British Raj

British Raj

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Capital:

Delhi

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Government type:

Non-Aligned, Despotic

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Faction:

Allies

In 1936, the British Raj (Modern day  India) is one of the largest countries in terms of manpower, area and natural resources. However, they are still a puppet of the  United Kingdom and their fate is inevitably tied to that of the UK. This large Asian puppet state borders  Iran,  Afghanistan,  Sinkiang  Tibet,  Nepal,  Bhutan,  China,  Yunnan,  France, and  Siam.

Historical background

The British Raj was the result of piecemeal annexation of Indian princely states by the British East India Company. After a series of failed mutinies in 1857, the British Government took control of India from the BEIC and the Raj was born with Queen Victoria being given the title of Empress of India. Modern day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar form part of the British Raj in 1936. Although some territories like Rajputana were independently governed under British suzerainty, they have been abstracted under the overall control of the Raj for game play purposes.

During World War II, British India fielded the largest volunteer army in the war, and used it to contain the Japanese advance into the Indian Ocean basin, as well as stopping Japanese advances into the Indian subcontinent. The Battle of Imphal was a critical victory that stopped the  Japanese army's advances from occupied Burma. The war, however, was not without consequences to the people of the Raj, as wartime needs for the military often superseded any civilian concerns. A massive famine in the Bengal region was blamed upon the limited food aid sent by the British in favor of sending those supplies to the European and African theaters.

The British Raj suffered politically during the war as different groups vied to command leadership of the then flourishing Indian independence movement. The Muslim League and the Indian National Congress disagreed on their opinions on supporting the British war effort, with the League backing the British and Congress calling for supporting the British in exchange for concessions. Eventually, the British government agreed to consider Indian independence after the war ended. The last Viceroy of  India, Louis Mountbatten, left in 1947, just two years after the war.

Events

Main article: British Raj events

National focus

British Raj's national focus tree.

Main article: British Raj national focus tree

 British Raj, along with other nations of the British commonwealth, gets a unique national focus tree as part of the Together for Victory expansion. Without the expansion, the British Raj utilizes the Generic national focus tree.

The British Raj has a unique focus tree with 3 main branches:

Provincial Elections branch

Focuses on gaining independence and modifies the debilitating national spirits of the British Raj.

Lessons of the Great War branch

Focuses on expanding the army, establishes the air force and gives elite infantry divisions.

Great Indian Peninsula Railway branch

Focuses on building infrastructure, naval dockyards, and gives extra research slots.

Technology

The British Raj starts with the fewest technologies in the Commonwealth, lacking any tank or naval technologies whatsoever.

Army Technology	Naval Technology	Air Technology	Electronics & Industry
Infantry Eq. I Engineer Company I Recon Company I	None	Close Air Support I	Fuel Refining I
Doctrines
Grand Battleplan	Fleet in Being	None

The Raj starts with only 2 research slots. It can get a third quite quickly, but can't unlock any more until becoming independent. However, with Together for Victory it does get access to technology sharing from being in the Commonwealth. Becoming a dominion will increase the maximum cost reduction to -50% from -25%.

Cosmetic names

The Raj, being a British subject, shares most of their technologies and equipment with the United Kingdom, but still fields equipment that separates it from its mother country. Note that generic names are not listed.

Infantry & motorized techs

Type	1918	1936	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944
Support Weapons	Vickers MG & Stokes mortar		Lewis Mk. III DEMS & SBML two-inch mortar		Bren Mk. I & ML 3 inch mortar		Bren Mk. III & ML 4.2 inch Mortar
Infantry Equipment	GRI Rifle No.1 MkIII	POF Rifle No.4 MkI		GRI Sten MkII			GRI Sterling MkI
Infantry Anti-Tank							Boys Anti-Tank Rifle	PIAT
Motorized		NA
Mechanized					Bren Carrier		Universal Carrier		Churchill Kangaroo

