9th Lancers ( Hodson’s Horse ): a good group photograph of the 1890s

This very good photograph shows an Indian officer with 10 troopers and non commissioned officers of this élite cavalry regiment in the 1890s, wearing service dress. The officer is distinguished, apart from his rank badges, by his British pattern tunic, gauntlets, and Sam Browne belt. The others wear the more typically Indian kurta, leather belts and bandoliers. The belt, of universal pattern, clearly shows a Victorian crown on the buckle. The 9th Lancers badge is clearly worn on the shoulder chains of all ranks. The print, 10 x 8 ins, is unmounted and has three punched holes along the top edge where it has been kept in a ring binder at some time although this does not affect the subject, only a little sky.   sep28/3

This is another of the many regiments raised in 1857 following the mutiny of the Bengal Army. It has an illustrious history despite its founder, who was killed in 1858,  having a rather tarnished reputation following his summary execution by his own hand of the sons and grandson of the last Mughal emperor when they were discovered in the Red Fort in Delhi. The regiment survives in the modern Indian Army as the 4th Horse. Tyar bar Tyar!