After the Crimean War (1853–1856), Europe entered a long and unprecedented period of peace and stability, except for the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. This peaceful era began to unravel in the first decade of the twentieth century, when an arms race intensified between two opposing alliances: Britain, France, and Russia on one side, and Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Italy on the other. By 1914, the long-accumulated gunpowder was ready to explode. The necessary spark was provided by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo. Armed and backed by new technologies, Europeans soon found themselves engaged in a kind of war that no one had ever imagined. The destruction and carnage were on a scale the world had never seen before.
But all this mayhem was not confined to Europe alone. Many European countries were major colonial powers, and they pulled their colonies into the conflict. One of them was Britain, and India was its largest colony — the "Jewel in the Crown." Britain mobilized the men and resources of India to bolster its war effort. Almost 1.27 million Indians participated in the war, which lasted from 1914 to 1918, and over 74,000 of them lost their lives in defense of the British Empire.
At the start of the war, the strength of the Indian Army was 155,000 men, 100,000 of whom were from Punjab. However, the army was greatly expanded during the war, and 380,000 more were recruited from this region. Of these, 120,000 were from the Rawalpindi Division, which in those days comprised the districts of Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Shahpur, and Mianwali.
The contribution of Indians in general — and Punjabis in particular — is not the main subject of this post. It is a vast and complex topic, well beyond my capacity. However, I want to contribute by writing about the small monuments and plaques I have seen in various places myself or found on the internet.
Gun at Dulmial. Given by the British Government to honour those men, who went to war from this village. (13.03.2009.) Location: 32°44'19.46"N, 72°55'19.88"E.
Our Heritage
This gun was awarded to Dulmial in recognition of services rendered by all ranks from this village during and prior to First Great War 1914 - 1919. The gun was brought from Jhelum and placed here under the supervision of Honarary Captain Malik Ghulam Muhammad and other veterans in 1925. (Photo: 13.03.2009.)
Gun Foundry Cossipore. No. 12, 1847. (13.03.2009.)
As the inscription on the gun tells, it was manufactured at the Gun and Shell Factory at Cossipore, Kolkata, India. This factory was established in 1801 by the East India Company, it is the oldest ordnance factory in India.
WIth the famous gun. (13.03.2009.)
Dulmial
From this village, 460 men went to the Great War 1914 - 1919. Of these 9 gave up their lives.
Photo Source: http://meemainseen.com/2015/04/dulmial/
Picture: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/world-war-i-gp-plans-memorial-to-honour-nearly-half-a-million-muslim-soldiers-who-fought-for-britain-a6815286.html
Names: http://meemainseen.com/2015/04/dulmial/
front row (left to right) Sub Sultan Ahmed, Risaldar Ghulam Rasul, SM Khuda Bakhsh, Capt Ghulam Muhammad, Lt Muhammad Khan, Sub Fateh Muhammad, Subedar Ghulam Muhammad
standing front row (left to right) Risaldar Muhammad Khan, Jemmadar Noor Muhammad, Sub Ismail Khan, Sub Fateh Muhammad, Sub Muhammad Khan, Sub Mulook Khan, Jemmadar Muhammad Khan, Sub Allah Ditta
standing back row (left to right) Jemmadar Abdullah Khan, Jemmadar Haider Khan, Jemmadar Muhammad Khan, Jemmadar Muhammad Hussain, Jemmadar Abdullah Khan, Sub Ramji Mal
Sources claim that this was the largest contribution of any village in the Indian Subcontinent. Similarly, during the WW II, 732 men from the same village went to war. Considering the size of this village, these figures are amazing. When I visited this Dulmial in 2009, I was not aware of the existence of this memorial, so missed it. This small village lies in Chakwal district, there is another village in the same district, which is very close to Chakwal city. It is called Dab, where a person was born whose name was Subedar Khudada Khan. This person won the first Victoria Cross in India in 1914.
Subedar Khudad Khan, the first recipient of the Victoria Cross in India.
