"Following the Mutiny of 1857, various factors impelled the British to turn to the province of Punjab in north-western India as the principal recruiting ground for the Indian Army. This book examines the processes by which the politics and political economy of colonial Punjab was militarized by the province's position as the "sword arm" of the Raj. Additionally, it explains the relationship between the military and society in colonial India." "Based on extensive archival research, this book is perhaps the first to throw light on an important yet little-known period of the Punjab's history. It will be of considerable interest to historians, political scientists and sociologists, as well as to those interested in military studies, the British Empire and the history of the Punjab."--BOOK JACKET.