Rifle regiment of the Indian Army From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rajputana Rifles is the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally a part of the British Indian Army, when six previously existing regiments were amalgamated to form six battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles. In 1945, the numeral designation was dropped from the title and in 1947 the regiment was transferred to the newly independent Indian Army. Since independence, the regiment has been involved in a number of conflicts against Pakistan, as well as contributing to the Custodian Force (India) in Korea under the aegis of the United Nations in 1953–54 and to the UN Mission to the Congo in 1962. As a rifle regiment, it uses a bugle horn as its insignia, the same as the British Light Division, but unlike its British counterparts, the Rajputana Rifles march at the same march pace used in the Indian Army as a whole.
| Rajputana Rifles | |
|---|---|
.svg) Regimental Insignia of the Rajputana Rifles | |
| Active | 10 January 1775 – present |
| Country | India |
| Branch | Indian Army |
| Type | Line Infantry |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | 25 battalions |
| Garrison/HQ | Delhi Cantonment |
| Nickname(s) | RajRif |
| Motto(s) | Veer Bhogya Vasundhara (वीर भोग्य वसुंधरा )(Sanskrit) "The Brave Shall Inherit the Earth" |
| War Cry | Raja Ramchandra Ki Jai [1]
(Hail Lord Raja Rama) |
| Engagements | |
| Battle honours | Poonch, Hajipir, Charwa, Basantar and Myanamati, Tololing |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the regiment | Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Aujla |
 |
The name Rajputana Rifles is derived from northwest, and the word Rajputana, a historic region in northwest India that is roughly coextensive with the modern Indian state of Rajasthan, as well as small sections of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. It is based on the word Rajaputra, meaning "son of a king, which came in 6th century. The name Rajputana means "land of the Rajputs". The Aravalli Range crosses the southern part of the region from northeast to southwest. The northwestern part is largely the Thar desert, but to the southeast, the land is extremely fertile. Rajput power rose here between the 6th and 13th centuries, and the princes resisted the early Muslim incursions, which began in the 11th century. Rajput power reached its peak in the early 15th century, but the area fell to the Mughals when Akbar captured the Chittor Fort in 1568. The Marathas held feudatories in the region from c. 1750 to 1818, when it passed to Great Britain. When Britishers came Rajputs did treaty. The Rajput princely states came under British protection by treaties in the early 19th century; most of the area was formed into Rajasthan state in 1948. Under the British, Rajputana included more than 20 princely states, notably Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Ajmer. The internal autonomy of many of the states was guaranteed.
The Rajputana Rifles is a fixed class regiment with equal proportions of Rajputs and other castes [2][3]
The regiment's origins lie in the 18th century when the East India Company (HEIC) recruited Rajputs to protect its operations. The impressive performance of French local units which were composed of local recruits mixed with French officers, helped the HEIC to decide that it needed to do something similar. In January 1775, it raised its first local infantry units which included the 5th Battalion, Bombay Sepoys, which is considered to be the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army.[4] The 5th Battalion was successively redesignated as 9th Battalion Bombay Sepoys in 1778; 2nd Battalion, 2nd Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry in 1796; 4th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry in 1824, and then 4th Regiment Native Infantry (Rifle Corps) in 1881.[5] It thus became the first rifle regiment of the British Indian Army.[4] In 1899 the battalion was once more renamed as 4th Regiment (1st Battalion Rifle Corps) Bombay Infantry and again in 1901 as 4th Bombay Rifles.[5]
In Kitchener's 1903 reorganisation of the Indian Army, 4th Bombay Rifles became 104th Wellesley's Rifles, to commemorate the fact that the regiment had been commanded in 1800 by Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington).[6] In the further re-organisation in 1921, the following six regiments were brought together to form the six battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles Regiment:[7]
In 1945, the regiments of the British Indian Army dropped the numeral in their titles and so the Rajputana Rifles assumed its current name. In 1947, after the partition of India, the regiment was allocated to the newly formed Indian Army. In 1949, the 1st battalion was transferred to the newly raised Brigade of the Guards, becoming the 3rd battalion, Brigade of the Guards.
