How to feed an Indian army?

ariel · 4th November 2018, 02:11 PM

I often catch myself underestimating the magnitude of wars on the Indian subcontinent. It takes me some time to recall the size of their armies and the sheer number of conflicts here and there. And then I get goosebumps....

Perhaps only WWII and Taiping Civil War can hold the candle, but in India major wars were virtually an unceasing process over centuries.

And Jens' question is a great one: armies march on their stomachs. They must have had huge intendant services that had to be strong fighting units at the same time. Cutting off their supply lines would have stopped the invasion dead in its tracks. Russians did it to Napoleon and Ataturk to the Greeks.

4th November 2018, 02:11 PM	#6
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I often catch myself underestimating the magnitude of wars on the Indian subcontinent. It takes me some time to recall the size of their armies and the sheer number of conflicts here and there. And then I get goosebumps.... Perhaps only WWII and Taiping Civil War can hold the candle, but in India major wars were virtually an unceasing process over centuries. And Jens' question is a great one: armies march on their stomachs. They must have had huge intendant services that had to be strong fighting units at the same time. Cutting off their supply lines would have stopped the invasion dead in its tracks. Russians did it to Napoleon and Ataturk to the Greeks.