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*[[Bombay Army]]
*[[Madras Army]]
Samuel Hickson who was in India 1777-1785 wrote in his Diary about the fact that very few soldiers of the East India Company Armies returned to Britain, and lists the reasons: disease, the good provisions made by the Company relating to age and incapacity, the bounty paid on renewal of service, and family ties.
Note that only unmarried men were appointed as soldiers.
<blockquote>"I know that in England an opinion prevails of this country being extremely unhealthy this takes foundation in a great measure from the very few of those that enter into the Company’s service that ever return to England, but this must not be attributed to the climate alone, many other reasons concern to prevent the return of the majority of soldiers. I shall name the principal. The climate must be acknowledged as one reason as most people after their arrival are attacked with the bloody flux, after their recovery from which, I don’t see but people who do not destroy their constitution by intemperance generally enjoy their health as well as in Europe. But intemperance in a variety of ways destroys thousands of its unhappy votaries; first Drinking is carried to such an excess as is hardly credible… The fatal effects of venereal disorders are only to be conceived by those who have been in hot climates and seen the many wretched spectacles it occasions;…
Another principle reason for the smallness of the numbers who return to their Native Country is the good provisions the Company makes for those who by age, sickness, wound or any other means are rendered incapable of service in the field; if they are not so disabled but can mount guard now and then, they are put into some garrison where they receive their full pay & generally get a little house of their own, with a yard and garden and keep Hogs, Fowls, Ducks etc. and pass the latter part of their lives in peace and ease…
These considerations (with the further inducement of 25 Pagodas bounty which the Company allows at the expiration of every 5 years to those who renew their time) induces most people to stay in the Country who have not some particular reasons for returning, for here they are sure of a provision in age sickness or any other situation which may render them incapable of procuring their own livelihood. Another reason which detains great numbers here is the engagement with the female (not the fair) sex. Many people who on their first coming here profess the strongest determination of returning home, before their 5 years is expired have a wife and children: and great numbers of those who do not marry keep women and have large families of children and very few of those who ever enter into any of these engagements ever think of going home afterwards." <ref> "Diary of Samuel Hickson 1777-1785" in Bengal Past and Present, Volume 49, Part 1 1935, pages 28-30 (computer pages 35-37) which is available to read online on the Digital Library of India website.</ref></blockquote>
== FIBIS resources ==
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=JUQIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP9 ''Standing Orders of the East India Company's Depot''] 1852 Google Books
*[http://www.archive.org/stream/catalogueofbooks00cockrich#page/n1/mode/2up ''A catalogue of books relating to the military history of India''] drawn up by Maurice J.D. Cockle 1901 Archive.org
== References ==
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