Colonial troops

Dublin Core

Title

Colonial troops

Subject

Colonial troops

Description

Colonial troops from around the world soon were a part of the conflict. Surviving literature tells us that, often, these soldiers were unclear about the war's ultimate goal, but—like many soldiers before them—saw the conflict as an opportunity to travel, to seek adventure, and to advance socially and financially. Mulk Raj Anand, in his book Across the Black Waters, describes the experiences of Lalu, an Indian man who defies his father to join the conflict. Lalu believes that his service will allow his family to regain their family land. "It was thrilling to be going out on this adventure," he writes. "He was going to Vilayat after all, England, the glamorous land of his dreams, where the Sahibs came from, where people wore coats and pantalons and led active, fashionable lives—even, so it was said, the peasants and the poor Sahibs. He wondered what was his destiny."

Files

african rifles.jpg
colonial sikh.jpg
colonial algerian troops.jpg

Citation

“Colonial troops,” Willa Cather Foundation Collection, accessed March 29, 2024, https://willacatherfdn.omeka.net/items/show/50.