Our latest “Document of the Week”, chosen by our Editor, Nishah Malik, is a double-page spread from The Illustrated War News featuring a series of portraits of Indian soldiers that served in the British Army during the First World War. Published on 17 February 1915, the illustrations were drawn by the French artist, Paul Sarrut, in a military camp near the Belgian frontier.
The accompanying article begins by noting a “continual annoyance” among Anglo-Indians when people “carelessly lump together all the Indian troops” into just two categories: “Sikhs and Gurkhas”. It goes on to assert that India’s “expeditionary force” was composed of many “warrior races and castes”. The sketches depict men from different regions and regiments in India, from Sikhs, Rajputs, Dogras, Grukhas, Jatts, to Pathans, all of whom travelled thousands of miles to fight for Britain in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Each figure is described carefully in the article. Number one, for instance, is “a Rajput, of the bluest blood of the Hindus, the Kshatria, or warrior caste descended from the ancient Scythian conquerors of India”, while number two is “one of the Dogras” from the Himalayan foot-hills of Kumaon. The third and fourth portraits show members of “the famous warrior community of Northern India”, the Sikhs. Number five “is a Gurkha” and number six “is an Indian Mohammedan” from Punjab, the article further explaining that “the Pathan tribesmen in the Indian army come under the same religious category”.
This piece exemplifies how, during the war, media reinforced both the unity and the hierarchy of empire. On the one hand, these images served as propaganda that sought to highlight the global scale of Britain’s war effort and portrayed Indian soldiers as loyal, courageous subjects contributing to a shared imperial cause. On the other hand, the emphasis on physical and ethnic “types” reflects a deeply racialised outlook. The Indian soldiers are not named as individuals or recognised for their achievements, instead they are only categorised according to anthropological stereotypes. This dehumanising tone is clear in the final sentence, which states that Urdu was their common language on duty, but that “each set uses its own language” otherwise. The use of the word “its” is particularly noteworthy, as it portrays groups of people as objects or specimens rather than as individuals.
As a historical document, this article reveals the complex intersections of race, representation, and imperial ideology during wartime. Yet despite its biases, it remains an important and thought-provoking piece. As we mark the 107th Remembrance Day, it reminds us that the story of the Great War was not solely a European one. The contributions of people of colour have too often been sidelined or forgotten in dominant historical narratives and memory. Yet over a million soldiers from India alone served in the conflict, alongside many more from across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. The courage, endurance, and sacrifice displayed by Indian soldiers were vital to the war effort and Britain’s ultimate victory in 1918. Revisiting documents like this urges us to honour Remembrance Day and to be mindful of all who served, regardless of their background or rank.
Where to find this document
This piece comes from our primary source collection, The Illustrated War News, 1914–1918 & 1939. Consisting of nearly 8,600 images, it brings together editions of the IWN, an offshoot of The Illustrated London News. The IWN was published weekly during the First World War (1914–1918) and briefly throughout November 1939, during the Second World War (1939–1945). It covered a range of military topics, including enlistment, battles, and weaponry. It likewise featured articles on the home front, prisoners of war, and on the social and cultural dimensions of war. Visit the collection page to learn more.