Native officers of the 1st. Punjáb infantry before 1895

This is an undated photograph of the Native officers of the 1st Punjab Infantry by Frederick Saint John Gore. The image presents us with the complexities inherent in the colonial project. Consider the gazes of the officers. While captured by a British photographer, do they meet his gaze, our gaze, or do they gaze inward? Do they reflect pride, resignation, or something in between? The men stand as representatives of both their native land and the imposed military structure, embodying a dual identity. We can ask: How does the photograph negotiate the power dynamics between the colonizer and the colonized? And what does it mean to be represented in this way? Perhaps this image invites a deeper reflection on the costs, compromises, and contradictions of identity when seen through the lens of empire.