India and the First world War:’If I Die Here, Who Will Remember Me’

The First World War was primarily a European conflict but it involved participation of soldiers from other parts of the globe as well, including India from where over a million-and-a-half men joined the war and fought for the British. The book examines the meaning of the war for the Indians, particularly the soldiers who had to fight in strange lands, against enemies with whom they had no enmity and using unheard forms of warfare. It deals with the impact of the war on them as well. Using first-hand accounts like letters penned by the soldiers, documents from archives and some rare photographs, it reconstructs the story of the war from the Indian viewpoint, bringing out details regarding India’s contribution on the different fronts where Indians were engaged. It probes the interaction between the Indians and the Europeans that the war brought about, highlighting the way it impacted on the Indians.