Robert Phayre (Indian Army officer)  General Sir Robert Phayre G.C.B. (22 January 1820 – 28 January 1897) was a General in the Indian Army who served most of his military career in India including in the First Afghan War, the Second Afghan War, the Indian Mutiny and who was Resident at Baroda from 1873 to 1874 during which period the Maharaja Gaikwar, Malhar Rao, precipitated the Baroda Crisis and then attempted to poison Phayre, by putting arsenic and diamond dust in his sherbet. He was the son of Richard Phayre and Mary "née" Ridgeway of Shrewsbury, and a brother of General Sir Arthur Purves Phayre. They were part of the Phayre Family, of which Lt Col Robert Phayre, who served the British administration in Ireland in the 17th-century, also had the death warrant of Charles I addressed to him and two other Colonels. Robert Phayre was educated at Shrewsbury School and commissioned as Ensign in the East India Company's service on 26 January 1839, being posted to the 25th Bombay Native Infantry, and became lieutenant on 1 December 1840. He served in the First Anglo-Afghan War with his regiment, was engaged with the Baluchis under Nasir Khan at Kotra and Gandava in December 1840, and was mentioned in despatches. He took part in the Sindh War of 1843, and was severely wounded at the Battle of Miani. He was again mentioned in despatches for bravery by Sir Charles Napier. In 1844 he was appointed Assistant Quartermaster-General in Sindh, and from 1851 to 1856 was specially employed in clearing mountain roads in the Southern Mahratta country. In 1856-7 he carried out the departmental arrangements connected with the Anglo-Persian War. In March 1857 he was appointed Quartermaster-General to the Bombay Army, and acted in this capacity throughout the Indian Mutiny, his services being warmly commended by Sir Hugh Rose (later Lord Strathnairn) on 15 May 1860. He held this office until 1868. He had become captain in his regiment on 28 December 1848 and was made brevet major on 16 June 1857, and major in the Bombay Staff Corps on 18 February 1861. He became brevet lieutenant-colonel on 6 January 1863, and colonel five years afterwards. He took part in the Abyssinian Expedition as Quartermaster-General, was mentioned in despatches, was made C.B. and aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria, and received the medal.