Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-01
KINGS INDIAN ORDERLES
PICTURESQUE BAND
Every Year Six Nom Commits
stoned Officers Chosen to
Form a Bodyguard.
foreign Correspondence of The Star.

Foreign Correspondence or Inc star.
LONDON, March %, 1911.
Visitors to London occasionally catch a
glimpse of two or three stalwart, dark
skinned soldiers. who, despite the va
carries Of the English climate. are always
attired in the turban. uniform and big
jack boots of the Indian cavalry. A
glance at these men-their fierce. beard
ed faces and the big Indian tulwars hang
ing from their belts-is generally sufli-
cient to cause the nervous pedestrian to
stand aside and avoid the slightest chance
of falling foul of such formidable war
riors.
When they have passed the nervous
pedestrian will probably ask the nearest
policeman why it is that Indian brig
ands." or hill robbers, are allowed to
walk about London armed. The police
man will smile in plying manner and
explain gently that these desperadoes are
not SO vicious as they seem. but are as
a matter of fact the kings Indian order
lies.
Every Year six trusty native non-com-
missioned officers Of the Indian cavalry
are selected to act as part OF the BODY
guard of the king tor. as he is to them,
the Emperor of India), and the competi-
ton for the appointments Is very kesh
The mems duties are very light, ana eX-
cept on state occasions, when they are
all on duty. they relieve one another in at
tendance on the king. Sometimes they
are sent with important messages 10
high officers of state, but as a rule they
act as an ornamental bodyguard. Splendid
fellows they are. too. and would probably
prove more valuable in the case of sud
den attack on the king than all the
royal household cavalry. foot guards and
the essentially ornamental, aged MEM
n hn NJ
arms and the yeomen of the guard
They are men who have lived in the hills,
where rapidity or slowness In ripping out
their tulwars meant all the difference be-
tween life and death.
Started by Queen Victoria.
Queen Victoria started the practice of
bringing over Indian orderlies, and it has
now become a regular thing. The ques-
ton of religion enters SO closely into
everything connected with Indian life
that, according to the laws of some of
the sects represented, the men chosen
have to secure absolution from their high
priests before they can ''cross the water.
In the service Of the "kaiser-i-Hind,'
however, no difficulty is made about this
now, and great is the glory Of the In
dian orderly on his return from the court
Of the king-emperor.
The batch Of native officers who will
act as the kings orderly officers during
the coronation year will be all Moham-
medans. For some years past it has been
decided that it Is better for the six ma
tive officers who furnish this duty all to
be of one religion. They, therefore. come
over in rotation of nationality. One year
they will be Sikhs. the next year Dogras,
then Goorkhas, and SO on. 1t is mere
chance that they should happen this year
to be Puntaubi Mohammedans.
1t Is. however, a fortunate chance in
many ways, since, although it is not gen.
orally realized, the King Of England and
the Emperor of India rules over a larger
number of Mohammedans than any reign
ing Mohammedan sovereign. The ma
tive officers who have been selected rep
resent the following Indian regiments:
The 26th Cavalry, the 30th /Lancers. the
5lst Sikhs and the 32d Mounted Battery.