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Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: Chiefster on October 17, 2015, 09:00:12 AM

Title: Indian Police during the Mutiny.
Post by: Chiefster on October 17, 2015, 09:00:12 AM

Hello,
I was curious if anyone had details , or information of the uniforms of the Indian Police during the Mutiny?
Thanks.

Title: Re: Indian Police during the Mutiny.
Post by: Atheling on October 17, 2015, 01:18:20 PM

Quote from: Chiefster on October 17, 2015, 09:00:12 AM

Hello,
I was curious if anyone had details , or information of the uniforms of the Indian Police during the Mutiny?
Thanks.

Can I suggest to you that you go to the Victorian Wars Forum, join and ask the same question in the Indian Mutiny Section?

http://www.victorianwars.com/index.php

You're likely to get much more substantial answer on said forum. It's very good :)

Darrell.

Title: Re: Indian Police during the Mutiny.
Post by: Romark on October 17, 2015, 02:07:10 PM

Hi Chiefster,I'm no expert but on the Iron Duke website,Mike Snook suggests that his Sikh infantry minis could double as Rattray's Sikhs,seems that they were a Bengal Police unit of the period.Hope that helps  :)

Title: Re: Indian Police during the Mutiny.
Post by: sepoy1857 on October 18, 2015, 02:47:48 AM

The unit of Salt Police that was with the Central India Column was dressed almost identical to regular Sepoys with red tunics, etc. Other than that I have no idea other than to say there were units of police that mutinied, but no other details are available.

Title: Re: Indian Police during the Mutiny.
Post by: dadlamassu on October 18, 2015, 08:08:12 AM

When I was researching the Mutiny I could find no definitive answer.  I have since tried a few web searches without much success.

My notes (Bengal Presidency) indicate a military style uniform with police badges, summer uniform of a yellowish khaki, officers armed with revolvers and swords and constables armed with rifles, bayonets and lathi.  The turban may well have reflected the religion/area customs in the same way that the army units did.  I have no references to winter uniforms.   

Also one photo of the Sindh Police 1857
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Sindh_Police_in_1857.jpg)

And one etching of the Sholapore Police
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Sholapore_Native_(Indian)_Police_in_Charge_of_a_Hindoo_Rebel.jpg)

Rattrays Sikhs were raised in 1855 as an Indian Corps of Military Police.

Title: Re: Indian Police during the Mutiny.
Post by: Chiefster on October 18, 2015, 09:12:06 AM

Thanks very much for the help, links, photos. Much appreciated.

Title: Re: Indian Police during the Mutiny.
Post by: julesav on October 25, 2015, 06:04:17 PM

I did a lot of research on the police unit present at the 'Siege of Boyle's Billiard room' in Arah during the Great Mutiny. The best I could come up with was Foundry Sikhs painted in khaki uniforms with brown leather belting and pouches. Turbans/paggris seem to have been dark blue.