ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the role of imperial military formations and the British Empires notable capacity to mobilise military and semi-military labour across national and colonial boundaries. The Indian Army was by far the largest of a diverse range of imperial military formations that helped the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, as well as colonial police forces, to protect the Empire from external and internal threats. The evolution of India's military structure influenced British military practice in parts of the world colonised later, particularly Africa. The racial gradations and the identification of martial races followed very familiar lines, and the migration of British attitudes and prejudices continued its journey from medieval roots. The Iraq Levies provide an excellent example of an imperial military formation and an instance of the more unusual activities of the Indian Army. The Ceylon Regiment illustrates the importance of indigenous military forces in gaining the Empire and subsequently providing for imperial defence.
