These three figures show troopers of Indian regular cavalry in the service of the East India Company in the early 19th century. They are from three different units but with similar uniforms based on the British pattern. The EIC also employed irregular cavalry whose dress and weapons were more related to India. The headdress in this drawing by Hamilton Smith, was a peculiar shape that seemed to serve no practical purpose as there was no peak and no visible means of keeping it on the head, although other prints and paintings show a chinstrap. The headdress is blue for the two mounted men and red for the Java Volunteer. A print of the BLC at Sitabuldi in 1817 suggests that the rank and file had blue headgear while Indian officers had red.
The middle figure represents a private or sowar of the Bengal Light Cavalry, not specifying which regiment. The uniform he wears is French grey with orange facings. The 8th was raised in 1805 and initially wore red jackets with yellow facings, until c1811 when they were issued with the French grey jacket. The nether-wear for dress occasions was white breeches and black jack boots, worn by the two mounted figures. The Java Volunteer has white or pale buff overalls and ankle boots. The mounted men carry carbines which the artist may have assumed were carried by all sowars. But the ‘skirmshers’ armed with this short rifle were limited to 15 men per Troop, six Troops per regiment. There were 70 sowars in each Troop, so only 90 men out of 420 carried carbines. Every man, including the skirmishers, was armed with a light cavalry sword and a pair of pistols.
