India's part-time forces were completely reorganized after the Great Indian Mutiny of 1857. This was primarily with an objective of avoiding any future conflict of similar nature with a better response mechanism. The idea was two fold; to train and arm all British civilians in the art of soldiering so that they are able to respond to any contingency and also to provide standing reserves to reinforce the regular forces.
The British Crown now in power, was ruthlessly expanding its area of influence in the Indian subcontinent and wanted a strong professional military force rather than an amateurish one. But also, it was equally concerned on the cost factor and the strength of British civil society which could only be ensured with the concept of part-time soldiering. A new force therefore, was reconstituted from amongst the existing part-time units and renamed as the Volunteer Force of India (VFI). This eventually was headed by an Inspector General at the army headquarters. Madras Volunteer Guards was the senior most unit being raised on the 2nd July 1857 and perhaps was kept together till 1862 with a success hitherto attained by no other Volunteer Corps or Company in India. It was stationed at the garrison of Fort Saint George, Madras. On the 18th July 1857, Act XXIII of 1857 was passed to provide for the good order and discipline of certain Volunteer Corps.
A similar force was already existing in other British colonies which perhaps were constituted with a prime objective of giving strength to the empire. Matching well on the battlefield, the VFI also performed splendidly in various quarters of war both in India and abroad and the testimony can be found in various British notifications. On such account of gallantry was performed by the part-time soldiers of Lumsdon’s Horse at South Africa
(Published by the team of TERRITORIALS)