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In 1817, the 4th battalion met the Marathas at the Battle of Khadki. The defence earned the regiment the battle honor of "Khadki". In 1856–57 the 1st, 2nd, and 4th battalions were together in the Persian theatre of operations. In 1856, Captain John Augustus Wood of the 2nd battalion (then the 20th Bombay Native Infantry) was awarded the Victoria Cross for storming Bushire Fort.[9] This was the first Victoria Cross to be won in an Indian unit.[10] Sub. Maj Mohammed Sharief and Sub. Peer Bhatt were recommended for the Victoria Cross for their actions in the same battle, but were turned down as at that time the medal category was not open to Indians.[11][12]
In 1878–1880, during the Second Afghan War, the 1st battalion marched 145 miles in 5 days from Quetta to Kandahar and laid siege to the city. In 1900–1902, the 3rd battalion was part of a force used to contain the Boxer Rebellion in China.
World War I saw the regiment fight in battlefields from France to Palestine. The 5th battalion was in all theatres of the war and participated in General Allenby’s march to recapture Jerusalem.
During World War II, the regiment was expanded to thirteen battalions and served in the Middle East, Burma and Malaya.[13] The 4th battalion had the distinction of earning two Victoria Crosses during this conflict.[14]
Over the course of its existence, members of the regiment have received four Victoria Crosses, 44 Military Crosses, one Param Vir Chakra, three Ashok Chakras, one Padma Bhushan, fourteen Param Vishisht Seva Medals, ten Maha Vir Chakras, eleven Kirti Chakras, 18 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, two Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, 50 Vir Chakras, 28 Shaurya Chakras, 122 Sena Medals (including Bar), 39 Vishisht Seva Medals, three Yudh Seva Medals, 85 Mentions-in-Dispatches and 55 Arjuna Awards.[4]
_and_Provost_Outrides,_at_Rashtrapati_Bhavan,_in_New_Delhi_on_January_30,_2018.jpg)
The Rajputana Rifles consists of nineteen regular battalions, four Rashtriya Rifles battalions and two Territorial Army battalions -
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| Battalion | Raising Date | Remarks | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Battalion § | 1775 | Raised as 5th Battalion, Bombay Sepoys. Converted to 3rd Battalion, Brigade of the Guards on 1 September 1949. Pre-independence : 28 battle honours, post-independence : battle honour Gadra Road | [15] |
| 2nd Battalion | 1817 | Raised as the 2nd Battalion, 10th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry. Designated 120th Rajputana Infantry in 1903 and 2nd (Prince of Wales's Own), 6th Rajputana Rifles in 1922. Battle honours of Persia, Reshire, Bushire, Koosh-Ab, Mesopotamia, Shaiba, Kut-Al-Amara, and Ctesiphon. Captain John Augustus Wood won the Victoria Cross in 1856 at Bushire, Persia. Post independence battle honours – Poonch, Tololing and Drass; theatre honour – Kargil. | [16][17] |
| 3rd Battalion | 1818 | Raised as 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry. Underwent many name changes, was designated 122nd Rajputana Infantry, before present designation. Battle honours –China, Afghanistan, Basra and Shaiba, Kut-Al-Amra, Baghdad, Mesopotamia, Irrawady, Mandalay and Fort Dufferin. Theatre honours – Persia, Mesopotamia, Burma 1932-34, Burma 1944-45, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan. | [18] |
| 4th Battalion (Outram’s) | 1820 | Raised on 26 May 1820 from elements which took part in the Battle of Khadki in November 1817, as the First Battalion of the 12th Regiment of the East India Company Indian Army. In the reorganisation of 1903, it took on the name of Sir James Outram and was designated the 123rd Outram's Rifles. Won two Victoria Crosses (Subedar Richhpal Ram and CHM Chhelu Ram), and 23 Battle/Theatre Honours during the pre-independence period. Post-Independence battle honours – Charwa and Uri, theatre honour Punjab 1965. | [19] |
| 5th Battalion (Napier’s) | 1820 | Raised as 1st Extra Battalion of Bombay Native Infantry, underwent many changes, designated 125th Napier's Rifles in 1903 and present designation in 1945. Won one Victoria Cross in 1858 and 27 battle honours before independence. | [20] |
