"Indian Army Equipment" Topic

I know that after the Mutiny, the Indian army was always issued with less modern rifles than the British army, but when did this practice cease ?

TIA

turn of the century. they had Enfields by WW1.

Yes, they were certainly up to date in 1914, I just wondered when the upgrade was implemented.

Guthroth, at an estimate, they were upgraded in 1914. Reports from Tanga were that the sepoys were not familiar with their new Enfields.

Regards,
Keith F.

However, the British never really let them near artillery again.

One thing to note about the Sepoys at Tanga, they weren't 'British' Sepoys, but were Imperial Service Troops provided by Indian princes.

When it came to weapons they were normally even further down the food chain.

fwiw, it was some time after 1900. The 7th Rajputs were issued with Lee-Metfords before being sent to China in June 1900. See "St. George and the Chinese Dragon" by Lt. Col H.B. Vaughan who was a Major serving in the regiment at the time.

The Sepoys at Tanga were both Indian Army regulars and Imperial Service troops.
Sniders up to mid 1890's, then Martinis up to about 1905, then Lee Metfords, replaced by SMLEs at the outbreak of WW1.

Churchill's History of the Malakand Field Force (1897 events) still has the Indian troops armed with Martinis.

However, the British never really let them near artillery again.

Not entirely true, there were quite a few mountain guns crewed by Indians (I want to say something like 2/3rds the total mountain batteries were Indian crewed). I don't think any of the 12pdr, 15pdr, or 5.4" Howitzers had Indian crew, though. Of those three different guns, I would actually suspect the 5.4" to have Indian crews before any others.