two battalions from Indian regiments and one battalion from a British regiment, which rotated through long stints of service in Asia.
There were three types of soldiers in the Punjabi Indian regiments: Sikhs, Punjabi Mussulmans, and Dogras. Punjabi Mussulmans were Muslims who came from the northern parts of the provinces, and usually comprised about half of the regiment. Dogras were Hindus who came from the region of Jammu. Both were usually peasants or farmers who chose long terms of service in the military.
Sikhs were a distinctive group of soldiers, with long hair, beards and a special turban. The Sikh religion was a monotheistic one influenced by Hinduism. It was based on rules known as the five 'K's. These were: Kess (hair and beard, never shaved), Kirpan (small sword, always carried), Karra (bracelet), Kangha (comb, worn in the hair), and Kachar (underwear, not usually worn by other Indians).
A Sikh & Hindu Soldier in WWII
The NCOs were promoted from the ranks, and a portion of the officers were Indian as well. The majority of the officers, and all of the high ranking ones, were British. None of the enlisted men or NCOs in the Indian army spoke English, so the British officers were required to learn Urdu, a dialect of Hindustani that mixed in Persian and Arabic words.Urdu Words
Following is a list of some commonly used Urdu words. Since large numbers of British soldiers served alongside Indian units, many Urdu words were adopted or modified and used as slang in the British army.
| Urdu Word | English |
|---|---|
| accha | good |
| asti | slowly |
| badmash | undesirable |
| baksheesh | tip, gift |
| basha | native hut |
| bhisti | water carrier |
| bibi | girl |
| bobaji | cook |
| burra | big |
| char | tea |
| char-wallah | food vendor |
| charbash | well done |
| charboy drill | afternoon siesta |
| chota | small |
| dacoit | robber |
| dekko | look |
| dhobi | laundry |
| jao | go |
| jildi | quickly |
| khud | hillside |
| pani | water |
| puggle-pani | alcoholic drink |
| pukka | genuine |
| sahib | sir |
| shikari | hunter |
| salaams | greetings |
| sepoy | soldier |
| susti | lazy |
| wallah | servant |
| wappas jao | go back |