Armor techs

Tech year	Amphibious	Light (TD/SPG/AA)	Medium (TD/SPG/AA)	Modern (TD/SPG/AA)	Heavy (TD/SPG/AA)	Super-Heavy (TD/SPG/AA)
1918		Mark V
1934		Vickers II (Deacon / Birch / Vickers II AA)			Vickers (NA / Gun Carrier Mk. I / NA)
1936		Matilda (Valiant / Priest / Matilda AA)
1939			Crusader (Cavalier / (Centaur / Crusader AA)
1940
1941		Valentine (Archer / Bishop / Valentine AA)	Cromwell (Charioteer / Avenger / Cromwell AA)		Churchill ( Churchill Gun Carrier / Churchill AVRE / Churchill AA )
1942
1943			Comet (Contentious / Sexton / Comet Marksman)		Black Prince (Hector / Black Prince AVRE / Black Prince Marksman)	Tortoise (Iron Duke/ NA / NA)
1945				Centurion (Centurion Malkara / Centurion AVRE / Centurion Marksman)

 

Artillery techs

Tech year	Anti-Air	Artillery	Rocket Artillery	Anti-Tank
1934		QF 18-pounder
1936	QF 3-inch			QF 2-pounder
1939		QF 25-pounder
1940	QF 40 mm Bofors		RP-3 HE/GP	QF 6-pounder
1942		BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun
1943	QF 3.7-inch		RP-3 HE/SAP	QF 17-pounder

Aircraft techs

Tech year	Close Air Support (Carrier)	Fighter (Carrier)	Naval Bomber (Carrier)	Heavy Fighter	Tactical Bomber	Strategic Bomber	Scout Plane
1933		Hart (Nimrod)			B-18 Bolo
1936	Hector (Osprey)	Demon (Sea Gladiator)	Swordfish (Shark)	Blenheim	Wellington	Halifax
1940	Typhoon (Skua)	Spitfire (Fulmar)	Albacore (Roc)	Beaufighter	Beaufort	Lancaster
1944	Tempest (Sea Fury)	Spiteful (Firefly)	Barracuda (Firebrand)	Mosquito FB	Mosquito B	Lincoln
Jet Engine Technology
1945		Meteor			Venom
1950		Vampire			Canberra	Valiant

 

Politics

The British Raj in 1936 is beset with communal divisions between the Hindus and the Muslims, and the Burmese in the extreme east outright rejects any affinity with the Raj, insisting that they are a separate nation that was unreasonably incorporated into the Raj by the British only because of geographical proximity. In the game, this is represented by the states of Peshawar, Punjab, Quetta, Baluchistan and Sind in the west, and Mandalay and Burma in the east being classified as occupied states, which significantly reduces the amount of manpower, resources, and industrial capacity the player can utilize from these states.

National spirits

With the Together for Victory expansion enabled, the British Raj starts with the following national spirits in both the 1936 and 1939 scenarios. Otherwise, it does not start with any national spirits and the ones it gains are dependent on the choices it make in the generic national focus tree.

Princely States

• Daily autonomy progress gain: -0.1

Marginalized Muslim Community

• Recruitable Population Factor: -20%
• Stability: -10.00%

Agrarian Society

• Recruitable Population Factor: -69%

The local administrators believe that their agrarian lifestyle has made a large part of the Indian population simply unfit for military service or warfare of any kind. They maintain that we should only recruit from the so-called "martial tribes". This belief is so wide-spread and well-entreched that it will require at least a generation to overcome. For the foreseeable future, we must accept that they would simply ignore any order to draft farmers.

Risk of Famine

The Indian system of food production is very fragile. Even a small interruption might cause a collapse.

Princely States and Marginalized Muslim Community are automatically lost on becoming independent peacefully (including the more beneficial versions of these traits unlockable via focuses). Princely States and Risk of Famine are also removed if India becomes communist or fascist. Agrarian Society can't be removed.

