Title of Image: Five Mexican youths on horseback, three with rifles

Photographer: Unkown

 In this picture, there are five Mexican youths riding on horseback. In the background there is a building, this would be a settled area, the building is a multilevel building, as evidenced by the guard-railing on the second floor, as well as the ladder. Three of the five Mexicans are holding rifles, and they are on their horses, lined up, posing for a picture. The photo was taken circa 1910-1916, and these youths are most likely getting ready to fight in the Mexican Revolution. Whether these are revolutionaries or if they align themselves with those wishing to retain the status quo is unknown, but due to the fact that they are described as “youths”, it’s most likely that they are young and wanted to help the rebel cause and help with the revolt. It is unknown though if these youths are getting ready to go and fight in a battle, are on patrol, or are stationary at the moment and just posed for the photograph. In this image we see people fighting against repression and for what they believe is right, unlike in the following image…

Title of Image: Mounted Indian soldiers marching

Photographer: Lala Deen Dayal

In this photo we see Indian soldiers, many on horseback, in marching formation. There are a number of soldiers along the sides to control the length of each line. They are all wearing (British) Indian military uniforms, and appear to be marching in a desolate area, devoid of civilians and infrastructure. It would be assumed that this was probably a routine march for the Indian army. Under British rule, Indian taxes went to further the oppression of the Indian people, and many Indians themselves (mostly Punjabis/Sikhs) would join the British Indian army and help with the oppression of their own people. Unlike the image above, these soldiers were not fighting for their freedom, rather they were helping to continue to prevent the Indian people from reclaiming their country and conducting their lives in an “Indian”, not “British”, manner. What would drive a man to fight for the “enemy” is not entirely know, but certain “lower” groups may have gained new power from serving in the military that helped them assert their dominance over other “higher class” Indians… although it could also possibly be that maybe they just joined in order to survive, for if they blended in well enough, the British would favor them and overlook them when assessing future punishment upon the Indian people.