International Research Journal of Management Sociology & Humanities
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International Research Journal of Management Sociology & Humanities ISSN 2277 – 9809 (online) ISSN 2348 - 9359 (Print) An Internationally Indexed Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journal Shri Param Hans Education & Research Foundation Trust www.IRJMSH.com www.SPHERT.org Published by iSaRa Solutions IRJMSH Vol 9 Issue 3 [Year 2018] ISSN 2277 – 9809 (0nline) 2348–9359 (Print) Punjab under British Rule: Mapping the Multilateral Transformations in Firozpur Cantonment Bhupinder Singh* * Ph. D Research Scholar, Centre for South and Central Asian Studies, School of Global Relations, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (India). Email-scabhupinder@gmail.com Abstract Ever since its accession in 1849, Punjab had been received explicit attention in the colonial policies on account of its strategic and political importance to the British Empire. The colonial rule had brought a slew of transformations in the diverse fields such as education, agriculture, transport and communication and social institutions. The building of military infrastructure in Punjab was one of them, which got the primary position in the military calculus of British empire. It had played very crucial role in the maintaining, sustaining and escalating the colonial rule at various places. After the 1857 revolt, Punjab had acquired a significant place in the British geostrategic calculus and became a gargantuan recruitment ground for the British Indian Army. Thus, geostrategic importance and impending attack from the Russian Empire, so called the Great Game obligated the British Empire to focus on the military infrastructure with allied institutions in the region. Thus, Punjab had not only been as a major center of recruitment of British Indian Army; rather it became the network hub of several military cantonments and Firozpur is one of them. Firozpur had a pivotal role not only in strengthening the empire; rather it played a foundational role in turning Firozpur into a modern city, transforming its social- economic perspective. The aim of the present work is to investigate the multiple, and complex transformations took place in Firozpur city due to its cantonmentization, particularly during the colonial rule. Keywords: Colonialism, Punjab Annexation, Firozpur Cantonment, Transport, Trade and communication Transformations. Introduction Military and empire building had remained inexplicable interwoven throughout the recorded history. At the beginning of the colonial period, military troops had predominantly recruited International Research Journal of Management Sociology & Humanities ( IRJMSH ) Page 37 www.irjmsh.com IRJMSH Vol 9 Issue 3 [Year 2018] ISSN 2277 – 9809 (0nline) 2348–9359 (Print) from the home country, but with the expansion of empire, local recruitment had started.1 By the mid of eighteen century, these troops had been directly recruited by the East India Company. During the Indian Revolt of 1857, a considerable number of sepoys had rebelled against the company, which led to the end of company rule in India (The Government of India Act 1858). With the end of the company rule, structural changes in the British India Army took place in India, i.e., end of the ‘Bengalisation’ and launched the ‘Punjabization’ of the British Indian Army. The Punjabis, Rajput’s, Jats, Baluchis and other "Martial Races" were making up the bulk of the British Indian Army.2 These martial races had played very significant role in World Wars as well as local battles to expand the British Colonial Empire. The British rule in Indian sub-continent was also important as it brought new systems of military mobilization, modernization, and well established military installations. In another major study, renowned military historian, Rahmani (2011) had found that the military training institutions had developed. The forces were reorganized under the British troops and provided with modern arms and ammunitions. It had a definite advantage for the Raj as it was not only sustained and maintained the British Indian Empire, but the British Indian Army had also used to fight the First and Second World Wars. The British policy for mobilizing and stationing military throughout the Indian sub- continent was not the same. But it had shown a significant amount of regional variation, depending on the peculiar strategic demands and perceived fighting spirits available in certain regions and people. It had resulted in region specific military histories in Indian sub-continent. For the given of military infrastructure and massive recruitments benefited such regions, due to the spillover effect of militarization.3 Against this background, Punjab had got a special space in the British geostrategic calculus. Great military historian of Pakistan, Mahmood (2016) had admitted that Punjab a typical case is in point, had been transformed into a garrison state coincided with a process called 'De-Bengalisation' and 'Punjabization' of British Indian Army.4 Further another expert of Punjab’s military history, Barkwi (2006) hasargued that it further had played a very crucial role in maintaining and expanding the British Empire especially during the World Wars at various ‘Theatres of the War’ but also brought allied transformations like urbanization, irrigation, 1Leigh M. S, The Punjab and the War (New Delhi: Sage Publication, 1922). 