Imperial Service Cavalry Delhi Durbar, 1903 Photo
A 1903 photo of the Imperial Service Cavalry’s parade passing the Viceroy. Lord Curzon, was the viceroy, he is seen here saluting the grand cavalry parade. He was the viceroy from 1899 to 1905. There were three presidencies during British India- Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras. And there were around 565 Princely States ruled by Maharajas, Rajas, Princes, Nawabs, and so on.
The Indian government in 1888 insisted on the Princely states which had their armies to provide troops to the British Empire. For serving in the war fronts of the Northwest Frontier (today’s Pakistan bordering Afghanistan) and outside the Indian subcontinent. The largest and wealthiest of the Princely States maintained a large army of their own.
They collectively mobilized around 25,000 to 50,000 armed forces at the request of the government. The Indian Army gained much experience and became quite adept in handling any threats to the security of the British Empire either internally or externally. One of its regiments the Imperial Service Cavalry turned out impressively in this Delhi Durbar of 1903.
See post British Regiment Parade In Bangalore – Old Photo 1928.
Did you know- in 1915 the British Indian army successfully foiled an attack by the forces of the Turkish Ottoman-German alliance to seize the Suez Canal which was under British control at the time.
From the collection- Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph 1894., Rare Nilgiri Mountain Railway Steam Locomotive Drawing.
