North view of the fort of Chunargarh on the Ganges, from across the river
Over recent years we have come to understand more about the role that Scots played in the construction of the British Empire. Men like Sir Hector Munro of Novar and Sir David Baird of Newbyth were celebrated as imperial heroes, pride in their exploits forming a key part in the assimilation of Scots to the joint enterprise of Britain. Their role in the expansion of British power in India may now be examined more critically, but there is no doubt that Scots were a significant part of the officer corps in 18th-century India, especially in leading the armies of the East India Company.
By 1772, 250 of the company’s 800 officers were from Scotland. However, while the headlines might have been of distinguished service, behind them lurked a darker and more complex story. In 1766 there was a mutiny of European officers in Bengal which threatened the very fabric of British rule. Victor Kiernan, in a review of Scottish military involvement in India, noted of this event that ‘it would be interesting to know more about what part Scotsmen played on such occasions’.