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110-657: The Indian Cavalry Corps was a formation of the Indian Army during World War I . It was formed in France in December 1914. It remained in France until March 1916, when it was broken up. The corps consisted of the 1st Indian Cavalry Division and the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division , and together with the Indian Corps it formed Indian Expeditionary Force A . The high number of officer casualties had an effect: British officers who understood
220-622: A British division in part due to the smaller infantry battalions and smaller artillery forces. The Indian Army was also weakened when 500 British officers on home leave, enough to officer 38 Indian battalions, were posted to the new British divisions being formed for Kitchener's Army . In addition to the regular Indian Army, the armies of the Princely States and regiments of the Auxiliary Force (European volunteers) could also be called upon to assist in an emergency. The Princely States formed
330-455: A joint cavalry-infantry unit, the Corps of Guides , three sapper regiments and 12 mountain artillery batteries. The nine divisions formed by these reforms each consisted of one cavalry and three infantry brigades. The cavalry brigade had one British and two Indian regiments while the infantry brigades consisted of one British and three Indian battalions. Indian Army battalions were smaller than
440-563: A large minority of the population speaks Lasi and Siraiki , which are dialects of Sindhi . According to the Ethnologue, households speaking Balochi , whose primary dialect is Makrani constitutes 13%, Rukhshani 10%, Sulemani 7%, and Khetrani 3% of the population. Other languages spoken are Lasi, Urdu, Punjabi, Hazargi, Sindhi, Saraiki, Dehvari, Dari, Tajik, Hindko, Uzbek, and Hindki. The 2005 census concerning Afghans in Pakistan showed that
550-635: A large part of his army died in battle against a revolt in Kalat. In the 15th century, Mir Chakar Khan Rind became the first Sirdar of Afghan, Iranian and Pakistani Balochistan. He was a close aide of the Timurid ruler Humayun , and was succeeded by the Khanate of Kalat , which owed allegiance to the Mughal Empire . Later, Nader Shah won the allegiance of the rulers of eastern Balochistan. He ceded Kalhora , one of
660-437: A majority of population lacks amenities". Although the province is rich in natural resources capable of uplifting its economy, most of them have not been fully utilised for the welfare of the population and are yet to be explored or developed. Since the mid-1970s the province's contribution to Pakistan's GDP has dropped from 4.9 to 3.7%, and as of 2007 it had the highest poverty rate and infant and maternal mortality rate, and
770-769: A part of Pakistan. The province's Shahi Jirga (the grand council of tribal elders ) and the non-official members of the Quetta Municipality , according to the Pakistani narrative, agreed to join Pakistan unanimously on 29 June 1947; however, the Shahi Jirga was stripped of its members from the Kalat State prior to the vote. The then-president of the Baluchistan Muslim League, Qazi Muhammad Isa , informed Muhammad Ali Jinnah that "Shahi Jirga in no way represents
880-528: A report on Dawn, the rate of multidimensional poverty in Balochistan had risen to 71% by 2016. Several major development projects, including the construction of a new deep sea port at the strategically important town of Gwadar , are in progress in Balochistan. The port is projected to be the hub of an energy and trade corridor to and from China, Middle East and the Central Asian republics. The Mirani Dam on
990-618: A string of early successes, the campaign was delivered a setback at the Battle of Ctesiphon in November 1915 due to logistical constraints. Following this engagement, the Poona Division withdrew back to Kut , where Townshend made the decision to hold the city and the Siege of Kut began. Between January and March 1916, Townshend launched several attacks in an attempt to lift the siege. In sequence,
1100-513: A total of 16,000 troops passed through Force G, and that it suffered about 1623 fatal casualties, listed in his book by name. One Indian Army battalion that was part of the Garrison of Tianjin in China, the 36th Sikhs took part in the Siege of Qingdao . Qingdao was a German controlled port in China. The British Government and the other Allied European powers were concerned about Japanese intentions in
1210-461: A total of 769,268 Afghan refugees were temporarily staying in Balochistan. However, there are probably fewer Afghans living in Balochistan today as many refugees repatriated in 2013. As of 2015, there are only 327,778 registered Afghan refugees according to the UNHCR. According to the 2017 Census, nearly all of the population of Balochistan were Muslims . There were also Hindu and Christian minorities in
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#17328483084631320-404: Is a province of Pakistan . Located in the southwestern region of the country, Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan by land area but is the least populated one . It is bordered by the Pakistani provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the north-east, Punjab to the east and Sindh to the south-east; shares international borders with Iran to the west and Afghanistan to the north; and
1430-743: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Indian Army during World War I The Indian Army , also called the British Indian Army, was involved in World War I as part of the British Empire . More than one million Indian troops served overseas, of whom more than 60,000 died during the war. In World War I the Indian Army fought against the German Empire on the Western Front . At
1540-661: Is bordered by Afghanistan to the north and north-west, Iran to the south-west, Punjab and Sindh , and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north-east. To the south lies the Arabian Sea . Balochistan is located on the south-eastern part of the Iranian plateau. It borders the geopolitical regions of the Middle East and Southwest Asia, Central Asia and South Asia. Balochistan lies at
