The story of a small Punjab village’s significant contribution to the British war effort in 1914-18 is being brought to a wider audience for the Centenary.
Dulmial, in present-day Pakistan, sent 460 soldiers to fight in the First World War, the largest single number from any village then under British rule in undivided India.
Among them were both great grandfathers of Dr Irfan Malik, who lives in the UK city of Nottingham and is researching Dulmial’s wartime role with Michael Noble, of the Centre for Hidden Histories at Nottingham University.
Little has been written or published about Dulmial in English, they explain, but in Pakistan it’s known as the ‘village with the gun.’
A 19th century cannon sits in the centre of Dulmial, donated by Britain in honour of the villagers’ First World War service and sacrifice. Nine of the 460 soldiers didn’t return.
Dulmial’s highest ranking and most decorated soldier, Captain Ghulam Mohammad Malik, chose it in preference to offers of land, money and water facilities.
As part of the UK’s Centenary commemorations, representatives from Dulmial were invited to the British High Commission in Islamabad for a reception honouring Victoria Cross recipients from Pakistan on November 10th 2014.
Click here to read the full story by Dr Malik and Michael Noble in our features section.
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Centenary Update:
Watch a video from the event here.
Information & pictures courtesy of Dr Irfan Malik, Friends of Dulmial Society, and Michael Noble, Centre for Hidden Histories, University of Nottingham
Posted by: Peter Alhadeff, Centenary News