'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎51v] (107/454)

82 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
at that time:—“There is little likelihood of any troops being
available for this purpose. Indian forces must be used at the
decisive point. We shall have to buy our oil from elsewhere.
The Turk also can be dealt with better at the centre. I have
told Lord Grewe* that Europe and Egypt have greater claims
than we have on the Indian Army.”
As regards the effect of a rupture with Turkey on Moslem
feeling in India it was difficult then to speak with any certainty.
The Musalman community had joined whole-heartedly in the
wave of loyal enthusiasm which had swept through India on
the declaration of war with Germany and their offers of co
operation and assistance had been no less great or sincere than
those of other creeds. But, in the case of war with the Caliph,
complicated questions of religion and sentiment came into
consideration and the Government of India had by this time
felt themselves bound to take into their confidence the leaders
of Musalman opinion and to take steps to counteract the effects
of mendacious hostile propaganda. For already there was
Pan-Islamic agitation at work, instigated from Turkey and
Egypt, where Musalmans in India were regarded as a depressed
people with no political or religious liberties and as being ripe
for a Jahad —a manifestation of extraordinary ignorance which
did Turkey little good. It may be said at once that subsequent
results showed that Indian Musalmans regretted almost univer
sally the rupture of relations with Turkey, that they were
quick, however, to realise that the fault lay with Germany, and,
as they came to see that their religion was in no way threatened,
held fast to their loyalty to Great Britian ; and many thousands
of Musalman soldiers were found ready to lay down their lives
for the Empire of which they and their fathers were members.
That there were exceptions was of course to be expected, but
these were mainly to be found among the tribes beyond our
administrative border on the North-West Frontier Region of British India bordering Afghanistan. and they
were generally swayed by other than religious motives.
As regards the military forces from India mentioned in
General Barrow’s minute, Force “A” consisted ultimately of
two infantry and two cavalry divisions, which left India for
service in France at different dates between 24th August and
19th November, 1914. Force “ B ” was for operations against
German East Africa and the official correspondence shows that
the Indian authorities and the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. were somewhat
averse to its despatch there, so long as there was a chance of
troops having to be despatched to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Fot
* Then Secretary of State for India.