ARMY AND POLICE

ARMY AND POLICE

The bulk of the Company's army consisted of Indian sepoys. The army grew in size along with British expansion. In 1857, the strength of the army in India was around 3.5 lakh of whom about 2.5 lakh were Indians, but its officers were exclusively British. The highest Indian officer was a subedar. After 1857, Indian soldiers were excluded .from arsenals and artillery. The number of English soldiers was increased. Recruitment of Indians was restricted to particu­lar regions and a propaganda made of 'martial' and 'non­martial' communities of Indians. Punjabis, Gurkhas and Pathans, who had assisted the British in the suppression of the revolt, were declared to be 'martial' and were recruited in great numbers. By 1875, nearly half of the British soldiers were recruited from Punjab.

Lord Cornwallis gave proper shape to the police force by establishing the system of circles or thanas headed by a daroga, who was an Indian. Later, the post of district superintendent of police was created to head the police organisation in a district. In the villages, policing was left to the villagers. In 1791, a superintendent of police for Calcutta was appointed and soon other cities were placed in the charge of kotwals.