At the start of the 20th century, the Indian Army was largely an instrument for internal security and maintaining control on the North West Frontier.

During the First and Second World Wars, its duties increased on a global scale, requiring rapid expansion. This, in turn, created an increased need for Indian Army officers.

In this talk, Dr Alan Jeffreys will chart the rapid rise in officer numbers. He will examine the role of schools and colleges in the training and recruitment of officers, while also looking at the controversial process of Indianisation. Finally, he will assess the lasting impact this process had on the Indian Army.

Dr Alan Jeffreys is the Head of Equipment and Uniform at the National Army Museum. His edited volume ‘The Indian Army in the First World War’ was published in paperback in October 2022. He is also a visiting research fellow at the University of Greenwich and has written and edited seven books and over 20 articles and book chapters, nearly all of which have been about the Indian Army.

Officership in the Indian Army during both World Wars