1650-631: Is bound by the Arabian Sea to the south. Balochistan is an extensive plateau of rough terrain divided into basins by ranges of sufficient heights and ruggedness. It has the world's largest deep sea port, the Port of Gwadar lying in the Arabian Sea. Although it makes up about 44% of the land area of Pakistan, only 5% of it is arable and it is noted for an extremely dry desert climate . Despite this, agriculture and livestock make up about 47% of Balochistan's economy. The name " Balochistan " means "the land of
1760-804: Is carried out by the Balochistan High Court , which is based in Quetta and headed by a Chief Justice. Besides dominant Pakistan-wide political parties (such as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf , Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party ), Balochistan nationalist parties (such as the National Party and the Balochistan National Party (Mengal) ) have been prominent in the province. For administrative purposes,
1870-420: Is largely based upon agriculture, livestock, fisheries, production of natural gas, coal and other minerals. Though agriculture and livestock play a dominant role in the provincial economy by contributing 47% of its GDP, it faced intense damages due to the 2022 Pakistan floods . The floods killed around 500,000 of Balochistan's livestock and damaged cultivation and agricultural output in 32 out of 35 districts of
1980-411: Is located adjacent to the refinery. Several cement plants and a marble factory are also located there. One of the world's largest ship breaking yards is located on the coast. Balochistan's share of Pakistan's national income has historically ranged between 3.7% to 4.9%. Since 1972, Balochistan's gross income has grown in size by 2.7 times. Outside Quetta, the resource extraction infrastructure of
2090-584: The 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade sent to Egypt in October 1914. The designation was retained for all subsequent forces sent there. Two Indian cavalry divisions ( 4th Cavalry Division and 5th Cavalry Division ) transferred from France in 1918, for service in Palestine . They were joined by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade , a unit formed by three regiments of Lancers from the princely states of Mysore , Hyderabad , and Jodhpur . The 3rd (Lahore) Division and
2200-642: The 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade to the 11th Indian Division . The 9th (Secunderabad) Division lost the 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade to the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division and the 27th (Bangalore) Brigade which was sent to British East Africa . The other pre war units the Burma Division, remained in Burma throughout the war on internal security duties, likewise the Aden brigade remained in Aden. In 1901 oil had been discovered in commercial quantities at Masjid-e-Suleiman at
2310-525: The 27th (Bangalore) Brigade , commanded by Brigadier General Richard Wapshare, from the 9th (Secunderabad) Division , and an Imperial Service Infantry Brigade , commanded by Brigadier General Michael Tighe , together with a pioneer battalion, a mountain artillery battery and engineers. It was shipped across the Indian Ocean to invade German East Africa . The force under the command of Major General Arthur Aitken landed at Tanga on 2–3 November 1914. In
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#17328483084632420-527: The 31st Indian Brigade joined the 10th Division in January 1916, but was disbanded a month later; and the 32nd (Imperial Service) Brigade was disbanded in January 1916. In April 1915, Indian Expeditionary Force G was sent to reinforce the Gallipoli Campaign. It consisted of the 29th Brigade, serving away from its parent 10th Indian Division . Consisting of three battalions of Gurkhas and one of Sikhs,
2530-712: The 3rd Madras Regiment for economic reasons, and the 20th Burma Rifles when Burma ceased to be governed by India. The end of World War I did not see the end of fighting for the Indian Army—they were involved in the Third Afghan War in 1919, and then the Waziristan Campaign in 1919–1920 and again in 1920–1924. Operations against the Afridis in 1930–1931, the Mohmands in 1933 and again in 1935 and finally just before
2640-400: The 5th (Mhow) Division , the 8th (Lucknow) Division and the 9th (Secunderabad) Division . Over the course of the war these divisions lost brigades to other formations on active service; The 5th (Mhow) Division lost the 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade to the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division . The 8th (Lucknow) Division lost the 8th (Lucknow) Cavalry Brigade to the 1st Indian Cavalry Division and
2750-575: The 7th (Meerut) Division were transferred from Mesopotamia. At the same time 36 Indian army battalions were sent to reinforce the British 10th (Irish) , 53rd (Welsh) , 60th (2/2nd London) and 75th Divisions , which were reformed on Indian division lines with one British and three Indian battalions per brigade. Indian Expeditionary Force F consisted of the 10th Indian Division and the 11th Indian Division both of which were formed in Egypt in 1914, to defend
2860-617: The Amir of Afghanistan, Abdur Rahman Khan , to fix the Durand Line running from Chitral to Balochistan as the boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and British-controlled areas. Two devastating earthquakes occurred in Balochistan during British colonial rule: the 1935 Quetta earthquake , which devastated Quetta , and the 1945 Balochistan earthquake with its epicentre in the Makran region. During
2970-544: The Armistice of Mudros was signed. The Mesopotamian campaign was largely an Indian Army campaign as the only British formations involved were the 13th (Western) Division and British battalions assigned to Indian brigades. In the campaign, 11,012 were killed, 3,985 died of wounds, 12,678 died of disease, 13,492 were either missing or prisoners (including the 9,000 prisoners from Kut), and 51,836 were wounded. Indian Expeditionary Force E consisted of
3080-706: The Ashkhabad Committee , and known as the Malleson Mission . The Ashkhabad Committee was a revolutionary organisation led by Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries who were in an armed conflict with the Bolshevik Tashkent Soviet . Indian soldiers had not been eligible for the Victoria Cross until 1911, instead they received the Indian Order of Merit , an older decoration originally set up in
