File:The land of the boxers, or, China under the allies (1903) (14775917382).jpg

Identifier: cu31924023140977 (find matches)
Title: The land of the boxers, or, China under the allies
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Casserly, Gordon
Subjects:
Publisher: London New York Bombay : Longmans, Green, & Co.
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
ed resistanceof the mutinous troops in 1857, show that skilfulleadership is all that our sepoys need to enablethem to encounter the best soldiers of any nation. India is a continent—not a country—composedof many races that differ far more than Europeannationalities. A Russian and an Englishman, aSwede and an Italian are nearer akin, more alikein appearance, manners, and modes of thought thana Gurkha and a Pathan, a Sikh and a Mahratta,a Rajput and a Madrassi. It follows that thefighting value of all these various races of India isnot the same. No one would seek among theBengali babus or the Parsees of Bombay forwarriors. The Madras sepoy, though his prede-cessors helped to conquer India for British rule,has fallen from his high estate and is no longerregarded as a reliable soldier. Yet the wisdom ofthe policy which relegated him of late years alto-gether to the background during war may bequestioned. For the Madras sappers and miners,who alone of all the Madras army have been con-
Text Appearing After Image:
THE ALLIED ARMIES IN CHINA 57 stantly employed, have always proved satisfactory.But the fiat has gone forth; and the Madrassi willbe gradually replaced even in his own presidencyby the men of the more martial races of the North.The Mahratta, who once struck terror throughoutthe length and breadth of Hindustan, is consideredby some critics to be no longer useful as a fightingman. But they forget that not so long ago in thedesperate battled near Suakin, when even Britishtroops gave back before the mad rushes of fanati-cal Dervishes, the 28th Bombay Pioneers saved abroken square from imminent destruction by theirsteadfast bravery. And they were Mahrattas then.Of the excellence of the gallant warrior clans ofRajputana, of the fierce Pathans inured to fightingfrom boyhood, of the sturdy, cheerful, littleGurkhas, the steady, long-limbed Sikhs, none candoubt. Hard to conquer were they in the past;splendid to lead to battle now. To Lord Robertsis chiefly due the credit of welding together the

Note About Images