Far From the Western Front South Asian Stories of the First World War FFWF Over 1.5 million South Asian men served in the Indian Army during the First World War.

They were a volunteer army who came from present-day Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Nepal, As soon as the war began in 1914, South Asian men headed for France. Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In 1914, Bangladesh, Burma, India and Pakistan were all called India. By 1918, South Asian soldiers had fought not only in famous battles in France and Belgium but also If the British and Indian armies were represented by 100 people: in East Africa, the Middle East, Egypt, and Gallipoli.

41 would be British volunteers 4 would be Australian Their experiences depended not just on where they were sent, but also the lives they led before 27 would be British conscripts 1 would be from New Zealand the war. 18 would be South Asian 4 would be from South Africa, Newfoundland, 5 would be Canadian the West Indies and other Dominions combined This exhibition invites you to see the war through their eyes.

41 British volunteers 27 British conscripts 18 South Asian 5 Canadian 4 Australian 1 New Zealand 4 Dominions Before you start: You will meet:

The Maharaja of Bikaner , as he charges Ghulam Mohammad Khan , as he sweats towards the enemy at the head of a and gasps his way across Africa What do you think of when you think of a South corps of camels. Asian soldier? Sisir Sarbadhikari , piecing his diary Mohammad Aslam , shielding his eyes together after two and half years of from scavenger birds in the Middle East. hiding the pages in his boots. Through this exhibition, we want to challenge your expectations. Men and women from across the Indian subcontinent – from northern Pakistan to Satoori Devi , still proudly wearing her Kishan Devi , challenging the norm by southern India – changed the course of the First World War. Some were husband’s Victoria Cross - 66 years after learning to read her father’s letters. soldiers; some were not. Some were rich; some were poor. Some greeted he died. the war with enthusiasm; some wanted nothing to do with it. Panchbir Mal on a day trip to London to A South Indian sergeant from Tamil To show you this diversity and challenge your expectations, this receive his Indian Order of Merit from Nadu, signing up for the promise of exhibition follows the real stories of 8 South Asian men and women and the King. money, land and a different future. their experiences in the First World War. Why have these stories not been told We are a group of over 70 volunteers: we are not academics and we all have different reasons for wanting to tell this history. Some of us have before and why are we telling them now? family connections; some of us are interested in military history; some of us want to challenge preconceptions and prejudice. What unites us is our shock when we discovered how little information exists about South Asians in the First World War .

Why is there so little information? Is a picture worth a thousand words?

– Most South Asians did not keep personal accounts of their experiences during the First World War, This photograph was taken by a British photographer at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, which was as many could not read or write. turned into a hospital for South Asian soldiers during the First World War. The photo was used on a postcard which could be sent home to soldiers’ families. It shows the beautiful surroundings of the – Where letters and diaries were kept, many have not survived the intervening century due to hospital, the clean white sheets and the white doctor who is providing care for the soldiers. conflict, lack of interest, and intentional destruction. But look a little closer. In the mirror, you can see two white military minders who have been caught – Letters were censored; photographs were staged – as a result, the evidence that we have doesn’t unawares by the photographer. give the full picture. It’s now clear that this photo is not an image of everyday life – it’s a staged representation which the British Army want us to see.

For 100 years, we have commemorated the sacrifices of British soldiers. But we have not valued the A photograph doesn’t tell the preservation of the official records and personal stories or paid tribute to the South Asians who whole story – things happen shaped the First World War. behind the camera and off to the sides, before and after the shot is This makes this exhibition different from other exhibitions you’ve been to. taken.

Because of the lack of information available, sometimes we’ve had to use our imaginations. As you With thanks to Kevin Bacon at go around the exhibition, you’ll see that we’ve told you when we’ve done this and asked you to do Brighton Museums for making us the same. aware of this detail!

Below: Sanju and some mini volunteers make medals Below: Questions gathered from guests at the project launch Below: Krishnendu examines original sources of information from Below: Reciting a poem in Urdu and English, written in response to the project and the Below: A group of volunteers sketch out their approach for South Asian soldiers at our craft day. set the direction of research for volunteers. the National Army Museum collections. South Asian contribution to the First World War. to researching South Asian soldiers. Far From the Western Front South Asian stories of the First World War FFWF

Acknowledgements

Volunteers Partners Supporters

Many volunteers Far From the Western Front, the The images and much of the information contributed to this project and the exhibition, has you see in this exhibition came from project, as researchers, been supported and made archives and museums from across the publicists, events possible by the Heritage Lottery UK and beyond. We are very grateful to support, digital Fund. It is a collaboration between all the institutions and individuals which storytellers, exhibition a number of community and allowed us to use images and objects panel writers, and cultural organisations in North from their own collections, advised us through offering general London and we are grateful to all during the project, and provided support and enthusiasm. the individuals who particularly financial and in-kind support to make shaped the project. There were the project happen. also so many others that we are not able to name them all.

Alex Newton Brighton Museums Alison Lam British Library Amerdeep Singh Panesar Great War Photos Ann Richardson Imperial War Museum Annabel Pearcey National Archives of Singapore Arshad Khan National Army Museum Aruna Kabra The National Archives Baidya Banerjee National Portrait Gallery Cecily Proctor Royal Geographical Society Clara Remigni Emily O'Connor Evelin Gerasimova Adil Chhina USI-CAFHR Farhana Ghaffar Alasdair MacLeod Royal Geographical Society Farhath Choudhury Alice Wroe Herstory F I Noor Anne Samson Great War in Africa Association Hasina Ahmed Avaes Mohammad British Future Hatty James Avtar Singh Ingrid Goldstein Bernadette Russell DigiTales Iqbal Butt Chris Kempshall University of Sussex Katie Mulcahy Christine James Royal Geographical Society Lia Brazil Christopher Mills Luke Hendrix Cliff Parrett Indian Military Historical Society Maryam Shams Deborah Hedgcock Bruce Castle Museum Medha Sinha Eli Dawson Gurkha Museum Melanie Crew Harbakhsh Grewal UKPHA Merhawi Hesabu Iqbal Husain The National Archives Musrat Choudhury Jasdeep Singh National Army Museum Neera Puttapipat Jayesh Amin Niccolo Aliano John O'Brien British Library Nicholas Valdez Kevin Bacon Brighton Museums Parvinder Kaur Lucy May Maxwell Imperial War Museum Pradeep Kumar Mike Noble Centre for Hidden Histories Raheem Stephens Natasha Awais-Dean King's College London Ravi Mistry Nigel Kellaway Raza Ghulam Parmjit Singh UKPHA Reena Gurung Paul Reed Great War Photos Reena Maisuria Penny Brook British Library Sabeena Akhtar Philip Kiberd Sachana Rai Polly Rodgers DigiTales Sadia Nujhat Sam Carroll Gateways to the First World War Salahudin Malak Santanu Das King's College London Samantha Kemmy Sara Griffiths The National Archives Saniya Hidayat Jabeen Shrabani Basu Sanju Gurung Suzanne Bardgett Imperial War Museum Sanjukta Ghosh Tricia Jenkins DigiTales Sara Perlangeli Vicky Iglikowski The National Archives Sarita Gharti Avaes Mohammad British Future Satish Kabra Sebastien Flais Sian Dennis Simon Barlow Sophie Larroque Sunil Bhaduri Tiur Passmore Udesh Dewan Yan Ruan Younes Berrazouane Yves Perillard

Exhibition design: Sally Stiff Exhibition Design (+44 (0)7771 825 586) incorporating graphics by Keeble+Hall (+44 (0)7850 183 677). Exhibition contractor: Oasis Graphic Co (+44 (0)1628 532 003)