Kaimkhani of the Indian Army, Rajputana States, 1943 circa (b/w photo)

Kaimkhani of the Indian Army, Rajputana States, 1943 circa. Photograph, World War Two, India, 1943 circa. The ‘martial race’ was a dubious designation created by officials of British India to describe peoples that were thought to be naturally warlike and aggressive in battle. The Kaimkhani (or Qaimkhani) are a Muslim Rajput people from Rajputana (now Rajastahan), Sindh and Punjab. Today, most Kaimkhanis live in Pakistan. From a collection of photographs taken to illustrate the races recruited into the Indian Army and the geographical areas in which they originated.