Chapter XX: Appendix: B

Copy of translation of pamphlets thrown over from Turkish trenches towards our line during the earlier part of the siege and picked up between the two old lines when these had been evacuated on Jan. 21st.

OH DEAR INDIAN BRETHREN,

You understand the fact well that God has created this war for the
sake of setting India free from the hands of the cruel English. That
is the reason why all the Rajahs and Nawabs with the help of Brave
Indian soldiers are at present creating disturbances in all parts of
India and are forcing the English out of the country. Consequently
not a single Englishman is to be seen in the N.W. Frontier of India
districts of Saad, Chakdara, Mohmand and Kohat. Brave Indian
soldiers have killed several of their officers at Singapore,
Secunderabad and Meerut cantonments. Many of the Indian soldiers
have on several occasions joined our allies the Turks, Germans, and
Austrians of which you must have heard.

O heroes! our friends the Turks, Germans and Austrians are trying
merely for the freedom of our country (India) from the English and
you being Indians are fighting against them thus causing delay. On
seeing your degraded position one feels severely ashamed (lit.
'blood in the eyes') that you have not got fed up of their
disgraceful conduct and hatred towards you.

You should remember how cruelly were Maharajah Ranjit Singh of the
Punjab and Sultan Tipu treated by the English govt., and now when
our beloved country is being released from their cruel clutches you
should not delay the freedom of your country and try to restore
happiness to the souls of your forefathers as you come from the same
heroic generation to which the brave soldiers of the Dardanelles and
Egypt belong.

You must have heard about the recent fighting in the Dardanelles
when Lord Hamilton was wounded and Lord Kitchener cowardly ran away
at night taking with him only the British soldiers from the
Dardanelles siege and leaving behind the Indian soldiers who on
seeing this murdered all their officers and joined the Turks.

Nearly everywhere we find that our Indian soldiers are leaving the
British. Is it not a pity that you still go on assisting them? Just
consider that these and we have left our homes and country and are
fighting only for rupees fifteen or twenty; a subaltern 20 or 25
years old is drawing a handsome amount as salary from Indian money
while our old Risaldar and Subadar majors are paid nothing like
him--and even a British soldier does not salute them. Is that all
the respect and share of wealth for the sake of which we should let
them enjoy our country?

For instance see how many of you Indian soldiers were killed and
wounded during the battle of Ctesiphon and there is nobody to look
after the families of your deceased and wounded brothers. Just
compare the pay a British soldier draws with that which you get.
Brethren hurry up, the British Kingdom is going to ruins now.
Bulgaria gave them several defeats, Ireland and the Transvaal are
out of their possessions of which perhaps you already know.

H.M. the Sultan's brave Turkish forces which were engaged at the
Bulgar frontier before are now coming over this side in lacs for the
purpose of setting India at liberty.

We were forced by the British to leave our beloved country for good
and had to live in America, but on hearing the news of our country
being freed from English hands we came here via Germany and found
our Indian brethren fighting against H.M. Sultan.

Other nations are trying to restore us freedom from the British, but
it appears we do not like to be freed from slavery, hence we are
fighting against our friends the Turks.

Brethren, what is done, that is done, and now you should murder all
your officers and come over to join H.M. Sultan's Army like our
brave Indian soldiers did in Egypt and the Dardanelles. All the
officers of this force and Arabs have received orders from the
Sultan that any Indian soldier, irrespective of any caste, a Sikh,
Rajput, Mahratta, Gurkha, Pathan, Shiah or Syed, who come to join
the Turks should be granted a handsome pay and land for cultivation
if they like to settle in the Sultan's territory. So you must not
miss the chance of murdering your officers and joining the Turks,
helping them to restore your freedom.

Dated _28th December, 1915_.

Printed and distributed by the Indian National Society.

Translated from originals in Urdu and Pushtu or Punjabi.