Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the immediate- and long-term impact of the war. It examines ports, prisoners-of-war, hospitals, and other conflict-related activities. The book describes how an apocalyptic mood descended on the city. Despite losing its political status as the capital of British India to Delhi in 1912, the city continued to be seen as second only to London. The book discusses one of the most complex and complicated frontier quandaries faced by the British. It looks at the forgotten front, including the make-up of the Indian Army that was grudgingly sent to East Africa with some 2,165 Indian Army and contingents of the Princely states and its volunteer artillery corps on August 19, 1914. The book analyses how cholera impacted the Indian Army within the larger context of cholera history in the British Empire.