British troops in India were the first in the world to be provided with permanent libraries, some two decades before their colleagues in Britain received the same. By the 1820s, every European regiment in India had the benefit of the services of a schoolmaster, a reading master and writing master, two assistant schoolmasters, a librarian and a schoolmistress for children.

Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile Hist…, loc. 625