Abstract
The siege of Kut-al-amara was the longest one that the English met throughout their history. The First English attempt to occupy Baghdad was interrupted in Ctesiphon by the Turks in Mesopotamian Campaign of the First War World. The 6th British Division, whose majority was Indians, tried to stand nearly 5 months against disease, hunger and the Turkish attacks from 7 December 1915 to 29 April 1916 when they were withdrew from Ctesiphon to Kut-al-amara. The restrictions for daily-food because of the Turkish siege and failures of the British Relief Force increased the danger of hunger. The Indian soldiers had to eat horse flesh because of rapid declining of foods but a long time they refused to eat horse flesh owing to their religious and traditional reasons. This also reduced both their physical and moral endurances against circumstances. In this period, the Indians were exposed to the Turkish propagandas but a few of them escaped to the Turkish side by the reasons of these propagandas and hunger. In the end, with the continuing failures of the British Relief Force and the coming to an end of foods, the British-Indian garrison in Kut-al-amara was forced to surrender to the Turks.
Keywords: Kut’’ül-Amare; Hintliler; Açlık; Propaganda; At Eti
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