Indian rebellion and Second Afghan War

Between the end of the war and the Indian rebellion of 1857, the King's deployed on a variety of duties to Bermuda, Canada, Cephalonia, Corfu, Gibraltar, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta and Zante. The regiment began a 14-year posting to India in 1846, stationed initially in Bombay Presidency. The complex array of motives and causes that culminated in the mutiny of much of the Bengal Army would be catalysed in 1857 by rumours that beef and pork fat was being used to grease paper rifle cartridges. Confined first to a number of Bengal regiments, the mutiny eventually manifested in some areas as a more diverse, albeit disparate, rebellion against British rule. Soon after a mutiny at Meerut on 10 May, the 8th's CO, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hartley, had two companies secure the fort of Phillaur, near Jullundur, due to the significance of its magazine stores and reports that the 3rd Bengal Native Infantry intended to seize it.

After a period of seven weeks in Jullundur, the regiment became attached to an army preparing to besiege Delhi. Because of a shortage of troops, due primarily to cholera and other diseases, several weeks elapsed before Britain had attained a strength sufficient to commence operations. The regiment's first engagement occurred in July, when it captured an outpost situated in gardens outside Delhi. Due to lack of ammunition, the King's eventually withdrew from a counter-attack.

One-week later, two companies supported a position that had been under attack for seven hours. The King's participated in the capture of Ludlow Castle, in the vicinity of Kashmir Gate in the northern walls of Delhi. Grouped into the 2nd Column with the 2nd Bengal Fusiliers and 4th Sikhs, the 8th King's attacked Delhi early on 14 September with the intent of capturing the Water Bastion and Kashmir Gate. Once the city had been secured by the British, the 8th's Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Greathed vacated his position and became commander of a column dispatched to Cawnpore. The regiment, commanded by Major Hinde, had been seriously depleted and the combined total of it and the 75th Foot numbered just 450. The regiment also took part in the second Relief of Lucknow in November, seeing much action until withdrawing, after the evacuation of civilians, on the 22nd. In an environment of systematic reprisal by the British, Captain Octavius Anson of the 9th Lancers recalled observing acts of punitive violence against Indian civilians, including the alleged killing of incapacitated villagers by men from the 8th Foot. The King's left India in 1860.

The 1st Battalion joined the Malta garrison in 1866, then became stationed in India from 1868 until 1878. Following brief employment in Aden, the battalion returned to Britain where it remained for more than a decade. The 2nd Battalion, which had been reconstituted in 1857, also became posted to India, from 1877. The Second Anglo-Afghan War began a year later. The 2nd King's fought at the Battle of Peiwar Kotal. In September, the King's assisted in the defence of an encampment in the proximity of Ali Keyl against a large number of Afghans.

In 1881 they were renamed The King's (Liverpool Regiment) and, in 1921, The King's Regiment (Liverpool).

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