The Military in British India by T A Heathcote

Author:T A Heathcote
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783830640
Publisher: The Praetorian Press
Published: 2013-08-21T16:00:00+00:00

However, in India, the C-in-C: ‘takes his seat on the bench with the judges, to decide in his own cause. If the application he has made is not accepted–and it very often happens that it is not–an acrimonious and bitter discussion too often takes place . . . and a perpetual friction is maintained which permeates through the army’.25 The proposal to make the Military Member head of a War Department was intended to overcome this. An experienced officer would be able to advise the Governor-General on military policy and exercise real financial control. It would be plainly seen that he was not commanding the Army, and it was anticipated that his relationship with the C-in-C would be one of co-operation, not rivalry.

Much weight was placed on the evidence submitted by Lord Sandhurst who, as Sir William Mansfield, had been C-in-C, India, from 1865 to 1870. If the C-in-C, he said, was

a man of quick and powerful mind he finds his position difficult, at times almost intolerable. He has a great responsibility, is much appealed to . . . while often feels and knows that around the head of Government are irresponsible and secret military advisers who regard him with hostility. Hence it is that many Commanders-in-Chief in India have been most anxious to live away from Government as much as possible, while others have been engaged in conflict leading to resignation. I conceive that the evil of divesting the head of the Government of India of his chief and responsible military adviser can hardly be exaggerated, yet if . .. (he) . . . is to be at the same time an executive Commander in Chief who is ever engaged in traversing the country on tours of inspection in times of peace, or at the head of the active army in time of war, it is utterly impossible for him to be in his place at the side of the Governor-General.26

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.