A Century in Stirrups

This book invites readers into a world inhabited by the ancestors of the author – cavalrymen from a bygone century whose journeys were shaped by tradition, duty, and war.

Their story begins in the village of Kahuta—now Pakistan's nuclear nerve-centre—and extends across Egypt, China, France, Afghanistan, Waziristan, post-war Japan, the Congo, and India. 

Alongside Sikh traditions, the book brings to life the conflicts in which the author's forebears fought; from the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir in Egypt (1882) to the fierce Battle of Kohima in 1944 during World War II, and the conflicts that faced independent India. 

It illuminates what motivated young men to join the Army, how they trained, and what they endured in war. 

The narrative is studded with nuggets of intriguing, little-known facts: the role of champagne in the death of an Egyptian ruler and how it was served in the most unlikely corners of British India; how a “Martini” could be far more dangerous than a cocktail; or why the colour of the Order of British India ribbon was changed.

Readers will discover how Cavalry regiments travelled vast distances across India and sailed across oceans with their horses. 

The second part of the book covers details of the awards and decorations won, war diary from World War I, a regimental history, some aspects of life in colonial India, and the vital role of horses and polo in shaping the culture of the cavalry.  

How the British managed the complex issue of language and communication—with their adversaries as well as their diverse troops—is examined in some detail.

Blending meticulous research with evocative storytelling, this book offers a rare glimpse into a vanished world. It is a tribute to those who served and a journey through a fascinating period in Indian military history.