LONDON (Web Desk) – The experience of 400,000 Muslim soldiers, almost one-third of the British Indian army, who fought for Britain in the First World War is one of the war’s least-known stories.
The Independent published a map showing countries where Muslims have fought for The Queen during the First World War.
Only 2% of people are aware that this force from an undivided India – present-day Pakistan, India and Bangladesh – fought and died alongside British troops, according to an ICM survey released by the think tank British Future.
According to the survey, as many as 400,000 Muslims made up one-third of the Indian Army of 1.3 million, along with 100,000 Sikhs, and up to 800,000 Hindu soldiers.
Yet when asked to estimate how many Muslims fought on the British side in 1914, only 2% of those surveyed by British Future correctly placed the number at between 250,000 and 500,000.