3190-456: The Baloch ". Largely underdeveloped, its economy is also dominated by natural resources, especially its natural gas fields . Aside from Quetta , the second-largest city of the province is Turbat in the south, while another area of major economic importance is the port city of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, an emerging future business hub. Balochistan occupies the very southeasternmost portion of
3300-834: The Battle of the Somme , the Battle of Bazentin , the Battle of Flers-Courcelette , the advance to the Hindenburg Line and finally the Battle of Cambrai . Of the 130,000 Indians who served in France and Belgium, almost 9,000 died. In 1914, the Governor of British East Africa requested assistance to deal with the German forces in German East Africa and the problem was handed to the India Office , which assembled two forces and shipped them to his aid. Indian Expeditionary Force B consisted of
3410-639: The Bombay , Madras and the Bengal Armies would be discontinued. The new regiments and battalions, instead of remaining at their home base, could now all be called upon to serve anywhere in the country, and a tour of duty on the North West Frontier would be an established posting. One change that was not accepted was the formation of all-British or all-Indian brigades and the system of having one British regiment or battalion in each brigade remained. In 1914,
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3520-663: The British Empire in Egypt, Singapore and China. This field force was divided into two armies: the Northern Army, which stretched from the North-West Frontier to Bengal with five divisions and three brigades under command, and the Southern Army which ranged from Baluchistan to southern India and it in turn had four divisions under command and two formations outside the subcontinent. The two armies contained 39 cavalry regiments, 138 infantry battalions (including 20 Gurkha ),
3630-542: The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement. Gwadar, a region of Balochistan, was a colony of Oman for more than a century, and in the 1960s Pakistan took over the land. Many people in this region are therefore Omani. Balochistan is situated in the southwest of Pakistan and covers an area of 347,190 square kilometres (134,050 sq mi). It is Pakistan's largest province by area, constituting 44% of Pakistan's total landmass. The province
3740-525: The Dasht River , 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Turbat in the Makran Division , is being built to provide water to expand agricultural land use by 35,000 km (14,000 sq mi) where it would otherwise be unsustainable. In the district Lasbela, there is an oil refinery owned by Byco International Incorporated (BII), which is capable of processing 120,000 barrels of oil per day. A power station
3850-742: The First Battle of Ypres , Khudadad Khan became the first Indian to be awarded a Victoria Cross . Indian divisions were also sent to Egypt , Gallipoli , German East Africa and nearly 700,000 served in Mesopotamia against the Ottoman Empire . While some divisions were sent overseas others had to remain in India guarding the North West Frontier and on internal security and training duties. Field-Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck , Commander-in-Chief of
3960-627: The Imperial Service Brigades and in 1914, had 22,613 men in 20 cavalry regiments and 14 infantry battalions. By the end of the war 26,000 men had served overseas on Imperial Service. The Auxiliary force could field another 40,000 men in 11 regiments of horse and 42 volunteer infantry battalions. Also available were the Frontier Militia and the Military Police which could field 34,000 men between them. The field force headquarters
4070-746: The Indian Cavalry Corps . Upon arrival in Marseilles on 30 September 1914, only six weeks after the declaration of war, they were moved to the Ypres Salient and took part in the Battle of La Bassée in October 1914. In March 1915, the 7th (Meerut) Division was chosen to lead the assault in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle . The Expeditionary Force was hampered by a lack of familiarity with new equipment, only being issued Lee–Enfield rifles on their arrival in France and they had almost no artillery, relying on support from their neighbouring corps when in
4180-525: The Iranian plateau , the setting for the earliest known farming settlements in the pre- Indus Valley civilisation era, the earliest of which was Mehrgarh , dated at 7000 BCE, within the province. Balochistan marked the westernmost extent of civilisation. Centuries before the arrival of Islam in the seventh century, parts of Balochistan were ruled by the Paratarajas , an Indo-Scythian dynasty. At certain times,
4290-569: The Kushans also held political sway in parts of Balochistan. The Hindu Sewa Dynasty ruled parts of Balochistan, chiefly Kalat . The Sibi Division , which was carved out of Quetta Division and Kalat Division in 1974, derives its name from Rani Sewi, the queen of the Sewa dynasty. The remnants of the earliest people in Balochistan were the Brahui people , a Dravidian speaking people . The Brahuis retained
4400-401: The Presidencies being merged into a unified force. At the same time, the regiments of the Princely states were made available to be called out to become Imperial Service Troops . The British Army also continued to supply units for service in India, in addition to those of the Indian Army. The term Army of India was instituted to refer to the overall command structure which included both
4510-462: The Royal Navy . With their casualties mounting and under command of the battalion medical officer they were forced to withdraw to their starting positions. With the failure of the assault at Sari Bair the brigade was withdrawn to Egypt. Over the duration of the campaign the 29th Brigade had suffered 1,358 dead and 3,421 wounded. Peter Stanley's book Die in Battle, Do not Despair: the Indian on Gallipoli, 1915 (Helion & Co. Solihul, 2015) shows that
