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STATISTICS OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN INDIA FROM 1871 TO 1876.

[Section I.

CHAPTER II.

THE STATISTICS OF THE ARMY AS INFLUENCED BY AGE AND LENGTH OF SERVICE IN INDIA.

   The Strength of the Army in rela-
tion to Age and Length of Service in
India-Army of 1871-75.

      The figures which follow show that in the period under review one-fifth only of the
men composing the Army of India serve in the country
over seven years; four-fifths are removed in the seven years,
and the history is consistent throughout.

      One half of the Army is composed of men who have spent four seasons or less in India.

      These are the proportions taken on the average of the five years 1871-75; one hundred
soldiers of the Army of India stand thus in relation to length of residence:—

      Out of an average strength of 58,000, 12,200 men remained after seven years' service;
after four years' residence only 26,250, or 45 per cent., continued to serve; and 55 per cent. of
the Army, 31,650 men, were new soldiers, recently landed and spending their first seasons in
India.

      In accordance with this statement, it follows that the Army of India is a young army,
taken as a body.

      Only 2 per cent. of the whole strength exceeds 40 years of age, and only 14 per cent. 35:
86 per cent. of the total are men below 35; and 65 per cent. of the Army are men
under 30. The restrictions placed of late years on sending immature soldiers to India have
resulted in this, that the returns of the Army for 1875 show only 1,264 lads under 20 and
those of 1876, 1,185.

      The natural sub-division of the Army in relation to age would appear to be as under;
and these were the proportions out of each hundred present at the different ages:

      The details year by year, and for the Armies of the Three Presidencies, are here given.
The Age Statements show the full strength of the Army; but the Return for Length of Resi-
dence is deficient for several regiments, and so far incomplete. The deficiencies, however, do
not seriously interfere with the general results:—

Strength of the Army at different periods of Indian Service.

ARMY OF INDIA, 1871-75.

ARMY OF BENGAL, 1871-75.

ARMY OF MADRAS, 1871-75.