Question

Describethe changes that occurred in the composition of the Company’sarmy.

Answer 1

During the eighteenthcentury, when the East India Company began recruitment for its ownarmy, it started recruiting peasants and began training them asprofessional soldiers. Like the Mughal army, the Company’s armywas also composed of the cavalry and the infantry regiments, with thecavalry dominating the army. However, as warfare technology changedduring the nineteenth century, the cavalry requirements of theCompany’s army declined. As the soldiers had to be armed withmuskets and matchlocks, the infantry regiments became more important.