H. H. Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner with officers of the Ganga Risala

BIKANER. H. H. Maharaja Ganga Singh with a group of eight officers of the Ganga Risala Camel Corps wearing an undress uniform of rather Zouave style. The group portrait by Johnston &Hoffmann, 22 Chowringhee Road, Calcutta, Darjeeling & Simla is on one of their large Royal size cards 13 x 7½ ins with a little damage and ink stain to lower left corner. It is unusual to find this type of card used in landscape format as it was ideally shaped for portraits. The officers wear Sam Browne belts but the Maharaja wears a different style with the very distinctive buckle shoing a camel. The prince seems very young in this image. As he was born in 1880 we think this photograph dates from the early 1890s. We have not so far identified the British officer who may be there in a training or advisory role.  The Bikaner Ganga Risala was raised in 1884 and first saw action in the China War of 1900 but later served in Somaliland 1901-4 and in various arenas in the First World War.    nov27/4