Diplomacy

With the Together For Victory expansion it is now possible to leave the Commonwealth. India can choose to join the Comintern or Axis via the Swaraj branch of its national focus tree. This will lead to a civil war which will be backed by its new allies.

Political parties

In both the 1936 and 1939 scenarios, the non-aligned Indian National Congress is the ruling political party in the British Raj with Lord Linlithgow acting as the Governor-General and Viceroy of India with overwhelming popularity.

Political Party	Ideology	Popularity	Party Leader	Country Name (If Independent)	Is Ruling?
Indian National Congress	Non-Aligned	80.00%	Lord Linlithgow	India
India Independence Movement	Democratic	17.00%	B. P. Sitaramayya	India
Communist Party of India	Communist	1.0%	P. Krishna Pillai	Indian People's Republic
All-India Hindu Assembly	Fascist	2.0%	V. D. Savarkar	Free India

Staff and designers

Political Advisors

Advisor	Type	Effect	Cost ()
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar	Democratic Reformer	Daily Democracy Support: +0.10 Has completed focus Indian National Congress Is not Supervised State	150
Karam Singh Mann	Communist Revolutionary	Daily Communism Support: +0.10 Has completed focus All India Forward Bloc Is not Supervised State	150
Subhas Chandra Bose	Fascist Demagogue	Daily Fascism Support: +0.10 Has completed focus All India Forward Bloc Is not Supervised State	150
John Edward Golightly	Silent Workhorse	Political Power Gain: +15%	150
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari	Popular Figurehead	Stability: +15.00%	150
Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi	Compassionate Gentleman	Improve relations opinion: +15.00%	150
John Mathai	Captain of Industry	Infrastructure construction speed: +10.00% Civilian Factory construction speed: +10.00% Refinery construction speed: +10.00%	150
Sir Muhammed Iqbal	Backroom Backstabber	Political Power Gain: +5% Ideology drift defense: +15.0%	150
Agha Khan III	Ideological Crusader	Same ideology monthly opinion: +100.00%	150

Tank Designers

Icon	Designer	Type	Effect	Cost ()
Armor Company	Tank Designer	Armor Research Speed: +15% Armor: Reliability: +5%	150

Ship Designers

Icon	Designer	Type	Effect	Cost ()
	Mazagon Dock Limited	Escort Fleet Designer	Naval Research Speed: +15% Screen: Max Range: +30% Sub detection: +10% Max Speed: +10% Production Cost: +10.00%	150
	Garden Reach Shipbuilders	Pacific Fleet Designer	Naval Research Speed: +15% Carrier: Deck Size: +25% Armor: -15% Max Range: +25% Capital Ship: Max Range: +25% Screen: Max Range: +25% Submarine: Max Range: +25%	150
	Scindia Shipbuilders	Atlantic Fleet Designer	Naval Research Speed: +15% Carrier: Armor: +50% HP: +10% Capital Ship: Armor: +10% Heavy Attack: +10%	150

Aircraft Designers

Icon	Designer	Type	Effect	Cost ()
	Hindustan Aircraft Corporation	Light Aircraft Designer	Air Research Speed: +15% Fighter: Agility: +10% Max Speed: +10% Carrier Fighter: Agility: +10% Max Speed: +10%	150
	Medium Air Company	Medium Aircraft Designer	Air Research Speed: +15% Heavy Fighter: Reliability: +20% Tactical Bomber: Reliability: +20%	150
	Heavy Air Company	Heavy Aircraft Designer	Air Research Speed: +15% Strategic Bomber: Strategic Bombing: +10%	150
	Naval Air Company	Naval Aircraft Designer	Air Research Speed: +15% Naval Bomber: Range: +10% Naval Attack: +10% CV Naval Bomber: Range: +10% Naval Attack: +10% Carrier Fighter: Range: +10% Agility: +10% Carrier CAS: Range: +10% Naval Attack: +10%	150

