Armistice Day: Long-Awaited Recognition for Punjabi Soldiers (WWI)

Indian soldiers in the trenches, World War I. Source: World War One | (stu.ca)

U.K. historians recently (November 2021) released letters — discovered in a Pakistani museum — written by Punjabi soldiers who served during World War I for the British. These letters were previously not available for public access. Writing letters in WWI was very significant for families and their ability to stay updated and connected while separated. Letters are also important for historians, as they give a candid and intimate understanding of people’s thoughts and feelings from that time. Letters of the past can give people a sense of legacy and connection between contemporary times and the past. Not having access to the letters took away this feeling of heritage, but this recent release is restorative. 

The release of these letters reminds the world of the contributions of subjugated people who were not directly involved in the World Wars, as well as allowing the descendants of the soldiers to connect to their heritage. Contribution from Punjabi soldiers in the First World War is one reason why Punjab was once considered the “sword of India '' for the British Empire. This recognition did not extend far and is now widely unknown, even though 1.3 million Indian soldiers served in WWI. Chaudhry Hameed comments in their essay, “Empire of Honor,” that the participation of Punjabis in World War I does not match the way their history is taught. Hameed writes that while the “number of Indians, particularly Punjabis, who fought for the British Empire between 1914 and 1918 is undoubtedly staggering, Indian soldiers’ participation in the First World War is a marginalized history at best.” Marginalized history of the Punjabi soldiers who fought in World War I reflects the forgotten roles and suppressed history of subjugated peoples by the Western world. 

The sad truth about the forgotten service of Punjabi soldiers echoes how colonies and marginalized groups under Western powers were exploited and used for wars that serviced the powers that had dominion over them. This phenomenon occurs because the global conflicts from a century ago have been taught through a Eurocentric lens that ignores the sacrifices made by people of color and instead emphasizes white and European history. Although history for many has been suppressed, the legacy of Punjabi soldiers persisted before the release of the letters, even if it was not on a large scale, through art. 

In the era of the first and second World Wars, Punjabi poetry and folk songs maintained the memories and emotions of the traumas of the World Wars. These songs and poems often reflected the grief of the women left behind and the harrowing pain of families being separated by war. Art allowed a sense of connection for people during WWI — a link that was unable to be accessed through letters until now.

The recent release of these letters represents essential progress for recognizing the contributions of minority soldiers and allowing their families to feel connected to their lineage. Hopefully, more recognition for minority groups who have not been recognized will soon occur as more people become educated on the role of groups such as the Punjabi soldiers and will be inspired to learn even more. Individual research is also important for progress. New and exciting information can be found online through digital archives that are currently available, such as this one on U.S. history, specifically for World War I.