1878-ARRIVAL OF INDIAN TROOPS UNDER BRITISH IN MALTA -BY STEAM SHIP FROM BOMBAY

In 1878, the British controlled Indian government dispatched 7000 native Indian troops to the island of Malta. This was the first time the Indian Army was deployed outside the British Indian Empire, and questions regarding its constitutionality were raised in the British parliament. The move was seen as a signal, during the height of the Great Eastern Crisis, that Britain was ready to supplement its own forces with troops from India to counter any Russian threats to Turkey, or future wars in Europe.