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168 branches of the service to which they belonged, were formed into cadres of regiments, and at the same time an establishment of general officers was created. This was followed by augmentations in numerical strength till, in 1808, the total military force in British India amounted to 24,000 Europeans and 154,000 Natives. The first half of the present century witnessed a series of wars and annexations, which necessitated further increases in the military force. Horse artillery was formed; and the artillery service generally was placed on a strong footing. Regiments of irregular cavalry were added to the establishment, while local corps and contingents were raised, some of which (such as the Punjab Irregular Force and the Haidarábád Contingent) soon became formidable.

The officering and recruiting of the three armies was at the time of the Mutiny in essentials alike in each Presidency. The officers were mainly supplied by the Company's Military College at Addiscombe (established in 1809); direct appointments being made by the Court of Directors. The Bengal Army was recruited from Hindustán, the infantry being chiefly drawn from Oudh and Behar. The soldiers were usually high caste Hindus, but a sixth of them were Muhammadans recruited from Rohilkhand and the Gangetic Doáb. The only other elements in the Bengal Army were the four Gúrkha regiments enlisted from Nepál and the local Punjab Irregular Force. The Madras Army was chiefly recruited from that Presidency or from the Native States adjoining it,