2 Chandra B, History of Modern India (New Delhi: Orient Blacks Wan Private Limited, 2009). 3 Roy K, The Indian Army in the Two World Wars (Leiden: Brill, 2011). 4Tahir Mahmood (2016) Collaboration and British Military Recruitment: Fresh perspectives from colonial Punjab, 1914-1918 Modern Asian Studies Vol. 50 (No. 5), pp. 1474-1500. International Research Journal of Management Sociology & Humanities ( IRJMSH ) Page 38 www.irjmsh.com IRJMSH Vol 9 Issue 3 [Year 2018] ISSN 2277 – 9809 (0nline) 2348–9359 (Print) technological advancement, modern education and modern means of communication in Punjab.5 Against this background, this paper will attempt to give answers to the question like how waterfalls of cantonment took place in Punjab in general and Firozpur in particular and lastly what socio-economic transformations brought out by the expanding recruitment of military and infrastructure in the perspective of particular region? Talbot (2007: 2-4), demonstrated that due to its strategic location and the perception of an impending attack from the Russian Empire under the dynamics of the ‘Great Game,' Punjab had been given an important place in the British defense strategy.6Omissi (1988: 65-66) has also admitted the above viewpoint and argued that the modernisation and a new wave of development were the strategies adopted by the British to make the people of Punjabi people more loyal towards the British rule.7 Talbot (2007) and Mahmood (2016) had admitted that for the given of the threats from the Russian Empire through the Central Asia, the British had given a pivotal role to Punjab in their strategic and tactical strategies. Punjab’s loyalty during the 1857 revolt, had earned the more attention of the British Indian Empire. The British found out that Punjab had been very open in providing irregular military support to the British whenever it is required.8To prevent the invader from entering into India through the West, the British expanded its military infrastructure in Punjab. The military cantonments that mushroomed in Punjab from the 1830s onwards were the corollary of the perceived threats emanating from the Western frontier. A series of cantonments had established in Punjab such as Firozpur, Lahore, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Peshawar, Ambala, Kanpur, Bathinda, Rawalpindi, etc.9 Punjab had become an asset for the British Empire, given of its people'sloyalty, bravery, warlike qualities. Hence, it became animportant outpost for strategic infrastructure, installations, etc. Grewal (2009) accepted that these cantonments10 built by the empire had proved an asset in 5Barkawi T, (2006). Culture and Combat in the Colonies: The Indian Army in the Second World War. Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 41 (No. 2), 325-355. 6 Talbot L, (2007). The Punjab under Colonialism: Order and Transformations in British India. Journal of Punjab Studies, 14 (1), 2-8. 7Omissi D, The Sepoy and the Raj: The Indian Army, 1860-1940 studies in Military and Strategic History (Macmillan: Palgrave Macmillan Limited, 1988). 8Das P.V, (2013) Railway fuel and its impact on the forests in colonial India: The case of the Punjab, 1860–1884, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 47 (No. 4), pp. 1283–1309 9The story behind cantonments in India Available at: http://blog.mapsofindia.com/2012/03/23/the-story-behind-cantonments-in-india/ (Accessed on 14 April 2016). 10The word “Cantonment” is derived from the French word “Canton”, means cantt, corner or district. In South Asia region, cantonments embraced as a permanent station of military equipment’s and personnel. It is also admitted that Most of cantonments in the world have found in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Singapore, Ghana, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Available International Research Journal of Management Sociology & Humanities ( IRJMSH ) Page 39 www.irjmsh.com IRJMSH Vol 9 Issue 3 [Year 2018] ISSN 2277 – 9809 (0nline) 2348–9359 (Print) sustaining and maintaining colonialism and dominance over the India sub-continent. The cantonments metamorphosed the life and geography of the respective locations/areas where they had established. Public facilities and amenities like railways, roads, and bridges had built to provide the logistic and strategic support to cantonments. It had also kindled