This is an excerpt from a letter written by an Indian Post Office clerk, Abdul Rahim, to Fatah Muhammad Syal in London, regarding a subscription for a translation of an Islamic work Teachings of Islam. The British military authorities were sensitive to the fact that most of the Indian soldiers fighting in France were not Christian. The Censor of Indian Mail in his report for 5 June 1915, to which this excerpt was appended, described this letter as an example of religious enthusiasm in the attempt to spread the tenets of Islam amongst the French.
Abdul Rahim clearly interpreted the war in religious terms, commenting that ‘the world is going on under dangerous calamities which are in the specimen of God’s wrath’.
Professor Stephen Badsey reflects on how letters, parcels, and newspapers – although subject to censorship – kept family and friends in touch with soldiers serving in World War One.
Dr Santanu Das reveals the role of the Indian sepoy in World War One and explores the fragments of historical sources that shed light on the experiences of the one million Indians who served.
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