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British Ceremonial Soldiers of the Queen

British Empire The Raj and British India

The Royal Gurkha Rifles

The Kings African Rifles Colonial Africana

British East Africa 'Askari' Colonial Soldiers

Tipu Sultan's Mechanical Tiger

British Ceremonial Trophy Toy Soldiers

New Designs

Bombay Native Infantry.
- British Raj & British India

Bombay Native Infantry

My limited edition soldier depicts the Bombay Native Infantry c.1880

Bombay now Mumbai has an interesting history. In 1534 the Potuguese took the islands from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat and renamed the area Boa Baia ("Good Bay"). The islands remained in their hands until 1661 when it was part of the dowry of Catherine de Braganza to Charles II of England.

He in turn leased it to the British East India Company in 1668 for £10 per annum. The company found the deep harbour at Bombay eminently suitable and trade flourished. The Bombay presidency raised its own army with its own Commander in Chief.

Many of The City's major landmarks are remnants of the British Raj Rule from the Victoria Terminus, the General Post Office, Municipal Corporation, the Prince of Wales Museum, Rajabai Tower and Bombay University, Elphinstone College and the Cawasji Jehangir Hall, the Crawford Market, the Old Secretariat (Old Customs House) and the Public Works Department (PWD) Building, still stand today as major landmarks. The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary for the Darbar at Delhi in 1911.

British Raj Colonial Soldier Collection

Click here for details of the hand carved wooden British Raj Soldiers.

Wooden Soldier Regimental Histories

All of our wooden soldiers are made in strictly limited editions, click here for a regimental history of each soldier.