Osprey Men-at-Arms 219 : Queen Victoria's Enemies (3) : India

By the time Queen Victoria came to the throne, India - some 1,600,000 square miles, ranging from soaring mountains to deserts and jungle swamps, populated by 400,000,000 people with a kaleidoscope of different cultures and religions - was firmly in the grip of a handful of British East India Company administrators, either ruling directly or through Indian nominees. Britain was preoccupied with the security of this 'brightest jewel' in her crown, and it shaped the development of her Empire around the world, from as far afield as Africa and China. The need to police India itself would provide employment for the armies of the Company's three so-called presidencies - Bengal, Madras and Bombay - as well as a garrison of British regular troops. Throughout the 19th century the Company was concerned about its north-western borders. the great wall of the Himalayas ran across the north of India, providing a geographical barrier to would-be invaders from China and Tibet. A successful campaign against Burma in 1824 extended Company influence beyond India's eastern boundary. On the opposite side of the country, however, the situation was far from secure; and the Company's search for a policy in the west embroiled it in a string of military campaigns, which included one of the worst disasters ever to befall a British army. Ian Knight examines the absorbing history of Queen Victoria's Indian enemies in a text complemented by many illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Richard Scollins.

Contents

• Introduction
• Afghanistan 1839-42
• Sind and Gwalior 1843-45
• The Sikh Wars 1845-49
• The Indian Mutiny 1857-59
• The North-West Frontier 1849-78
• Afghanistan 1878-81
• The Plates