82nd Punjabis, Awan (Punjabi Musalman), 1908 (c)

Watercolour by Major Alfred Crowdy Lovett (1862-1919), 1908 (c).

Awans are a Moslem tribe from the Punjab who are said to be descended from Arab settlers led by Qutb Shah, a ruler of Herat and a general in the army of Mahmud of Ghazni, who himself was a Hashemite descendant of the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali. The Awans have a long tradition of soldiering and the British considered them to be a 'Martial Race'. Today the tribe continues to produce many recruits for the Pakistani Army..

This is the original artwork for an illustration in Major G F MacMunn's 'Armies of India', published in 1911.