Materiel Designers

Icon	Designer	Type	Effect	Cost ()
	Ishapore Rifle Factory	Infantry Equipment Designer	Weapons and Equipment Research Speed: +15%	150
	Ordnance Factories Board	Artillery Designer	Artillery Research Speed: +15%	150
	Motorization Company	Motorized Equipment Designer	Motorization Research Speed: +15%	150

Industrial Concerns

Concern	Type	Effect	Cost ()
Industrial Company	Industrial Concern	Industrial Research Speed: +15%	150
Electronics Company	Electronics Concern	Electronics Research Speed: +15%	150

Theorists

Theorist	Type	Effect	Cost ()
Rajendra Prasad	Military Theorist	Army Experience Gain: +0.05 daily Land Doctrine Research Speed: +10%	150
Anyang Bhula	Air Warfare Theorist	Air Experience Gain: +0.05 daily Air Doctrine Research Speed: +10%	150
Bahadur Jayla of Khoch Bahur	Naval Theorist	Naval Experience Gain: +0.05 daily Naval Doctrine Research Speed: +10%	150
Homi J. Bhabha	Nuclear Scientist	Nuclear Doctrine Research Speed: +7% Has completed focus Institute of Fundamental Research	150

Economy

Laws

Conscription Law	Economy Law	Trade Law
Volunteer Only 1.5% Recruitable population	Civilian Economy 35% Consumer Goods factories –30% Factory construction speed +30% Factory (type) conversion cost –40% Fuel gain per oil –25% Fuel capacity	Export Focus 50% Resources to market +5% Research speed +10% Factory/Dockyard output +10% Construction speed +20% Civilian intelligence to others +10% Navy intelligence to others

The Raj can't increase its conscription law past Volunteer Only until it becomes independent.

Industry and resources

Resources

	Type	No.
	Aluminum	1
	Chromium	55
	Oil	11
	Rubber	30
	Steel	55
	Tungsten	100

Industry

	Type	No.
	Civilian factory	13
	Military factory	2
	Naval dockyard	1

Industry

Although the British Raj starts with a total of 14 civilian factories, 1 of them is unavailable at game start due to insufficient compliance. All in all, it has 47 free slots, enough to build up a much larger industrial base.

Resources

The Raj starts with significant reserves of rare earth minerals and enough steel and oil to field a sizeable force. Note that since its tungsten reserves are entirely located in Burma and Mandalay, both of them occupied states, only a fraction of tungsten is available for use at game start.

Military

In 1936, the British Raj starts with a small and under-equipped army, as well as a small air force. It does not possess a navy. Due to its starting national spirits vastly reducing its recruitable population, it only has a total manpower of 353.41K, of which 99.00K is tied up in the army, and 1.60K in the air force, leaving 252.82K available for recruitment.

Army

	Type	No.
	Infantry	11
	Total divisions	11

Navy

	Type	No.
	Total ships	0

Air force

	Type	No.
	Close air support	80
	Total planes	80

Army

The British Raj starts with 11 infantry divisions made up of 9 infantry battalions.

Navy

The British Raj does not possess any warships.

Air force

The British Raj starts with 80 close air support I stationed in Delhi.

Military staff

Chief of Army

Name	Type	Effect	Cost ()
Arthur A. Barrett	Army Defense (Expert)	Division Defense: +10.0%	150
Archibald Wavell	Army Reformer (Expert)	Army Experience Gain: +10.0%	150
Reginald Savory	Army Drill (Expert)	Division training time: -10.0%	150
Kodandera Cariappa	Army Morale (Expert)	Division Recovery Rate: +8.0%	150
Mohan Singh	Army Offense (Expert)	Division Attack: +10.0%	150

Chief of Navy

Name	Type	Effect	Cost ()
Louis Mountbatten	Naval Maneuver (Expert)	Naval Speed: +10%	150
William E. Parry	Commerce Raiding (Expert)	Convoy Raiding Efficiency: +15.00%	150
Bhaskar Soman	Decisive Battle (Expert)	Capital Ship Attack: +10.00% Capital Ship Armor: +10.00% Screen Attack: +10.00% Screen Defense: +10.00%	150
Ram Dass Katari	Naval Reformer (Expert)	Naval Experience Gain: +10.0%	150

