'Mauladad Khan Sirdar Bahadur, 1st Class Order of Merit. Subadar Major, 20th Punjab Infantry', 1865 (c)

Photograph, India, 1865 (c).

Mauladad Khan (1822-1890) held the prestigious Order of Merit. This award had been instituted in 1837 by the East India Company as an award for outstanding gallantry to native members of its forces. The title 'Sirdar Bahadur' roughly translates as 'Exalted Chief'.

Originally termed the 8th Regiment of Punjab Infantry, the 20th (Punjab) Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry was raised during the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859), by Lieutenant Charles Henry Brownlow.

From an album of 223 photographs presented to the Royal Military College Sandhurst by the 14th Punjab Regiment 1937.