Grave of Subedar Khudad Khan, VC, near Chak No. 25 ( 32°24'51.71"N, 73°14'31.94"E) in Mandi Bahauddin district. (24.03.2016.)
Another son of this land who earned an eternally respected place in history is Subedar Shahamad Khan, who, while fighting in Iraq during the First World War, won the Victoria Cross, the highest gallantry medal of the British Empire.
Subedar Shahamad Khan, VC (1879 - 1947), of Takhti, district Rawalpindi.
Grave of Subedar Shahamad Khan, VC. located at 33°21'32.04"N, 73° 4'12.48"E. (14.12.2016)
(In Google Earth search for Takti Rajgan.)
I visited the grave of Shahamad Khan on December 14, 2016, but missed a historic WWI monument built in memory of the soldiers who went to war from this village. Although this obelisk is only 50 meters from the grave of Shahamad Khan, due to the lack of information about it, I did not see it.
I could only return nearly nine years later, only on 7 August 2025. The sole purpose of this visit was to take photos of this monument. The result is given below. It must have been on open and high ground, but now it is surrounded by houses and situated in a narrow alley. The obelisk is situated at: 33°21'32.42"N, 73° 4'14.38"E.
The monument of WW I. (07.08.2025.)
The monument of WW I. (07.08.2025.)
TAKHTI
FROM
THIS VILLAGE 7 MEN
WENT TO THE
GREAT WAR
1914 - 1919
OF THESE
GAVE UP
HIS LIFE
The number of dead is missing, and the pronoun his suggests that only one person out of those seven died.
Another view of the obelisk from the roof of a neighbouring house. (07.08.2025.)
Soon Valley is a very beautiful valley in the Salt Range, located in District Khushab. It is inhabited by the Awan tribe, known for its traditions of bravery and valour. Through various sources, I came to know about some plaques commemorating the contributions of the people of this valley to World War I. I had visited this valley several times in the past and had also had the opportunity to visit Sakesar Mountain, the highest point of the Salt Range, which also houses some installations of the PAF. But the beauty of this valley had never impressed me as much as it did this time, because a good monsoon had made the scene simply marvellous.
Two pillars, as a WWI monument, were erected in 1928, at the start of the mountainous road to the valley. Location: 32°26'26.95"N, 72°13'7.27"E. (24.07.2017.)
A plaque commemorating the contribution of three thousand men, who participated in the WW I, on the side of the British Empire. (24.07.2017.)
Details of the officials who were involved in the construction of this monument. (24.07.2017.)
I found three plaques in three villages, which briefly tell the contribution of those villages to the war efforts. The pictures of those plaques are given below:
Surraki
From this village 110 men went to the Great War 1914 - 1919. Of these 8 gave up their lives. Location: 32°31'31.24"N, 72° 8'14.17"E. (24.07.2017.)
Village "Dara", the community guest house, which holds this plaque. (24.07.2017.)
Front view of the Dara. (24.07.2017.)
A beautiful view of the Soon Valley. (24.07.2017.)
Clouds on the hills. (24.07.2017.)
Beauty of the Soon Valley. (24.07.2017.)
Sabral (Sabhral)
From this village 127 men went to the Great War 1914 - 1919. Of these 5 gave up their lives. Location: 32°33'32.89"N, 72° 7'13.42"E. (24.07.2017.)
Front view of the building, a private baithhak, guest room. (24.07.2017.)
Kufri
From this village, 169 men went to the Great War, 1914 - 1919. Of these, 10 gave up their lives. Location: 32°32'49.85"N, 2° 5'29.35"E. (24.07.2017.)
Back of the school, where the plaque is fixed. (24.07.2017.)
A view of Kufri.
Monument at Pind Sawika: 32°46'3.64"N, 73°21'49.62"E. (District Jhelum)
(14.08.2019.)
PIND SWIKKA
FROM THIS VILLAGE 130 MEN WENT TO THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919. OF THESE 4 GAVE UP THEIR LIVES
14.08.2019.
