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British India, also known as the Delhi Government or simply Delhi, is a nation in northwest India. It borders the Qing Empire to the north through the Xinjiang Clique, Tibet to the northeast, Nepal and the Bharatiya Commune to the east, the Princely Federation to the south, Persia to the west, and Afghanistan to the northwest.
History[]
Sikh Rebellion[]
In 1925 the syndicalist revolution in Britain precipitated the collapse of the British Empire, and the constituent parts of which were rather abruptly left to find their own way. In India, a combination of princes, rajahs, nationalists, imperialists, and syndicalists started to fight for the control of the sub-continent. During those riots, some elite Sikh regiments refused to take arms against their compatriots by giving an example for large numbers of other troops in the indigene army. The revolts quickly spread to the rest of India. The short-lived Sikh Confederacy fought among many other lands for independence during the chaos. The Sihks sought to negotiate a state of semi-autonomy with Delhi, in December 1925 a group of Sikh fanatics closed themselves in the Sikh Holy City of Amritsar. Two days later, a British soldier, one Arthur Hale leading a band of ninety native soldiers armed with machines guns and mustard gas attempted to expel the rebels by force, breaking the negotiations. This attack was successful and the Dehlian forces captured the city of Amritsar, breaking the back of the Sikh rebellion.
Formation of the Dominion[]
Realizing the impossibility of these tumultuous events being resolved favorably for the Empire, the Viceroy and Governor-General of India Rufus Isaacs in January 1926 chose to create a free nation in the northwest of India under his leadership in the hopes that someday the Royalists would return to Britain and the Empire be restored. The move received harsh criticism from some, India as a united colony was after all was still considered ‘the Jewel of the Empire’, but the Royalist government in Canada realized and accepted the necessity of the move in keeping a hold of the sub-continent. The new state of Delhi has thus remained in a close partnership with Canada and her allies of the rump Entente, and it was agreed that in order to appease the local population Mirza Muhammad Khair ud-din, Khurshid Jah Bahadur should be placed on the throne as Prince of Delhi, to be advised by a mixed group of Indians and British advisors. In the decade since its formation, Delhi has struggled to consolidate her position in India, clearing out several of the smaller regimes that had sprung up, and maintaining a strong front against the syndicalist forces in Bengal. However, while Delhi remains strong against external threats, internal divisions are widening. Political clashes concerning national vs. regional power are resulting in a polarization of political life, manifesting in the Sanghavadi and Rashtravadi Parties. Unless action is taken this political infighting may end up tearing Delhi apart from within. The road ahead for Delhi looks difficult no matter what course it steers.
Politics[]
Politics in the Dominion of India is split between the British central government and various Indian princes. While the Dominion was only able to remain in government due to the loyalty of these northern princes such as Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, they share power with the government, a difficult and archaic process that involves a great deal of waste.
Conscription Law: Volunteer Only
Economic Law: Export Focus
Trade Law: Civilian Economy
Head of Government: Maharaja Ganga Singh (Unionist Party)
Foreign Minister: Sir Atul Chandra Chatterjee (Unionist Party)
Economy Minister: Sir C.D. Deshmukh (Unionist Party)
Interior Minister: Sir C.P. Ramaswami Iyer (Indian Liberal Party)
Intelligence Minister: None
Economy[]
The Dominion's economy is largely underdeveloped, depending on the export of crops. The nation is largely agrarian in nature, with many of its agricultural methods outdated.
Similarly to the other members of the Entente, the Dominion of India has maintained minimal economic ties with Germany. Thus in the case of a German economic collapse, the Dominion would not be affected.
Military[]
The Dominion's military is split between not only between White and Indian officers but also between regular divisions under the central government and the various Princes' armies. This archaic system hampers the communication and overall effectiveness of the army.
Army[]
The Dominion has the smallest army among the 3 powers of the Indian subcontinent, only numbering 22 divisions to the 28 and 29 of the Princely Federation and Bharatiya Commune respectively. It is made up of 16 regular infantry divisions, 4 cavalry divisions, 1 militia division & a lone mountaineer division comprised of Gurkhas. Most of these divisions are also untrained and inexperienced.
[]
The Dominion is the only nation on the subcontinent that has a standing navy, although it only comprises of 4 light cruisers, relics from the pre-Weltkrieg era.
Air Force[]
As with the other Indian powers, the dominion lacks any air force in 1936, although it can expand it in the coming year
Foreign Relations[]
- The Dominion of India is a member of the Entente, with Canada, the French Republic, Sardinia, Australasia, and the West Indies Federation.
- Friendly relations with other members of the Entente.
- Hostile relations with the Bharatiya Commune and the Princely Federation.
Culture[]
As with the rest of India, the Dominion of India is a melting pot of various Indian cultures & languages, including but not limited to Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Urdu, although Hindi speakers are the largest category by a large gap.