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4620-466: The Sindh territories of Sibi -Kachi, to the Khanate of Kalat . Ahmad Shah Durrani , founder of the Afghan Empire, also won the allegiance of that area's rulers, and many Baloch fought under him during the Third Battle of Panipat . Most of the area would eventually revert to local Baloch control after Afghan rule. In 1876, northern Baluchistan became one of the presidencies and provinces of British India in colonial India . During this time from
4730-415: The Sultan of Johor . Following immediate courts-martial a total of 47 mutineers were executed, while 64 were transported for life and another 73 imprisoned for varying terms. Later in 1915 the 5th Light Infantry saw service in the Kamerun campaign and was subsequently sent to East Africa and Aden. 500 men of the 19th Punjabis were deployed by General Wilfrid Malleson in Transcaspia in support of
4840-431: The Yorkshire Light Infantry , which had been ordered to France. The 5th Light Infantry consisted of roughly equal numbers of Punjabi Muslims and Pathans serving in separate companies. Their morale was constantly low, being affected by poor communication, slack discipline and a weak leadership. The regiment had been employed to guard the captured crew from the German ship, SMS Emden and reportedly attempts were made to fan
4950-515: The insurgency in Balochistan , says "that Balochistan's accession to Pakistan was, as against the officially projected narrative, not based upon consensus, nor was support for Pakistan overwhelming. What this manipulation indicates is that even before formally becoming a part of Pakistan, Balochistan had fallen a prey to political victimization." Initially aspiring for independence, the Khan of Kalat finally acceded to Pakistan on 27 March 1948 after period of negotiations with Pakistan. The signing of
5060-400: The 3rd and 7th Divisions arrived from the Western Front. In 1917, the British force, under Frederick Stanley Maude , which now included one cavalry and seven infantry divisions from the Indian Army, in the III Corps (India) advanced towards Baghdad which was captured in March. The advance continued in 1918, and after the Battle of Sharqat in October, the Turkish forces surrendered and
5170-461: The 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions. Serving alongside British cavalry divisions they were held behind the front line awaiting the hoped for breakthrough. At times during the war they served in the trenches as infantry, each cavalry brigade when dismounted formed a dismounted regiment. This meant that when the divisions went into the front line, they could only cover a brigade area. Before being themselves withdrawn to Egypt in March 1918, they took part in
5280-601: The Bolan Pass, which has been used as the route of choice from the coast to Central Asia, entering through Afghanistan's Kandahar region. The British and other historic empires have crossed the region to invade Afghanistan by this route. Balochistan is rich in exhaustible and renewable resources; it is the second major supplier of natural gas in Pakistan. The province's renewable and human resource potential has not been systematically measured or exploited. Local inhabitants have chosen to live in towns and have relied on sustainable water sources for thousands of years. The climate of
5390-413: The British Army. Each Indian battalion was staffed by 13 officers from the British Army in India and 17 officers from the Indian Army— expatriate British officers serving under colonial Indian administration. As the war intensified and officer casualties mounted, the ability to replace casualties with officers of British origin became extremely difficult and in many cases the officer allotment to battalions
5500-464: The British and Indian Army units. The new formation for the Army of India was set at nine divisions, each division with one cavalry and three infantry brigades and these nine divisions together with three independent infantry brigades would serve in India. The Indian Army was also responsible for supplying a division in Burma and a brigade in Aden . To assist command and control of the new divisions, two field armies were formed—the Northern Army and
5610-478: The British battalions, consisting of 30 officers and 723 other ranks as compared to the British 29 officers and 977 other ranks. Indian battalions were often segregated, with companies of different tribes, castes or religions. Additional troops attached to the headquarters of each division included a cavalry regiment, a pioneer battalion and artillery provided by the British Royal Field Artillery . Each division had about 13,000 men on strength, somewhat weaker than
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#17328483084635720-509: The British officers at the Tanglin barracks were killed and the mutineers then moved on the German prisoner of war camp where they killed thirteen camp guards and other military personnel. The Germans however refused to join them. The mutineers then roamed the streets of Singapore, killing European civilians that they encountered. The mutiny continued for nearly five days and was suppressed by local volunteer and British regular units plus naval detachments from allied warships, and with assistance from
5830-433: The Dravidian language throughout the millennias. Although during the Stone and Bronze Age and Alexander the Great 's empire an indigenous population existed, the Baloch people themselves did not enter the region until the 14th century CE. A theory of the origin of the Baloch people , the largest ethnic group in the region, is that they are of Median descent. In 654, Abdulrehman ibn Samrah, governor of Sistan and
5940-408: The Gallipoli campaign, and then disbanded in June 1917; and the 30th Indian Brigade was first assigned to the 12th Indian Division in April 1915, then transferred to the 6th (Poona) Division in September 1915 and was captured in the fall of Kut . The 11th Division was disbanded earlier in 1915, but its brigades did not survive much longer. The 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade was broken up in January 1916;
