India’s Role in the First World War

Over a million Indian soldiers fought for Britain in the First World War, 1914-1918. India also gave huge sums of money and raw materials. In return, Britain offered only a vague 1917 promise of eventual self-government. That broken promise helped fuel the mass nationalist politics that followed.

1.How large was India’s wartime contribution, and what was promised back?

India sent over one million soldiers to fight for Britain during the First World War, 1914-1918. The Indian Expeditionary Force fought across several theatres, including France, Mesopotamia, and Gallipoli.

India also supplied huge amounts of money, raw materials, and equipment. In return, Britain made only a vague promise of eventual self-government. This promise was formalised in the 1917 Montagu Declaration.

• Nearly 700,000 Indians served in Mesopotamia alone.
• Post-war disappointment with Britain’s actual reforms fed directly into the growing non-cooperation movement.

2.What was India’s £100 million “war gift”?

In 1917, India pledged a “war gift” of £100 million to Britain, on top of its soldiers. Much of this was raised through Indian War Loans, sold directly to Indian businesses and individuals.

By August 1918, more than half of that £100 million had already been raised inside India itself.

India also gained a seat at the table. Satyendra Prasanno Sinha and the Maharaja of Bikaner, Ganga Singh, represented India at the 1917 Imperial War Cabinet in London. They sat alongside representatives from Britain’s other dominions.

3.Who was India’s first Victoria Cross recipient?

Roughly 74,000 Indian soldiers died in the war, with major losses in campaigns like Mesopotamia and Gallipoli.

On 31 October 1914, at the First Battle of Ypres, the rest of machine-gunner Khudadad Khan‘s crew was killed. Wounded through both legs, he kept his own gun firing alone until he could fight no more.

He became the first Indian to receive the Victoria Cross. King George V presented it on 26 January 1915.

Think it through: why does a single machine-gunner’s act at Ypres still get taught as a landmark moment today?

Reveal the answer

Khudadad Khan wasn’t just brave — he was first. His Victoria Cross was the very first awarded to an Indian soldier. It opened a door that over a dozen more Indian recipients would follow during the war. It also became a symbol used on both sides. Britain used it to show Indian loyalty. Nationalists later used it to ask why such sacrifice bought India so little in return.

4.Why did the Montagu Declaration disappoint Indians?

The 1917 Montagu Declaration promised “responsible government,” but only through gradual, unspecified stages. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 followed, introducing limited dyarchy in Indian provinces. Many Indians saw this as inadequate.

The Rowlatt Act, passed the same year, extended wartime repressive powers into peacetime. This angered Indians further, just as the war’s sacrifices were supposed to be rewarded.

This mix of wartime sacrifice, vague promises, and continued repression is often cited as a key trigger for Gandhi’s rise to leadership.

5.What was the Kabul government-in-exile and the Silk Letter Conspiracy?

Not all wartime opposition worked within the British system. Raja Mahendra Pratap set up a Provisional Government of India in exile at Kabul, Afghanistan, in December 1915, with Maulana Barkatullah as prime minister.

It won no formal recognition and achieved little in practice. But it fed British fears of German-backed conspiracies, which helped shape the security thinking behind the Rowlatt Act.

• The Provisional Government’s home minister, Ubaidullah Sindhi, was separately linked to the Silk Letter Conspiracy of 1916. That plot aimed at a pan-Islamic uprising against British rule.
• British intelligence intercepted its letters. It was part of a wider web of wartime anti-colonial plots, alongside the Ghadar Movement and the Berlin Committee.

6.Exam Angle: the usual traps here

• Trap 1: “consider the following statements” questions often bundle several true facts together. Both PYQs above had all three statements turn out correct — don’t assume one false statement is hiding in the list.
• Trap 2: don’t confuse the Montagu Declaration (1917, a promise) with the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919, the actual legislation) — exams test this year gap directly.
• Trap 3: know which conspiracy is which. The Silk Letter Conspiracy (1916, pan-Islamic uprising), the Kabul Provisional Government (1915), and the Ghadar Movement (1913, San Francisco) are three separate things. Exams often mix them up together.

MCQ on India’s Role in the First World War

Question 1 of 1

Who became the first Indian to receive the Victoria Cross, for single-handedly keeping his machine gun firing during the First Battle of Ypres in 1914?

A.Khudadad KhanB.Darwan Singh NegiC.Gobind SinghD.Chatta Singh

Question 1 of 1

The 1917 Montagu Declaration promised eventual Indian self-government, but through what kind of process?

A.Gradual development of self-governing institutions toward progressive realization of responsible governmentB.Immediate full independence within one yearC.A one-time referendum on Dominion statusD.Direct transfer of power to Indian princely states only

Question 1 of 1

NCERT says the 1919 Rowlatt Act, framed on the advice of a committee chaired by Sidney Rowlatt, mainly did what?

A.Allowed detention without trial, continuing war-time measuresB.Gave Indians more council seatsC.Abolished the pressD.Ended the salt monopoly

Question 1 of 1

In December 1915, Raja Mahendra Pratap set up a Provisional Government of India in exile at Kabul, Afghanistan. Who served as its prime minister?

A.Maulana BarkatullahB.Ubaidullah SindhiC.Sohan Singh BhaknaD.Lala Hardayal

Question 1 of 1

Raja Mahendra Pratap established a Provisional Government of India in exile during the First World War, based in which country?

A.AfghanistanB.GermanyC.TurkeyD.Japan