Burma Military Police, 1898

This picture shows Karens serving in the Burma Military Police, c1898. The Karens were hill and mountain dwellers who provided a pool of willing recruits for the British to draw from. They were divided in to two groups: The Sgaw and Pwo clans who were known as the 'White Karens' and many of whom had converted to Christianity, or the Bghai or 'Red Karens', a more lawless groups of people. The names derived from the colour of their native dress.

Regimental details