Book Review: The Coolie’s Great War: Indian Labour in a Global Conflict, 1914–1921

Radhika Singha’s The Coolie’s Great War: Indian Labour in a Global Conflict, 1914–1921 presents a critical re-examination of World War I from a perspective often overshadowed by Eurocentric narratives. While existing histories largely glorify the combatants, Singha shifts focus to the non-combatant Indian labourers who played a crucial role in supporting the Allied war effort. Her work uncovers the experiences of these workers, categorised into the Coolie Corps and Porter Corps, which included construction workers, porters, mule-drivers, stretcher-bearers, cooks, washermen, and sweepers. Through meticulous research, Singha brings to light the harsh, often inhumane, conditions they endured—challenging the conventional glorification of the war effort and critiquing the exploitation of colonial subjects.

The book begins with an exploration of colonial India’s systematic mobilisation of labour for the war. The British administration recruited workers predominantly from rural, marginalised communities, referring to them derogatorily as “coolies.” Singha provides a detailed account of their deployment across various war fronts, including Mesopotamia, France, Egypt, the Persian Gulf, East Africa, Gallipoli, Salonika, and Aden. She examines the coercive and manipulative tactics used by
the colonial state to extract labour, preying on those with limited power to resist. British justifications of this recruitment as a “patriotic contribution” to the empire are deconstructed as thinly veiled exploitation, with the experiences of the labourers serving as a powerful counter-narrative.

Singha deliberately uses the term follower ranks instead of subalterns to highlight the distinctive role of these labourers, often engaged in care work that was arguably more humane than that of British soldiers. She details the critical yet undervalued work performed by Indian labourers—from constructing roads and railways to transporting supplies and tending to the wounded. However, their contributions were rarely acknowledged, and they were subjected to severe discrimination, including stark inequalities in wages, working conditions, and access to healthcare. Even within the follower ranks, a hierarchy existed, with mule-drivers and stretcher-bearers considered “higher followers” than menial workers.

The book also explores the unsanitary and hazardous conditions in which these labourers worked, leading to high mortality rates and widespread disease. Singha examines how the loss of these workers further strained rural economies, exacerbating economic hardship for their families. Women and children were forced to assume greater responsibilities, leading to shifts in traditional gender roles. While such demographic shifts are often overlooked in historical records, Singha argues that they had significant and lasting social and economic consequences. Her analysis provides a nuanced understanding of how global conflicts shape local realities.

One of the book’s key sections discusses the Indian labour and porter corps in Iraq, particularly the brutal conditions of the Jail Labour Porter Corps, which consisted of over 15,234 prisoners sent to Mesopotamia between October 1916 and July 1919. This force met the British demand for manpower at great human cost to India. The colonial administration disregarded religious and cultural sensitivities, including the proper cremation of bodies, further exposing the systemic dehumanisation of these workers.

Singha also transports readers to the battlefields of Europe, where Indian labourers faced not only the trauma of warfare but also the racialised hierarchies of the British empire. Most recruits came from the northeastern regions of Bihar, Orissa, and the Assam-Burma hill districts, where coercion rather than voluntary enlistment was the norm. Christian organisations such as the Salvation Army and the YMCA played an active role in recruitment, leading to a disproportionately high percentage of Christians in the Indian Labour Corps. By 1917, these recruitment drives encountered growing resistance. Singha details the challenges these labourers faced, from climate-related hardships to discrimination in food, recreation, and accommodation, which compounded their suffering.

The book also examines the long-term demographic implications of this mass mobilisation. Many Indian labourers settled in the regions where they were deployed, forming diasporic communities that played a significant role in the post-war world. Their experiences abroad shaped new political and social consciousness, laying the groundwork for later nationalist movements.

Singha’s The Coolie’s Great War is a seminal study that highlights an overlooked aspect of World War I, shedding light on themes of race, caste, and colonial exploitation. Her objective yet deeply empathetic account reconstructs the lived experiences of Indian labourers, drawing from war records and imperial documents while centring marginalised voices. More than just a historiographical contribution, the book is a powerful reminder of the intersections between war, labour, and demography.

The book concludes by examining the post-war period, as soldiers and followers returned home to an India irrevocably altered by their absence. While Europe underwent significant social and political changes following the repatriation of labourers, India experienced similar trends, albeit through the lens of colonial subjugation. The increased participation of ordinary people in political movements signalled a shift towards greater inclusivity, with formerly marginalised groups finding new avenues for political engagement. The sacrifices made by Indian migrant workers in the war reinforced their awareness of colonial exploitation, strengthening nationalist sentiments and influencing the strategies of Indian political leaders in the years to come.

In The Coolie’s Great War, Radhika Singha masterfully weaves together archival research and historical analysis to offer a compelling critique of colonial labour exploitation during World War I. Her work serves as a vital corrective to mainstream war histories, ensuring that the contributions and sacrifices of non-combatant Indian labourers are neither forgotten nor marginalised.