6050-488: The German military presence in the region at 200 men; however, there were 600 askaris in three companies plus the colonial volunteers, 86 young Germans on horseback. On 3 November 1914, some 1,500 Punjabis of the British force advanced up the slope at night near Longido were caught in the crossfire of a strong German defensive position as they advanced in the morning fog. The large force of Indian infantry effectively resisted counterattacks, however, during
6160-417: The Indian Army from 1942 asserted that the British "couldn't have come through both World War I and II if they hadn't had the Indian Army." Herbert Kitchener was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India in 1902 and after five years, his term of office was extended by a further two—during which he reformed the Indian Army. The reforms now directed that there would be only one Indian Army, the three armies of
6270-443: The Indian Army was one of the two largest volunteer armies in the world; it had a total strength of 240,000 men while the British Army had a strength of 247,433 regular volunteers at the outbreak of the war. By November 1918, the Indian Army contained 548,311 men, being considered the Imperial Strategic Reserve. It was regularly called upon to deal with incursions and raids on the North West Frontier and to provide garrison forces for
6380-473: The Instrument of Accession by Ahmad Yar Khan led his brother, Prince Abdul Karim , to revolt against his brother's decision due to their family rift. in July 1948. Princes Agha Abdul Karim Baloch and Muhammad Rahim refused to lay down arms, leading the Dosht-e Jhalawan in unconventional attacks on the army until 1950. The Prince indulged in Terror activities without any assistance from others. Jinnah and his successors allowed Yar Khan to retain his title until
6490-521: The North East Frontier between India and Burma punitive actions were carried out against the Kachins tribes between December 1914 – February 1915, by the Burma Military Police supported by the 1/ 7th Gurkha Rifles and the 64th Pioneers . Between November 1917 – March 1919, operations were carried out against the Kuki tribes by auxiliary units of the Assam Rifles and the Burma Military Police (BMP). The other divisions remaining in India at first on internal security and then as training divisions were
6600-435: The North West Frontier. On 12 May 1918, the Bannu and Derajat brigades were designated as the Waziristan Field Force under the command General G W Baynon. The South Persia Brigade was formed in 1915 at the start of the Persian Campaign to protect the Anglo–Persian oil installations in south Persia and the Persian Gulf . The Indian Army formed and dispatched seven expeditionary forces overseas during World War I. On
6710-407: The Southern Army. The Northern Army had five divisions and three brigades and was responsible for the North West Frontier to Bengal while the Southern Army, which had four divisions in India and two formations outside the subcontinent, was responsible for Baluchistan to southern India. The regiments and battalions of the new organization would be numbered in a single sequence and the old titles of
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#17328483084636820-422: The Suez canal. Other formations attached were the regular 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade from the 8th Lucknow Division without their British battalions and an Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade . The 10th Division was disbanded in 1916, and its brigades assigned to other formations. The 28th Indian Brigade was assigned to the 7th (Meerut) Division in 1915; the 29th Indian Brigade served as an independent brigade in
6930-524: The area up to the ancient cities of Dawar and Qandabil ( Bolan ). It is documented that the major settlements, falling within today's province, became in 654 controlled by the Rashidun caliphate, except for the well-defended mountain town of QaiQan which is now Kalat . During the caliphate of Ali , a revolt broke out in southern Balochistan's Makran region. In 663, during the reign of Umayyad Caliph Muawiyah I , his Muslim rule lost control of north-eastern Balochistan and Kalat when Haris ibn Marah and
7040-496: The arid zones of Chagai and Kharan districts. The plains are also very hot in summer, with temperatures reaching 50 °C (122 °F). The record highest temperature, 53 °C (127 °F), was recorded in Sibi on 26 May 2010, exceeding the previous record, 52 °C (126 °F). Other hot areas include Turbat and Dalbandin . The desert climate is characterised by hot and very arid conditions. Occasionally, strong windstorms make these areas very inhospitable. In common with
7150-468: The attacks took place at the Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad , the Battle of the Wadi , the Battle of Hanna , and the Battle of Dujaila Redoubt . These attempts to break through the encirclement did not succeed and the cost was heavy with both sides suffering high casualties. In February food, and hopes were running out for Townshend in Kut-al-Amara. Disease spread rapidly and could not be contained or cured and Townshend surrendered in April 1916. In December 1916,
7260-421: The brigade was dispatched from Egypt and attached to the British 29th Division which had been decimated in the earlier battles. Held in reserve for the Second Battle of Krithia they played a major part in the Third Battle of Krithia . Advancing on the left the Brigade was quickly halted except along the Aegean shore where the 1/ 6th Gurkha Rifles managed to advance. The 14th Ferozepore Sikhs , advancing along
7370-431: The civil power and support the field army when required. The number of cavalry regiments was reduced from 39 to 21. The infantry regiments were converted into 20 large regiments with four or five battalions in each regiment plus a training battalion, always numbered the 10th, also included were ten Gurkha regiments. Nine single battalion regiments were disbanded by 1922. Two of the large regiments were later disbanded,
7480-525: The day the British attackers made no headway and suffered substantial casualties. By mid-morning, a German mounted patrol ambushed a supply column and roughly 100 mules carrying water for the troops were stampeded away by the Germans. The British officers, with their now widely scattered troops, waited until darkness and having determined their situation to be untenable, withdrew down the mountain and marched back to British East Africa having accomplished nothing. The largest Indian Army force to serve abroad
