During the 1857 rebellion, Edwards requested for their service and Ghulam Hasan Khan with 300 horsemen reported for duty and were employed in Peshawar where they helped suppress the rebel sepoys in that district.

[1] Formally instituted in Lahore in 1858 from six risalas from Punjab, it was originally raised in 1857 by Ghulam Hasan Khan as The Multani Regiment of Cavalry.

The first native commandant Nawab Ghulam Hassan Khan also served as the British Political Agent to Afghanistan.

[3] The regiment was later sent to Persia where they carried out patrolling duties in the rugged interiors, engaging in a number of clashes with local tribes.

Their primary role was to patrol the East Persia Cordon, meant to prevent the infiltration of German and Turkish agent-provocateurs into Afghanistan.

The successor regiment, 20th Lancers, was de-listed in 1937 after being converted into the Indian Armoured Corps Training Centre at Lucknow, which subsequently was allotted to India.