James Skinner (East India Company officer)

James Skinner CB (1778 – 4 December 1841) was an Anglo-Indian military adventurer in India, who became known as Sikandar Sahib later in life, and most known for two cavalry regiments he raised for the British, later known as 1st Skinner's Horse and 3rd Skinner's Horse (formerly 2nd Skinner's Horse) at Hansi in 1803, which still are a part of the Indian Army National Army Museum (British Army).

He was a fluent writer in Persian, the court an intellectual language of India in his day, and wrote several books in Persian, including "Kitab-i tasrih al-aqvam" (History of the Origin and Distinguishing Marks of the Different Castes of India), now with the Library of Congress. Library of Congress."given by James S. Collins of Pennsylvania to the Rosenwald Collection, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, LOC."

Early life

Skinner was born in 1778 in Calcutta (Kolkata) India. His father was Lieutenant-Colonel Hercules Skinner, an officer in the East India Company Army of English origin, while his mother was a Rajput princess, daughter of a zamindar, she was taken prisoner at the age of fourteen, and came under the care of his father, then an ensign, who treated her with much regard, and subsequently they had six children, three girls and three boys, David, James and Robert. The Hindu, Monday, March 5, 2007....
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