7590-474: The days of East India Company rule in India. The honour of being the first Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC) in any conflict went to Khudadad Khan , 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis . On 31 October 1914, at Hollebeke , Belgium , during a German attack, the British officer in charge of the detachment having been wounded, and the other machinegun put out of action by a shell, Sepoy Khudadad, though wounded, remained working his machinegun until all
7700-456: The discontent amongst the sepoys. The regiment was under orders to embark for further garrison duty in Hong Kong, however rumours started that they were going to be sent to fight in the Middle East against fellow Muslims from the Ottoman Empire. On 16 February 1915, while preparations for departure were under way, the four companies of Punjabi Muslims mutinied while the Pathan sepoys of the remaining four companies scattered in confusion. Two of
7810-499: The end of the siege, Japanese army casualties numbered 236 killed and 1,282 wounded; the British-Indians had 12 killed and 53 wounded. The German defenders suffered 199 dead and 504 wounded. The 1915 Singapore Mutiny involved up to half of the 850 sepoys comprising the 5th Light Infantry against the British in Singapore during the war, part of the 1915 Ghadar Conspiracy . The 5th Light Infantry had arrived in Singapore from Madras in October 1914. They had been sent to replace
7920-588: The event of the Turkish Army coming out in support of the Germans, the Indian Army was to act to secure the oilfields. As a contingency, the Indian Expeditionary Force D (see below) under command of Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Barrett sailed from Bombay on 16 October 1914 for Bahrain. They, together with Expeditionary Force A who had been hurriedly sent to Europe at the end of September. In addition to
8030-686: The existing 1st (Peshawar) Division , the 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division , the 4th (Quetta) Division . The only war-formed division to serve in India was the 16th Indian Division formed in 1916, it was also stationed on the North West Frontier. All these divisions were still in place and took part in the Third Afghan War at the end of World War I. In supporting the war effort, India was left vulnerable to hostile action from Afghanistan. A Turco-German mission arrived in Kabul in October 1915, with obvious strategic purpose. Habibullah Khan abided by his treaty obligations and maintained Afghanistan's neutrality, in
8140-636: The face of internal opposition from factions keen to side with the Ottoman Sultan . Despite this, localised actions along the frontier still took place and included Operations in the Tochi (1914–15), Operations against the Mohmands, Bunerwals and Swatis (1915), Kalat Operations (1915–16), Mohmand Blockade (1916–17), Operations against the Mahsuds (1917) and Operations against the Marri and Khetran tribes (1918). On
8250-677: The fall of the Durrani Empire in 1823, four princely states were recognised and reinforced in Balochistan: Makran , Kharan , Las Bela and Kalat . In 1876, Robert Sandeman negotiated the Treaty of Kalat , which brought the Khan's territories, including Kharan, Makran, and Las Bela, under British protection, even though they remained independent princely states. After the Second Afghan War
8360-407: The floor of Gully Ravine, were almost wiped out, losing 380 men out of 514 and 80% of their officers. The Brigade was next involved in the Battle of Gully Ravine and here the 2/ 10th Gurkha Rifles managed to advance half a mile. The Brigade next took part in the Battle of Sari Bair , under cover of a naval bombardment the 1/6th Gurkha Rifles assaulted and captured the hill, which was then shelled by
8470-499: The following Battle of Tanga , Aitken's 9,000 men were badly beaten by the 1,000 men under their German commander Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck . The force re-embarked on 5 November 1914, having suffered 4,240 casualties and the loss of several hundred rifles, 16 machine guns and 600,000 rounds of ammunition. Indian Expeditionary Force C was the second force assembled for service in British East Africa in 1914. This force
8580-409: The front line. They were not accustomed to the continental weather and were poorly equipped to resist the cold, leading to low morale which was further compounded by the reserve system, whereby reinforcements were drafted in from any regiment and had no affiliation to their new units. Officer casualties were even more of a handicap, as replacements were unfamiliar with the Indian Army and could not speak
8690-803: The head of the Persian Gulf . At the start of the war in 1914, the privately owned Anglo-Persian Oil Company which owned the concessions for these fields was about to be bought by the British Government, primarily to fuel the British Fleet. It soon became clear that the Ottoman Turkish Army was being mobilised and in August the Indian Government was instructed to prepare contingency plans to protect these strategic assets. The plans dictated that in
8800-509: The language, customs, and psychology of their men could not be quickly replaced; as well, the alien environment of the Western Front had an adverse effect on the soldiers. Hew Fanshawe , from the 19th Hussars , commanded the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division in 1914. He was head of V Corps from 1915 to 1916. This article about a specific Indian military unit is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This World War I article
8910-455: The language. With morale low, many soldiers fled the scene of the battle and the infantry divisions were finally withdrawn to Mesopotamia in October 1915, when they were replaced by the new British divisions of Kitchener's Army. With the withdrawal of the infantry divisions, the only Indian Army units on the Western Front were the two cavalry divisions. In November 1916, the two Indian cavalry divisions were renumbered from 1st and 2nd to