Chief of Airforce

Name	Type	Effect	Cost ()
Bruce W. McPherson	Air Safety (Expert)	Air Accidents Chance: -10.0%	150
Subroto Mukherjee	Ground Support (Expert)	Air Superiority: +10.00%	150
Ravindra Darshan Singh	Night Operations (Expert)	Night Operations Penalty: -20.00%	150

Military High Command

Name	Type	Effect	Cost ()
Ram Singh Thakuri	Infantry (Expert)	Infantry Division Attack: +10.0% Infantry Division Defense: +15.0%	150
Arjan Singh	Air Combat Training (Genius)	Ace generation chance: +15.00%	150
Aspy Merwan Engineer	Naval Strike (Expert)	Naval Bombing: +3% Naval Targeting: +3% Naval Agility: +3%	150
Mehar Singh	Close Air Support (Genius)	Close air support attack: +5.00% Close air support defense: +5.00% Close air support agility: +5.00%	150
W.H. Gould-Bradford	Anti-Submarine (Expert)	Submarine Detection: +15.00%	150

Strategies and guides

The below is one of many player suggested strategies for British Raj. Bear in mind, due to the dynamic nature of the game, it may unfold differently for other players.

Multiplayer

Here is a basic strategy for most competitive multiplayer games. As British Raj, you have two roles in the world war, to lead an invasion into the African Horn and to defend against a Japanese invasion. You want to research your industrial techs first, as you will need to produce large amounts of equipment so you can use your manpower. Do not stop building civilian factories until early 1939 although try to keep your factories away from the east, as that is where the Japanese invasion will start from. Your divisions need to be 20 width pure infantry, with engineers. Support artillery is to be added by the time the Japanese war starts. When against the Japanese, you will only want to hold the main part of Burma, not the strip of land in the south, I suggest positioning your troops behind a river and on the mountains and forests, as you will get the most terrain bonuses this way and to create a few airfields to allow allied planes to support you. I also suggest adding a secondary fall back line in Bangladesh, just in case your main line falls falls. Create a 5-6 40 width mountaineers with 4 artillery and 14 mountaineers along with engineers and recon, you will keep these in the back and move them into any province that is being heavily attacked. This is the most basic of strategies when it comes to British Raj, it is extremely boring to use as most of the time you will just be waiting, but I do not have enough experience in competitive games as this country to give a more advanced strategy.

For general play as Allies, you want to become Dominion as soon as possible. Take the 2 focuses which gives dockyards as soon as you get your third research slot to get your convoy production going which will be used to be lend-leased to the British for instant autonomy gain as soon as WW2 starts. Also since you are a bit behind in research, try to research whatever other Commonwealth members have finished for the free bonus (by default Commonwealth members will pick Concentrated Industry, you might want to keep that in mind), also try to steal technology from Japan or Italy if you have La Resistance. When Sino-Japanese war starts which will increase world tension to 10%, start doing your political focuses immediately. Two Nation Theory should be taken before Quit India Movement as its bonuses is greater, but both should be completed. You might want to station some troops in Africa so you can get some autonomy gain from combat. You can focus on infantry but you can build tanks and even ships if you want. As soon as the war starts, send attache to UK immediately and give them lend-lease of convoys as you want to increase your autonomy to Dominion ASAP which will allow you to take the Clamp Down on Corruption focus to avert the dreadful Bengal Famine and also give you better research sharing bonus. You can help the war effort any way you want either by helping the Allies in Africa or help defend Malaya and East Indies, in any case pay attention to what is happening in China. If China is about to lose, you want to pull your troops back and prepare your defense. The three focuses which gives factories on the rightmost branch as well as the Princely State branch must be taken before you break free, otherwise they cannot be taken anymore. It is possible to release Pakistan as a puppet at any time you become a Dominion and it is best to do so just before becoming independent as otherwise Pakistan will break free and will not be joining the Allies.

