List of regiments of the Indian Army (1903)

The Rajputana regiment is the oldest regiment of India. Commander-in-Chief, India Lord Kitchener carried out a reform of the Indian Army. These reforms were intended to improve the Indian Army, which had been formed from the separate Bengal, Bombay and Madras armies in 1895 (replaced by the Bengal, Bombay, Madras and Punjab commands). The localisation of regiments was abolished, and in future every regiment was to have the opportunity of experiencing frontier conditions. A new method of numbering and designating regiments was introduced. The renumbering went as follows:

  • Bengal regiments retained their existing numbers.
  • Punjab regiments, less the 5th Gurkhas, were numbered consecutively, adding 50, so that, for example, the 4th Sikh Infantry and the 1st Punjab Infantry became 54th and 55th.
  • The Guides remained unnumbered.
  • Madras regiments added 60 and, since over the years a number of them had been increasingly recruited in the Punjab, this was recognised in their titles, the 30th Madras, for example, becoming the 90th Punjabis.
  • The Hyderabad Contingent regiments were brought into the Line as 94th to 99th
  • The Bombay regiments added 100, so that the 1st Bombay Grenadiers became the 101st Grenadiers, and so on.[1]

British Indian Army
Allegiance British Empire
TypeArmy
Size2.5 million men 1945
EngagementsSecond Afghan War
Third Afghan War
Second Burmese War
Third Burmese War
Second Opium War
1882 Anglo-Egyptian War
1868 Expedition to Abyssinia
First Mohmand Campaign
Boxer Rebellion
Tirah Campaign
British expedition to Tibet
Sudan Campaign
World War I
Waziristan campaign 1919–1920
Waziristan campaign 1936–1939
World War II
North West Frontier
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
Claude Auchinleck

By 1903, the total strength of the Indian Army was 240,000 men.[2] They served in 39 cavalry regiments, 135 infantry battalions (including 17 Gurkha),[2] a joint cavalry-infantry unit the Corps of Guides, three sapper regiments and 12 mountain artillery batteries.[3] In addition to the regular Indian Army, the armies of the Princely states, and regiments of the Auxiliary force (European volunteers) could also be called on to assist in an emergency.[3] The Princely states had 22,613 men in 20 cavalry regiments and 14 infantry battalions.[4] The Auxiliary force could field another 40,000 men in 11 regiments of horse and 42 volunteer infantry battalions.[2] Also available were the Frontier Militia and the Military Police, which could field 34,000 men between them.[2]

Cavalry

Bodyguard troops

Former Bengal Regiments

Former Punjab Regiments

Former Madras regiments

Former Hyderabad regiments

Former Bombay regiments

Former Local Corps

Cavalry and Infantry

Infantry

Former Bengal Regiments

Former Punjab Regiments

Former Madras Regiments

Former Hyderabad Regiments

Former Bombay Regiments

Gurkha Line

(mostly former Bengal Regiments)

Support Arms

Indian Mountain Artillery

Engineers

Services

Imperial Service Troops

Volunteer Corps

Cavalry

Artillery
  • Bombay Volunteer Artillery[76]
  • Calcutta Naval Artillery Volunteers[73]
  • Cossipore Artillery Volunteers[73]
  • Karachi Artillery Volunteers[77]
  • Madras Artillery Volunteers[78]
  • Moulmein Volunteer Artillery Corps[79]
  • Rangoon Port Defence Volunteers[79]

Engineers

Infantry
  • Agra Volunteer Rifle Corps[80]
  • Allahabad Volunteer Rifle Corps[76]
  • Assam Bengal Railway Volunteer Rifles[81]
  • Bangalore Rifle Volunteers[80]
  • Bengal and North Western Railway Volunteer Corps[79]
  • Bengal Nagpur Railway Volunteer Rifle Corps[81]
  • Berar Volunteer Rifle Corps[81]
  • Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Volunteer Corps[81]
  • Bombay Volunteer Rifles Corps[76]
  • Burma Railways Volunteers Corps[79]
  • Calcutta Volunteer Rifles[80][82]
    • 1st Battalion
    • 2nd (Presidency) Battalion
    • 3rd (Cadet) Battalion
  • Cawnpore Volunteer Rifle Corps[77]
  • Coorg and Mysore Rifles[83]
  • East Coast Volunteer Rifles[83]
  • East Indian Railway Volunteer Rifle Corps[84]
  • Eastern Bengal Volunteer Rifles[83]
  • Eastern Bengal State Railway Volunteer Rifle Corps[84]
  • Great Indian Pensinula Railway Volunteer Corps[84]
    • 1st Battalion
    • 2nd Battalion - former Midland Railway Volunteer Corps
  • Hyderabad Volunteer Rifle Corps[81]
  • Kolar Gold Fields Battalion[81]
  • Lucknow Volunteer Rifle Corps[78]
  • Madras Railway Volunteers[85]
  • Madras Volunteer Guards[78]
  • Malabar Volunteer Rifles[81]
  • Moulmein Volunteer Rifle Corps[79]
  • Mussoorie Volunteer Rifle Corps[80]
  • Nagpur Volunteer Rifles[81]
  • Naini Tal Volunteer Rifle Corps[80]
  • Nilgiri Volunteer Rifles[81]
  • North Western Railway Volunteer Rifles[85]
  • Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Battalion[84]
  • Poona Volunteer Rifles[78]
  • Punjab Volunteer Rfle Corps[86]
  • Rangoon Volunteer Rifle Corps[79]
  • Shillong Volunteer Rifles[86]
  • Simla Volunteer Rifles[81]
  • Sind Volunteer Rifle Corps[77]
  • South Andaman Volunteer Rifles Corps
  • South Indian Railway Volunteer Rifles Corps[79]
  • Southern Mahratta Railway Rifle Corps[85]
  • Upper Burma Volunteer Rifles[79]

