By 1914, about three-quarters of the Indian infantry came from which of the following regions?

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (C) Punjab, Nepal and North-West Frontier Province

Explanation:
• Following the Revolt of 1857, the British radically changed their recruitment policy based on the 'Martial Races' theory. They believed that people from certain regions were naturally warlike and loyal, while others (like Bengalis) were 'effeminate' and politically suspicious.
• Recruitment was shifted away from the 'Purbaiya' soldiers of Bihar and Awadh (who had led the 1857 revolt) toward the Northwest.
• By 1914 (at the start of WWI), the British Indian Army was dominated by Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs, Dogras, Gorkhas (from Nepal), and Pathans from the NWFP.
• Punjab alone provided nearly half of the Indian combatants in the infantry. This 'Punjabization' of the army had long-term social and political impacts on the region.

Information Booster:
• The Peel Commission (1858) recommended that the ratio of European to Indian troops should be 1:2 in the Bengal Army.
• The 'Martial Race' theory was championed by Lord Roberts, the Commander-in-Chief in India.

Additional Knowledge:
• Bengal, Bihar, and Awadh (Option A): These were the primary recruiting grounds for the Company's army *before* 1857.
• Madras and Bombay (Option B): These presidencies saw a decline in their importance in military recruitment after 1857.
• Rajputana (Option D): While Rajputs were considered martial, the bulk of the numbers by 1914 came from the Punjab-Nepal-NWFP arc.