Fauj-i-Khas - Sarkar-e-Khalsa 2025 Calendar - 11" x 14" Print

Jean-François Allard born in Saint Tropez, was a French soldier and adventurer. In 1822 he entered the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and was commissioned to raise a corps of dragoons and lancers. On completion of this task Allard was awarded the rank of General and became the leader of the European officer corps in the Maharaja's service. He continued to serve the Maharaja until his death in 1839.

General Paolo Crescenzo Martino Avitabile was an Italian soldier, mercenary and adventurer who served in the Neapolitan militia during the Napoleonic wars.  He joined the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1827, and later also received various civilian appointments. In 1829 he was made administrator of Wazirabad and in 1837 he succeeded Hari Singh Nalwa as governor of Peshawar.  He remained in the Punjab until the assassination of Maharaja Sher Singh in 1843, after which he retired to Italy, where his rank as a general was confirmed and he was knighted.

The sword of the Maharaja is depicted on the table, together with the military manual used for training the Fauj-i-Khas.  Collectively, foreign officers were given charge of the care and modernization of a contingent of the Sikh Army, known as the Fauj-i-Khas.

Modelled after French and British forces, the infantry utilised smoothbore muskets (replacing the antiquated matchlocks used during the Misl period).  William Osborne, military secretary to the Governor General of India, who inspected these troops in 1838, remarked of them as working “in three ranks,” “by beat of drum, according to the French fashion,” firing “with greater precision and regularly, both volleys and file firing, than any other troops I ever saw".