| 6th Battalion | 1962 | Nicknamed the Param Vir Chakra Paltan and Shooting Sixth, the regiment was raised in 1940 by Lieutenant Colonel NG Gane MC at Faizabad. Theatre honour Burma during World War II. CHM Piru Singh was awarded the PVC during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948. The battalion was awarded the theatre honour Jammu and Kashmir and battle honour Darapari. | [21] |
| 7th Battalion | 1962 | Raised 1941, fought in Malaya, disbanded at the end of war. Re-raised in 1962 at Delhi Cantonment. Battle honour Mynamati and theatre honour East Pakistan, 1971. | [22] |
| 8th Battalion | 1963 | Raised in 1941 and saw action in the Arakan Campaign, battle honour Rathedaung, disbanded 1947. Re-raised by Lieutenant Colonel JJ Lal in Delhi. | [23] |
| 9th Battalion | 1964 | Raised 1941 at Nasirabad, converted to an anti-aircraft regiment, disbanded 1945. Re-raised at Delhi Cantonment by Lieutenant Colonel C Silva. | [24] |
| 11th Battalion | 1964 | Raised by Lieutenant Colonel Risal Singh at Kanchrapara. Havildar Rajesh Kumar was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra in 2010. | [25] |
| 12th Battalion | 1968 | Raised as 31 Rajputana Rifles on 15 January 1968 and re-designated as 12 Rajputana Rifles on 23 February 1971. Theatre honour : East Pakistan, 1971. | [26] |
| 13th Battalion | 1966 | Raised as the New Delhi by Lieutenant Colonel Jai Singh SM. Nicknamed Thundering Thirteen. | [27] |
| 14th Battalion | 1966 | Raised as 11 Rajputana Rifles (TA), disbanded 1947, re-raised 1966 by Lieutenant Colonel Harbhajan Singh at Golconda. Nicknamed Fighting Fourteen because of the consistent performance of the Batalian in Firing Competitions | [28] |
| 15th Battalion | 1976 | ||
| 16th Battalion | 1979 | ||
| 17th Battalion | 1934 | Former Imperial Service Troops, raised as Sawai Man Guards of Jaipur State Forces, battle honour Ledi Gali during 1948 operations, absorbed into Indian Army in 1951. | [29] |
| 18th Battalion § | 1941? | Former Saurashtra Rifles, (Nawanagar State Forces); now 11th Mechanised Infantry Regiment. Battle honours Asal Uttar and Basantar. | |
| 19th Battalion | 1962 | Raised at Delhi Cantonment by Lieutenant Colonel SP Kutky. Captain Ummed Singh Mahra was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra in 1971. Awarded theatre honour East Pakistan, 1971. | [30] |
| 20th Battalion | 1981 | Raised in Delhi Cantonment | [31] |
| 21st Battalion | 1985 | ||
| 22nd Battalion | |||
| 23rd Battalion § | Converted to 23rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment in 2013 | ||
| 9 Rashtriya Rifles | 1994 | ||
| 18 Rashtriya Rifles | 1994 | ||
| 43 Rashtriya Rifles | 2005? | ||
| 57 Rashtriya Rifles | |||
| 105 (TA) Battalion | 1949 | Delhi Cantonment, New Delhi; nicknamed Rajputana Terriers | [32] |
| 128 (TA) Battalion | 1983 | Eco - Jaisalmer, Rajasthan | [33] |
§ indicates former units.
United Kingdom - The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment; 5th BattalionThe Rajputana Rifles Regimental Museum in the Rajputana Rifles Centre is located inside the Delhi Cantonment. The museum covers the rich history of the regiment in the most modern fashion. The museum is around 7000 square feet in size and covers the history of the regiment from its inception. The museum exhibits weapons and uniforms and narrates the history through large format images and audiovisual film. The museum was designed and conceived by Holistic Design a Delhi-based design studio headed by Nikhil Bhardwaj who specializes in designing museums and exhibitions. Col. M. S. Niranjan of the 19th battalion was the director of the museum project. It is rated as the finest military museum in India and even compared to the Imperial War Museum in London.
Post Independence[34]
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Pre-1914
1914-1921[36]
Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire
Indian Distinguished Service Medal
Indian Meritorious Service Medal
Croix De Guerre (French)
Leim Alilimdetaire (French)
Medaille d'Honneur avec Glaives en Bronze (French)
1921-1939
Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Military Cross
1939-1947[49][50][51][52][53]
Victoria Cross
Distinguished Service Order
Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Military Cross
Indian Order of Merit, 1st Class
Indian Order of Merit
Indian Distinguished Service Medal
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