Lieutenant Charles Henry Brownlow raised the regiment in Nowshera on August 1, 1857, with soldiers provided by the 4th and 5th Punjab Infantry. The regiment's first commanding officer, Brownlow, remained associated with them for over half a century and became their Honorary Colonel in 1904. The regiment's composition included 5 companies of Punjabi Muslims and 2 companies of Jat Sikhs, mainly recruiting Awans and Gakhars from Talagang, Pindigheb, Kallar Kahar, and Khewra. Their first overseas service came during the Second Opium War in China, where they participated in the successful assault on Taku Forts. Throughout its history, the Sikh soldiers from the 20th Duke of Cambridge's Own Infantry (Brownlow's Punjabis) maintained a strong connection to their Sikh heritage and contributed significantly to the regiment's proud legacy. Their valor and commitment were recognized and celebrated within the regiment and by the British authorities. The Sikh soldiers represented an essential part of Punjab's Sikh military tradition and played a vital role in upholding the regiment's distinguished reputation.