India-Pakistan partition: How many Muslim soldiers chose Pakistani Army and how many were left in Indian Army? The answer will SHOCK you

India achieved freedom from British colonial yolk on August 15, 1947, however, the country paid a hefty price for independence as the British partitioned Bharat into two parts, India and Pakistan. The partition was fueled by communal divisions that were sowed in the once-united Indian social fabric by the British imperialists, who had followed a policy of divide and rule for decades.

The bloody partition which resulted in widespread bloodshed, leaving millions dead in unprecedented communal riots, not only divided the country’s landmass and its peoples, but also the British Indian Army, which was disbanded on August 14, 1947. An order to this effect was signed by Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, the commander of the British Indian Army, and Major General Reginald Savory.

How many Indian Army soldiers chose Pakistani Army?

Following the disbandment order, the last order passed by the British Indian Army, soldiers were given a choice to either join the Indian Army, or newly-formed Pakistani Army. According to historians and media reports from the time, soldiers could make the choice of their own free will, but were constrained to join the army of their respective nation only on the basis of their religion.

The diktat, which was aimed to avoid communal tensions, meant that no Muslim had the choice to join the Indian Army, and no Hindu or any other non-Muslim soldier could choose to be a part of the Indian Army.

According to reports, a total of 140,000 soldiers of the former British Indian Army joined the newly-formed Pakistani Army, while around 260,000 soldiers became a part of the Indian Army.

How many Muslims were left in Indian Army?

Amidst the communal bloodshed and violence in the aftermath of the 1947 partition, most of the soldiers who chose to join Pakistani army were Muslims, while a majority of non-Muslims, especially Hindus, stayed in India and joined the Indian armed forces. As per various reports, only a handful of Muslim soldiers remained in the Indian army, including 554 Muslim officers.

Around 36 percent of the British Indian Army constituted of Muslims before the partition, but the number was reduced to just 2 percent after the division. Additionally, the newly-independent countries of India and Pakistan had limited resources and as such, the British officers decided to divide munitions, weaponry, and equipment among the two armies.

The command structure of the former British Indian Army was also reorganized following the partition with India handed eight of the 12 commands, while Pakistan was given four.