Monumnet At Lehri, district Jhelum. 33° 9'1.22"N, 73°33'31.29"E.
Photo By: Mr Jawad Haider Kayani @ Google Earth
A few days ago I found an opportunity to visit Bhambar Tarar (بھمبر تراڑ - ਭਮਬਰ ਤਰਾੜ - भ्म्बर तराड़), a small village, about 24 kilometers from the Zero Point, in the Islamabad Capital Territory. This village also has a monument, in the shape of a tower, made of sandstone. A commemorative plaque is fixed on the tower in memory of those who went to WWI, as part of the British Indian Army. The monument is located at 33°36'3.89"N, 73°15'14.81"E.
World War 1 Monument at Bhambar Tarar. (22.07.2023.)
BHAMBAR TARAR
FROM THIS VILLAGE 25 MEN WENT TO THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919. OF THESE 4
GAVE UP THEIR LIVES.
Bhambar Tarar. (22.07.2023.)
A view of the Whab ud Din Shaheed Model School I - V, Bhambar Tarar. The monument is visible on the left side. (22.07.2023.)
Near Bhambar Tarar. (22.07.2023.)
I tried to find some more information about the monument or about the people who participated in this war. I talked to a few old men sitting in the nearby shops. But nobody knew anything about the monument or its purpose. Similarly, they were not aware of any of the descendants of these soldiers. In short, to them, the monument simply does not exist.
After Bhambar Tarar, I found another WWI monument right in the urban area. This monument was built near the old Kuri village, which I visited on 30.06.2025. It is located at 33°41'24.11"N, 73°10'17.74"E. The development work of a housing society has engulfed the small hill on which it was built, and the situation looks precarious. I am not sure if it will survive at all, or for how long. In a sense, it has already been lost, because the commemorative plaque is missing from the obelisk. Still, it stands tall, and apparently, some repair work was carried out in the recent past.
The loss of the commemorative plaque diminishes its historic value, as we are now not sure in honor of which village it was built. Nor do we have the number of soldiers or those who died.
The ground is being leveled and large-scale excavation is taking place around the monument. (30.06.2025.)
The commemorative plaque has already been lost. (30.06.2025.)
A closer view of the obelisk. (30.06.2025.)The news repiared plinth. (30.06.2025.)
A website gives the contribution of all three major communities of undivided Punjab as follows:
By the end of the war that began in 1915, undivided Punjab had provided some 3.7 lakh recruits, including 1.9 lakh Muslims, around 97,000 Sikhs and 83,000 Hindus, historian David Omissi writes in his book "Sepoy and the Raj".
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/community/ww1-commemorations-forget-punjabi-muslims/290378.html
A website "http://www.subedarkhan.org.uk/" gives the following information about the contribution of this region to the war efforts:
1. The first Asian Victoria Cross winner was Subedar Khan from what is now Pakistan on the Western Front, WW1.
2. The first Asian unit to arrive in France during WW1 was the Lahore Division, named after a large city in what is now Pakistan.
3. The first wave of the Lahore Division to see combat on the Western Front was made up of 75% men from Mirpur, Attock, Rawalpindi, Kotli and Jhelum districts from what is now Pakistan.
4. The first Asian casualty and medal awarded on the Western Front was to Sepoy Usman Khan in 1914, from what is now Pakistan.
5. The first district in Asia on the list of WW1 war dead was Rawalpindi with 1,336 men dead in what is now Pakistan.
6. The first village in number of men contributed to WW1 from Asia was Dulmial, in what is now Pakistan, with 460 men and 9 killed in action.
It is often claimed that the Indian Army was the largest volunteer force in history. However, there are indications that not all of those recruited joined voluntarily. Although some incentives were offered, such as a regular salary, however meagre, allotment of agricultural land after service, appeals to honour, and coercion were also employed. Influential individuals such as big landlords, religious leaders, and land revenue officials were tasked with recruitment and given specific targets to meet.