Frontier Corps and Para-Military Units

North-West Frontier and Baluchistan

North-East Frontier and Burma

Units formed in World War I

Cavalry
  • 40th Indian Cavalry Regiment
  • 41st Indian Cavalry Regiment
  • 42nd Indian Cavalry Regiment
  • 43rd Indian Cavalry Regiment
  • 44th Indian Cavalry Regiment
  • 45th Indian Cavalry Regiment
  • 46th Indian Cavalry Regiment

Artillery
  • 33rd (Reserve) Mountain Battery[52]
  • 34th (Reserve) Mountain Battery[89]
  • 35th (Reserve) Mountain Battery[89]
  • 39th (Reserve) Mountain Battery[90]

Infantry
  • 49th Bengalis
  • 1st Battalion, 50th Kumaon Rifles
  • 2nd Battalion, 50th Kumaon Rifles
  • 1st Battalion, 70th Burma Rifles
  • 2nd Battalion, 70th Burma Rifles
  • 3rd Battalion, 70th Burma Rifles
  • 4th Battalion, 70th Burma Rifles
  • 71st Punjabis
  • 85th Burman Rifles
  • 111th Mahars[91]
  • 1st Battalion, 131st United Provinces Regiment
  • 2nd Battalion, 131st United Provinces Regiment
  • 1st Battalion, 132nd (Punjab Police) Regiment renamed 3rd Battalion, 30th Punjabis
  • 2nd Battalion, 132nd (Punjab Police) Regiment renamed 4th Battalion, 30th Punjabis
  • 133rd Regiment
  • 140th Patiala Regiment
  • 141st Bikanir Infantry
  • 142nd Jodhpur Infantry
  • 143rd Narsingh (Dholpur) Infantry
  • 144th Bharatpur Infantry
  • 145th Alwar (Jai Paltan) Infantry
  • 1st Battalion, 150th Infantry
  • 2nd Battalion, 150th Infantry
  • 3rd Battalion, 150th Infantry
  • 1st Battalion, 151st Sikh Infantry
  • 2nd Battalion, 151st Sikh Infantry
  • 3rd Battalion, 151st Punjabi Rifles
  • 1st Battalion, 152nd Punjabis
  • 2nd Battalion, 152nd Punjabis
  • 3rd Battalion, 152nd Punjabis
  • 1st Battalion, 153rd Punjabis
  • 2nd Battalion, 153rd Punjabis
  • 3rd Battalion, 153rd Rifles
  • 1st Battalion, 154th Infantry
  • 2nd Battalion, 154th Infantry
  • 3rd Battalion, 154th Infantry
  • 1st Battalion, 155th Pioneers
  • 2nd Battalion, 155th Pioneers
  • 1st Battalion, 156th Infantry
  • 1st Battalion, 11th Gurkha Rifles
  • 2nd Battalion, 11th Gurkha Rifles
  • 3rd Battalion, 11th Gurkha Rifles
  • 4th Battalion, 11th Gurkha Rifles

