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East India Company Army

2,432 bytes added, 12:31, 30 April 2014
reinstate text removed in error
====Other====
The [[National Army Museum]], London has a card index, mainly in respect of East India Company Army Officers
 
==The difference between rank in the Regiment and rank in the Army==
All officers held dual rank, that is, rank in their regiment and rank in the Army. Their rank in their regiment dictated what they did on a day-to-day basis. The HEIC regiments did not have the purchase system [for rank in the regiment] but based promotions on seniority within the regiment which was one reason why the timing of an officer's rank within the regiment was important. When an officer held a rank in the Army for a period longer than his rank in his regiment this was probably due to him not having actually been posted to his regiment for a period when he was first commissioned<ref>Rootsweb India List reply [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/india/2009-08/1251599449 Rank in regiment; rank in army] by Tim 30 August 2009 (retrieved 14 April 2014)</ref>
Although there was no official purchase system, there was an informal system within the HEIC Army whereby the lower rank officers provided a monetary incentive for a senior officer to retire so that all junior officers could move up a step, but it was not an actual purchase of rank<ref> Rootsweb India List reply [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2009-12/1259763830 East India Company Army Purchase of Commissions] by Tim B 2 Dec 2009 (retrieved 14 April 2014)</ref>
==Advantages of joining an EIC Army compared with the British Army==
===For a soldier===
The army took responsibility for many civil and social activities in the country, particularly in the vicinity of the cantonments. These responsibilities were undertaken by Warrant Officers generally acting through Sergeants of differing titles. These were positions of significant importance and standing and the chance to attain them was one of the attractions of joining the Company's army rather than the King's/Queen's army.<ref> Rootsweb India List post [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/india/2000-04/0954667043 Bazaar Sergeant] by Peter Bailey 2 Apr 2000 (retrieved 14 April 2014)</ref> Many NCOs were able to take on other work and attract an extra income. By doing so, they could frequently buy themselves out of their units, could earn more money and qualify for a pension much sooner.<ref>Rootsweb India List post [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/india/1998-12/0913448812 Prisons] by Tony Fuller 12 Dec 1998 (retrieved 14 April 2014)</ref>
==Wives and children==
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