World War I was an extremely brutal conflict, and all participants suffered immensely. I came across a website that sheds some light on the feelings of the general public about the war, as well as the pain experienced by both the soldiers and their families.
http://apnaorg.com/articles/amarjit/wwi/
Don’t go don’t go
Stay back my friend.
Crazy people are packing up,
Flowers are withering and friendships are breaking.
Stay back my friend.
Allah gives bread and work
You wouldn’t find soothing shades anywhere else.
Don’t go my friend don’t go.
My husband, and his two brothers
All have gone to laam. [l’arme]
Hearing the news of the war
Leaves of trees got burnt.
War destroys towns and ports, it destroys huts
I shed tears, come and speak to me
All birds, all smiles have vanished
and the boats sunk
Graves devour our flesh and blood
He wears a tusser shirt
O train, move slowly
You have a passenger bound for Basra
The sand is hot in the cauldron
Germany stop the war
We do not need it
Trees by the roadside
Wicked Germany, stop the war
There are widows in every household
Potholes on the roads
Poor people’s sons were killed in Basra
In the morning I saddled the horse
For the Basra expedition
Alas, I couldn’t talk to him to my heart’s content
The string flew with the kite
May God forgive me
Germany is on the offensive
The English wouldn’t be able to do anything
May God forgive me
Mothers’ sons have gone to the laam in the foreign lands
May Allah end the laam, my children
May the Five Souls of the Prophet’s family guard you
May Allah bring you back home safe.
Indian soldiers served on many fronts, in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In the song mentioned above, Basra is referenced three times because nearly half of the Indian contingent served in present-day Iraq, and Basra was the main seaport and point of disembarkation.
This reminded me of my maternal grandmother, Feroz Bibi. Though she was not formally educated, she was an intelligent woman with a sharp memory and a good understanding of current affairs. She often told me stories of old warriors, particularly those who fought in the Second World War. Remarkably, she was even aware of the creation of the Azad Hind Fauj after the fall of Singapore during WWII. In her words, some soldiers became 'baaghis', i.e., rebels. Her own father, Wali Muhammad, was a soldier who served in Iraq during the First World War. She once told me how he was deeply anxious and troubled by the fact that he had to fight against fellow Muslims in Iraq. She recalled him saying, “How would I fire in the direction of Baghdad?”, a city held sacred by many Muslims because of the presence of holy shrines, including those of Imam Abu Hanifa and Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani.
Unfortunately, I don’t have more details about his wartime experiences. However, she did tell me that after the war, he brought home a dinner set made of chinaware, a rare novelty in those days. He passed away in 1950. My maternal grandmother was born around 1927–28 and died in 2009. May her soul rest in eternal peace.
http://worldwaroneincolour.tumblr.com/post/133804133761/photographer-jean-baptiste-tournassoud
Photographer: Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud
Year: 1917
Location: France
Description: A group of colonial soldiers from the Punjab region of India, pose for a photograph in France, 1917.
A vast majority of those who went to war from present-day Pakistan were Punjabis—Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus. However, the participation of Pakhtuns from the North-West Frontier of India was also significant. They fought on many fronts with their characteristic bravery, and many of them earned medals and praise for their outstanding performance. One such hero was Subedar Mir Dast. He was born in Tirah in 1874 and died in Peshawar in 1945. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for displaying exceptional bravery on the Western Front in Belgium in 1915.
Subedar Mir Dast, VC. (1874 - 1945)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/98780532@N08/9289950181
Mir Dast receiving the Victoria Cross from George V, August 1915
http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/discover/2016/06/03/mir-dast-the-man-behind-the-plaque/
I am sure there must be many more such plaques and monuments commemorating World War I, and I request my readers to help locate them. But what about World War II? After the end of the First World War, the British Empire was at its zenith, and it built monuments, big and small, all over the world to celebrate its victory. However, following World War II, the sun was setting on the Empire. Exhausted and in decline, Britain was neither in a position nor in the mood to construct memorials,at least not in a country like India, which it was now in a hurry to leave.
Tariq Amir
August 23, 2017.
Doha - Qatar.
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