Daffadar Abdoor Rahman, 2nd Bombay Lancers, 1887 (c)

Photograph by Johnston and Hoffman, Model No. 140, 22 Chowringhee Road, Calcutta, India, 1887 (c).

The contemporary caption describes Daffadar Rahman as 'Caste, Mahomedan (Sheikh)' and records his enlistment date as 1 March 1868, his height as 5 foot 9 inches, and weight, 13 stone 10 pounds. It notes his medal for the 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880). It gives a concise history of the soldier's unit and its current commanding officer is named as Colonel C J Anderson.

In 1816, the 2nd Bombay Lancers was first raised as the 'Second Native Troop' of the Bombay Squadron of Cavalry. It became a separate regiment in 1817, known as the 2nd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry and, other than briefly being renamed 2nd Regiment of Bombay Silladar Light Cavalry in 1861, it kept this title until 1883, when it was renamed as the 2nd Bombay Lancers.

Under Lord Kitchener's major reforms, which were instituted in the 1890s and implemented by 1903, the three Presidency Armies were brought together to become the Indian Army. Units were renumbered in order to avoid confusion, with Bombay cavalry regiments adding thirty to their existing number, so the 2nd Bombay Lancers became the 32nd Bombay Lancers.

From a series documenting the Collanderies Collection of Uniform, 1878-1890 (c).