An Afridi Pathan of the Tirah, a Jat Sikh lance naik, a Bangash Pathan of the Upper Swat Valley (out of uniform), a Yusufzai Pathan jemadar and a Punjabi Musalman, of the 19th Punjabis 1909

Watercolour by Major Alfred Crowdy Lovett (1862-1919), 1909.

Pathans, Sikhs and Punjabi Moslems were all 'Martial Races'. This was a designation created by officials of British India. The British had faced fierce resistance in some regions of India while they easily conquered other areas. This led them to look closely at some of the South Asian races. The British described these races as naturally warlike and aggressive in battle, and possessive of qualities like courage, loyalty, self sufficiency and physical strength. The peoples of the Punjab and North West Frontier were thought to be especially suited to soldiering.

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