Native Officer's shoulder belt plate of the 1st Infantry Gwalior Contingent, 1850 circa (metal)

Native Officer's shoulder belt plate of the 1st Infantry Gwalior Contingent, 1850 circa. Rectangular white metal plate bearing a gilt metal design in relief of a laurel wreath bearing the title, '1t BRIGE INFRY'. Within the laurel is a grenade. Above this is a scroll bearing the word, 'Moharaja' and below all is a similar scroll bearing, 'Alijabahdr'. The Gwalior Contingent was a body of troops in the service of Maharajah Sindia, the pro-British ruler of the Indian state of Gwalior. They mutinied against their British officers in June and July 1857, and then took part in the Cawnpore campaign until their defeat there in December. Remnants of the Contingent then rallied around Tantya Tope and the Rani of Jhansi in Central India.