'The views and opinions of Brigadier General John Jacob, CB. Aide-decamp to the Queen; Aide-de-camp to the Governor General of India, &c. &c. &c.; late commanding in chief the British forces in Persia; at present commanding the Sind Irregular Horse, and Political Superintendent of the North-West frontier of Sind.' [‎123] (154/481)

123
and doing anything. It would be equal to the encounter
with equal numbers of any troops in continental Europe,
and of course far superior to any Asiatic enemy.
It is a grave mistake to suppose, as we are often told,
that it is necessary to enlist men of the northern tribes—
Pathans, Belooche, Goorkas, &c.—to enable our Indian
army to encounter successfully the warlike tribes now on
our Indian frontier.
The Mussulmans of Hindoostan are the very best men
for our army. The Pathans, (fee. are faithless and treache
rous. I hese llindoostanees are very bold, brave, strong,
well-made, active men, fully equal in these respects to the
Affghans (though the latter be the stouter-looking of the
two). They are generally most excellent horsemen, and
many enlist in our cavalry regiments; but under the present
system no great numbers are found in the infantry corps of
the line. As an example of the qualities of these Hindoo-
stanee horsemen, I may point to the fact that very lately a
regular Persian battalion—perfectly well drilled, armed,
accoutred, &:c. after the best European model, composed of
splendid men, who stood perfectly firm, bold, and confident
in their array—was ridden over and utterly destroyed by
Major John Forbes and one troop only of the 3rd Regi
ment of Bombay Light Cavalry.* Have any soldiers ever
done better ?
There cannot be better eastern soldiers than these men
make when properly treated. They have scarcely more
prejudices of religion, (fee. than Englishmen, whatever the
Bengal officers may fancy; they have most liberal ideas as
compared with those of the Hindoo sepoys Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank. , to whom they
are in every way superior beings. With all this, they are
the most faithful and trustworthy of any men in India;
* This passage was added in 1857.