Single Player

This guide assumes the UK and France are democratic while Germany and Italy remain fascist.

With so few military factories and many resources, free trade is a very powerful policy for the Raj in the early game for gaining more civilian industrial points, allowing India to build up its industry to rival that of some of the less industrialized great powers. However, as long as the Raj remains a colony of the UK, it cannot remove risk of famine, cannot take advantage of its large manpower, and cannot access 2 of its 5 research slots. Therefore, quickly gaining dominion status and independence should be top priorities of the player.

The most efficient way to gain the autonomy needed for dominion and independence is war contribution and lend-leasing to the UK. Both war contribution and lend-lease material can be gained very early in the war through a naval invasion of Italy originating from southern France (before France is invaded by Germany) and then capitulation of Italy. In HOI 4 single-player, Italy really is the “soft underbelly of Europe”. The captured war materials can then be shipped to the UK to increase autonomy. The player must finish the “Clamp Down on Corruption” focus within 300 days of the start of WWII in order assure the Bengal Famine is avoided. A rapid capitulation of Italy has the additional advantage of tipping the balance of power between Allies and Axis enough that France can hold off the German invasion.

Capturing factories from the Axis means that the British investment focuses are not worth it for the player in single-player since these focuses greatly slow down independence and the rewards from these focuses are a pittance compared to what can be captured (also the railroad construction bonus is lost on independence). Two-Nation Theory and Quit India are also not worth it (unless one is aiming for the “Our Words Are Backed With Nuclear Weapons” achievement). Remember that autonomy is being lost passively for India every day, meaning each extra focus has an additional autonomy cost. Cripp's Mission must be taken to get dominion status, despite its bad effects. Pakistan and Burma can be released as puppets when the player gets a notification of unrest in the northwest and northeast in order to avoid civil war.

An AI Japan pursuing a Southern Expansion strategy will become a threat to India around 1942 or so (assuming the war in Europe has not already been won). However, India is at the limit of Japan’s naval reach and is defended by mountain and jungle terrain so not many forces are needed to stop Japan (a few ships in the Bay of Bengal can prevent naval invasion). Just make sure your defensive lines are supplied and entrenched.

The British Raj will be behind technologically until independence so pick one or two aspects of your military (such as the air force) to do very well and get ahead-of-time to compensate for weaknesses elsewhere. India remains part of Commonwealth Tech Sharing with full bonuses even after independence so its research could very well eventually become faster than any other country's (besides the USA) once all 5 research slots are unlocked. Further boosts can be picked up by stealing blueprints while getting the "Spies Trade" achievement.

Take as much as possible in peace negotiations to propel India to major power status and perhaps even leadership of the Allied faction.

Achievements

Our Words Are Backed With Nuclear Weapons As India, develop and deploy a nuke. You must have the Quit India Movement national spirit.

Rule Britannia As any British Subject state, conquer all of Britain.

Spies Trade As India, become the spymaster for the Allies.

Countries

Europe

Albania Austria Belgium Bulgaria Czechoslovakia Denmark Estonia Finland France Free France Vichy France German Reich Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Nationalist Spain Republican Spain Kingdom of Romania Slovakia Soviet Union Sweden Switzerland Turkey United Kingdom Yugoslavia

North America

Dominion of Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama United States

South America

Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela

Asia	Afghanistan Bhutan British Malaya British Raj China Communist China Guangxi Clique Iran Iraq Japan Manchukuo Mengkukuo Mongolia Nepal Oman Philippines Saudi Arabia Shanxi Siam Sinkiang Tannu Tuva Tibet Xibei San Ma Yemen Yunnan

Africa

Kingdom of Egypt Ethiopia Liberia South Africa

Oceania

Australia New Zealand Tahiti