The General Service Enlistment Act of 1856 was passed by the British Parliament in 1856. It required every Indian soldier to go overseas for deployment if required. The Act was brought just before the
Anglo-Persian War. The British were reluctant to send a force overland to
Herat, reminiscent of the disasters of the first
Anglo Afghan War. So instead, the Government in India decided to launch a maritime expeditionary force to attack the general area of
Bushehr, the primary port of entry into Persia at the time.
[Sandes, E. W. C. (1948) ''The Indian Sappers & Miners'', p. 128.] For this reason
Lord Canning
Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning, (14 December 1812 – 17 June 1862), also known as The Viscount Canning and Clemency Canning, was a British statesman and Governor-General of India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the first Vice ...
, the
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
of India, decided to pass the Act that forced deployment literally overseas, as he was aware of the resistance he would face because of the
Kala pani taboo. It was thus one of the main causes for the
Great Uprising of 1857.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:General Service Enlistment Act
Military of British India
1856 in India
Resistance to the British Empire