Paramilitary
  • Mohmand Militia[92]
  • Sistan Levy Corps

See also

Footnotes
  1. Barthorp, pp.15-42
  2. Perry, p.85
  3. Sumner p.3
  4. Perry, p.86
  5. Quarterly Indian Army List January 1919, p. 873
  6. "The Cavalry". britishempire.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  7. QIAL January 1919, p. 887
  8. QIAL January 1919, p. 899
  9. QIAL January 1919, p. 909
  10. QIAL January 1919, p. 913
  11. QIAL January 1919, p. 915
  12. QIAL January 1919, p. 923
  13. QIAL January 1919, pp. 928
  14. QIAL January 1919, p. 937
  15. QIAL January 1919, p. 947
  16. QIAL January 1919, p. 964
  17. QIAL January 1919, p. 1050
  18. QIAL January 1919, p. 1066
  19. Britishempire.co.uk web page on 12th Pioneers (Kelat-i-Ghilzie Regt)
  20. QIAL January 1919, p. 1074
  21. QIAL January 1919, p. 1086
  22. QIAL January 1919, p. 1178
  23. QIAL January 1919, p. 1191
  24. QIAL January 1919, p. 1195
  25. QIAL January 1919, p. 1199
  26. "The Infantry". britishempire.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  27. QIAL January 1919, p. 1247
  28. QIAL January 1919, p. 1271
  29. QIAL January 1919, p. 1339
  30. QIAL January 1919, p. 1391
  31. QIAL January 1919, p. 1411
  32. QIAL January 1919, p. 1491
  33. QIAL January 1919, p. 1595
  34. QIAL January 1919, p. 1600
  35. QIAL January 1919, p. 1606
  36. QIAL January 1919, p. 1611
  37. QIAL January 1919, p. 1617
  38. QIAL January 1919, p. 1623
  39. "History of the 6th Gurkhas". 6th Gurkhas.org. Archived from the original on 29 August 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
  40. QIAL January 1919, p. 1629
  41. QIAL January 1919, p. 1635
  42. QIAL January 1919, p. 1641
  43. QIAL January 1919, p. 1647
  44. "The Gurkhas". britishempire.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  45. QIAL January 1919, p. 972
  46. QIAL January 1919, p. 973
  47. QIAL January 1919, p. 974
  48. QIAL January 1919, p. 975
  49. QIAL January 1919, p. 976
  50. QIAL January 1919, p. 977
  51. QIAL January 1919, p. 978
  52. QIAL January 1919, p. 979
  53. QIAL January 1919, p. 986
  54. QIAL January 1919, p. 991
  55. QIAL January 1919, p. 996
  56. "Military Engineers in India". Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  57. "Indian Engineers". Archived from the original on 25 July 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  58. Jackson, p. 465
  59. Jackson, p. 475
  60. Jackson, p. 477
  61. Jackson, p. 463
  62. Jackson, p. 481
  63. Jackson, p. 457
  64. Jackson, p. 498
  65. Gaylor, pp. 50 & 52
  66. Gaylor, pp. 50 & 53
  67. Gaylor, p.50
  68. Jackson, p. 509. Amalgamated as United Provinces Light Horse 1904.
  69. QIAL January 1919, p. 606
  70. QIAL January 1919, p. 601
  71. QIAL January 1919, p. 604
  72. QIAL January 1919, p. 603
  73. Gaylor, p. 37
  74. QIAL January 1919, p. 605
  75. QIAL January 1919, p. 602
  76. Gaylor, p. 33
  77. Gaylor, p. 34
  78. Gaylor, p. 35
  79. Gaylor, p. 43
  80. Gaylor, p. 38
  81. Gaylor, p. 40
  82. India List, 1902.
  83. Gaylor, p. 39
  84. Gaylor, p. 41
  85. Gaylor, p. 42
  86. Gaylor, p. 36
  87. IAL October 1903, p. 58
  88. IAL October 1904, p. 52
  89. QIAL January 1919, p. 980
  90. QIAL January 1919, p. 981
  91. Quarterly Indian Army List January 1919, p. 1447-50
  92. The Third Afghan War 1919 Official Account, p. 20

References
  • Barthorp, Michael; Jeffrey Burn (1979). Indian infantry regiments 1860-1914. Osprey Publishing. pp. 15–33. ISBN 0-85045-307-0.
  • Gaylor, John. Sons of John Company - The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903-91. Parapress. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, 1996. ISBN 1-898594-41-4.
  • Jackson, Maj. Donovan. India's Army. Sampson Low. London, 1940.
  • Perry, Frederick William (1988). The Commonwealth armies: manpower and organisation in two world wars War. Manchester University Press ND. ISBN 0-7190-2595-8.
  • Sumner, Ian (2001). The Indian Army 1914-1947. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-196-6.
  • The Indian Army List October 1903. Army Headquarters, India. Calcutta, 1903.
  • The Indian Army List October 1904. Army Headquarters, India. Calcutta, 1904.
  • The Quarterly Indian Army List January 1919. Army Headquarters, India. Calcutta, 1919.
  • The Third Afghan War 1919 Official Account. Army Headquarters, India. Calcutta, 1926.

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