9020-452: The languages with the most native speakers in the province are Balochi , spoken by 39.91% of the population (an increase of 4% compared to the 2017 census), and Pashto whose share is at 34.34%. The Pashtuns mainly inhabit the north of Balochistan and form the majority in Quetta . Baloch on the other hand are found throughout Balochistan, but most highly concentrated in the west and south of
9130-460: The leased areas of Baluchistan, stating that they, "as a part of the Baloch nation, were a part of the Kalat state too" and that if the question of Baluchistan's accession to Pakistan arise, "they should be deemed part of the Kalat state rather than (British) Balochistan". This has brought into question whether an actual vote took place. Political scientist Salman Rafi Sheikh, in locating the origins of
9240-400: The lowest literacy rate in comparison to other provinces, factors some allege have contributed to the insurgency. However, in seventh NFC awards, Punjab province and Federal contributed to increase Baluchistan share more than its entitled population based share. In Balochistan poverty is increasing. In 2001–2002 poverty incidences were at 48% and by 2005–2006 these were at 50.9%. According to
9350-517: The mouth of the Strait of Hormuz and provides the shortest route from seaports to Central Asia. Its geographical location has placed the otherwise desolate region in the scope of competing for global interests for all of recorded history. The capital city Quetta is located in a densely populated portion of the Sulaiman Mountains in the northeast of the province. It is situated in a river valley near
9460-573: The newly emerged Rashidun caliphate at the expense of Sassanid Persia and the Byzantine Empire , sent an Islamic army to crush a revolt in Zaranj , which is now in southern Afghanistan. After conquering Zaranj, a column of the army pushed north, conquering Kabul and Ghazni , in the Hindu Kush mountain range, while another column moved through Quetta District in north-western Balochistan and conquered
9570-453: The other five men of the gun detachment had been killed. Other members of the Indian Army awarded the Victoria Cross during World War I were: In 1919, the Indian Army could call upon 491,000 men, but there was a shortage of experienced officers, most of the officers having been killed or wounded in the war. In 1921, the Indian government started a review of their military requirements with
9680-671: The other provinces of Pakistan, Balochistan has a parliamentary form of government. The ceremonial head of the province is the Governor , who is appointed by the President of Pakistan on the advice of the provincial Chief Minister . The Chief Minister, the province's chief executive, is normally the leader of the largest political party or alliance of parties in the provincial assembly. The unicameral Provincial Assembly of Balochistan comprises 65 seats of which 11 are reserved for women and 3 reserved for non-Muslims. The judicial branch of government
9790-623: The outbreak of World War II operations in Waziristan again in 1936–1939. The India Gate in New Delhi, built in 1931, commemorates the Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting in World War I. Balochistan (Pakistan) Balochistan ( / b ə ˈ l ɒ tʃ ɪ s t ɑː n , b ə ˌ l ɒ tʃ ɪ ˈ s t ɑː n , - s t æ n / ; Balochi : بلۏچستان ; Urdu : بلوچستان , Urdu pronunciation: [bəloːt͡ʃɪst̪ɑːn] )
9900-493: The outbreak of war, the Indian Army had 150,000 trained men and the Indian Government offered the services of two cavalry and two infantry divisions for service overseas. The force known as Indian Expeditionary Force A was under the command of General Sir James Willcocks . Force A was attached to the British Expeditionary Force and the four divisions were formed into two army corps : an infantry Indian Corps and
10010-748: The permanent divisions, the Indian Army also formed a number of independent brigades. As part of the Southern Army the Aden Brigade was stationed in the Aden Protectorate on the strategically important naval route from Europe to India, where there was limited fighting . The Bannu Brigade , the Derajat Brigade and the Kohat Brigade were all part of the Northern Army and they were deployed along
10120-403: The popular wishes of the masses" and that members of the Kalat State were "excluded from voting; only representatives from the British part of the province voted and the British part included the leased areas of Quetta, Nasirabad Tehsil, Nushki and Bolan Agency." Following the referendum, on 22 June 1947 the Khan of Kalat received a letter from members of the Shahi Jirga, as well as sardars from
10230-522: The protection of the North West Frontier and internal security their priority. By 1925, the Army in India had been reduced to 197,000 troops, 140,000 of them Indian. Battalions were now allocated one of three roles: The field army of four infantry divisions and five cavalry brigades; covering troops, 12 infantry brigades and supporting arms to act as a reserve force in case of invasion; and finally internal security troops, 43 infantry battalions to aid
10340-400: The province is divided into seven divisions: Kalat , Makran , Nasirabad , Quetta , Sibi , Zhob and Rakhshan . This divisional level was abolished in 2000, but restored after the 2008 election. Each division is under an appointed commissioner. The seven divisions are further subdivided into 36 districts: As of June 2021, there are eight divisions. The eighth division, Loralai Division
10450-697: The province's dissolution in 1955. Insurgencies by Baloch nationalists took place in 1948, 1958–59, 1962–63 and 1973–77, with a new ongoing insurgency by autonomy-seeking Baloch groups since 2003. While many Baloch support the demand for autonomy, the majority are not interested in seceding from Pakistan. At a press conference on 8 June 2015 in Quetta, Balochistan's Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti accused India's prime minister Narendra Modi of openly supporting terrorism. Bugti implicated India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of being responsible for recent attacks at military bases in Smangli and Khalid, and for subverting
10560-505: The province. Brahui is spoken by 17.22% mainly in the central part of Balochistan. Other languages include Sindhi (3.81%), Saraiki (2.19%), Punjabi (0.59%), Urdu (0.53%) and others at (1.5%). Balochi forms the majority in 21 districts and Pashto forms majority in 9 districts of Balochistan. Brahui has majority in 4 districts. In the Lasbela , Hub districts and in Kachhi plain region
10670-485: The province. The Hindu population in the province was approximately 49,133 (including the Scheduled Castes). The Shri Hinglaj Mata mandir which is the largest Hindu pilgrimage centre in Pakistan is situated in Balochistan. There was also a Christian minority of 26,462 individuals in the province. The literacy rate of the province in 2017 was 43.6%, an increase from 24.8% in 1998. The economy of Balochistan
10780-450: The province. The Lasbela district was the worst hit as the floods washed away fourt-fifth's of the homes, crops and livestock. Due to the floods and severe drought conditions, the province faces food insecurity and is 85% dependent on the Sindh and Punjab provinces for the supply of wheat. Furthermore, with the exception of Quetta , Balochistan has been called a "neglected province where
10890-555: The railway to Uganda and to support the King's African Rifles in communications protection duties. After arriving in Mombasa , Force C was broken up and its units subsequently served separately. The one action they were involved in was the Battle of Kilimanjaro , in October 1914. Force C with 4,000 men gathered near the border of British and German East Africa, commanded by Brigadier General J. M. Stewart. Flawed intelligence reports estimated
11000-430: The region and decided to send a small symbolic British contingent from Tianjin in an effort to allay their fears. The 1,500-man contingent was commanded by Brigadier-General Nathaniel Walter Barnardiston and consisted of 1,000 soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers who were later followed by 500 soldiers of the 36th Sikhs. The Japanese led force laid siege to the port between 31 October–7 November 1914. At
11110-563: The time of the Indian independence movement , "three pro-Congress parties were still active in Balochistan's politics apart from Balochistan's Muslim League ", such as the Anjuman-i-Watan Baluchistan , which favoured a united India and opposed its partition . In British-ruled Colonial India, Baluchistan contained a Chief Commissioner's province and princely states (including Kalat , Makran , Las Bela and Kharan ) that became
11220-436: The upper highlands is characterised by very cold winters and hot summers. In the lower highlands, winters vary from extremely cold in northern districts Ziarat , Quetta, Kalat, Muslim Baagh and Khanozai, where temperatures can drop to −20 °C (−4 °F), to milder conditions closer to the Makran coast. Winters are mild on the plains, with temperatures never falling below freezing point. Summers are hot and dry, especially in
11330-411: The war. In total, at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died in World War I. Child soldiers, some as young as 10 years old, were enlisted to fight in the war. Before World War I, the Indian Army was deployed maintaining internal security and defending the North West Frontier against incursions from Afghanistan. These tasks did not end with the declaration of war. The divisions deployed along the frontier were
11440-456: Was created by bifurcating Zhob Division. (km ) (2023) (people/km ) Balochistan's population density is low due to the mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. In March 2012, preliminary census figures showed that the population of Balochistan, not including the districts of Khuzdar, Kech and Panjgur, had reached 13,162,222, an increase of 139.3% from 5,501,164 in 1998. The population constituted 6.85% of Pakistan's total population. This
11550-613: Was ended by the Treaty of Gandamak in May 1879, the Afghan Emir ceded the districts of Quetta, Pishin , Harnai , Sibi and Thal Chotiali to British control. On 1 April 1883, the British took control of the Bolan Pass , south-east of Quetta, from the Khan of Kalat . In 1887, small additional areas of Balochistan were declared British territory. In 1893, Sir Mortimer Durand negotiated an agreement with
11660-517: Was formed from the Indian Army's 29th Punjabis , together with half battalions from the Princely states of Jind , Bharatpur , Kapurthala and Rampur , a volunteer 15 pounder artillery battery, 22nd (Derajat) Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) , a volunteer maxim gun battery and a Field Ambulance. It was planned that the force was to be a defensive one (unlike force B) and be primarily used to guard
11770-635: Was located in Delhi and the senior officer (Commander-in-Chief, India) was assisted by a Chief of the General Staff, India . All the senior command and staff positions in the Indian Army alternated between senior officers of the British and Indian Armies. In 1914, the Commander–in–Chief was General Sir Beauchamp Duff of the Indian Army, and the Chief of the General Staff was Lieutenant General Sir Percy Lake of
11880-551: Was reduced accordingly. Only in 1919 were the first Officer Cadets of Indian descent permitted to be selected for officer training at the Royal Military College . The normal annual recruitment for the Indian army was 15,000 men, during the course of the war over 800,000 men volunteered for the army and more than 400,000 volunteered for non-combatant roles. In total almost 1.3 million men had volunteered for service by 1918. Over one million Indian troops served overseas during
11990-466: Was the Indian Expeditionary Force D in Mesopotamia , under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir John Nixon . The first unit sent in November 1914, was the 6th (Poona) Division and they were tasked with guarding British oil installations in and around Basra . As part of the Mesopotamian campaign they served under the command of Major General Barrett and then under Major General Townshend . After
12100-410: Was the largest increase in population in any province of Pakistan during that time period, almost thrice the national increase of 46.9%. Official estimates of Balochistan's population grew from approximately 7.45 million in 2003 to 7.8 million in 2005. The 2023 Census enumerated a population of 14,894,402. Languages of Balochistan (2023) According to the preliminary results of the 2023 census ,
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