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The Rajput Regiment
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| Rajput Regt Crest |
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The Rajput regiment
The Rajput regiment is composed primarily of the Rajput clans from Rajasthan. The British designated the Rajputs as a martial race and subsequently employed large numbers of these warriors in the British Indian Army.
The Rajputs have for long been known as the Prince of Warriors or the blue blooded warriors of the Indian subcontinent. They have carried a long tradition of chivalry, love of battle, fearlessness for the upkeep of their honour and that of their womenfolk. The association of the Rajputs with the British Indian army started in 1778, when the 3rd Battalion was raised as the 31st Regiment Bengal Native Infantry. Two other battalions the 1st and 2nd were raised in 1798. The 3rd Battalion fought against Hyder Ali and captured Cuddalore. It was after this battle that the crossed daggers (also known as katars) as a badge was granted in recognition of gallantry, this since has been adopted as the badge by the Rajput Regiment. The 1st Battalion fought at the battle of Delhi (1803), which broke the power of the Marathas at the Imperial court. This battalion was in action again at the siege of Bharatpur (1805), of the 400 men who went into the assault at least 50 percent became casualties.
The 1st and 4th Battalions participated in the British campaign against the Gorkhas. All the Rajput Battalions (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and the 5th) fought against the Sikhs in the Sikh Wars. The 5th Battalion captured three Sikh standards at the battle of Gujarat. The 1857 mutiny was mostly confined to the Bengal infantry regiments, during which the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Rajputs were temporarily disarmed. The 1st Battalion was at Saugor and stood firm while guarding the treasury and the arsenal. For its role it was awarded the title of Light Infantry. The Regiment of Lucknow, which later became the 16th Battalion, then the 10th Battalion contributed to thesuccessful defence of the Lucknow Residency. It won two Victoria Crosses and every Sepoy in the regiment was also awarded a medal. The 1st Battalion in 1876 achieved a rare honour by becoming the Queen's Own as well as the Royal regiment.
Rajput Regimental Centre
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Most of the Rajput battalions saw action during World War 1. The 1st Battalion fought at the Battle of Dujailah in Mesopatamia, where it was nearly annihilated. The 3rd Battalion fought the Battles of Qurna and Kut-al-Amara against the Turks. In one of the battles the Turks had invaded both the flanks of the 3rd Rajput, during which Jemadar Sital Baksh was severely wounded. Sepoy Jhandu Singh rushed to his rescue, the Jemadar ordered him to leave him behind but the sepoy lifted him on his back and started moving through the marshlands. Soon both the rescuer and the rescued became targets of the Turks and were riddled with bullets. Sepoy Jhandu Singh was awarded a posthumous IOM and Medaille Militaire. A large number of other awards and battle honours were won by the Rajputs and at the end of WW1, a total of 37 battle honours were on the colours of the Rajputs, which exceeded that of any other regiment of the Indian Army.
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Rajputs in a Yudh Abhayas
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The Batallions
- 2nd Battalion (old 4th Prince Albert Victor's Rajputs)
- 3rd Battalion (old 7th DCO Rajputs)
- 4th Battalion (old 8th Rajputs)
- 5th Battalion (old 11th Rajputs)
- 6th Battalion
- 7th Battalion
- 8th Battalion
- 9th Battalion (former 11th Rajput)
- 14th Battalion
- 15th Battalion
- 16th Battalion
- 17th Battalion
- 19th Battalion (former State Forces unit)
- 21st Battalion
- 22nd Battalion
- 23rd Battalion
- 24th Battalion
- 25th Battalion
- 26th Battalion
- 27th Battalion
- 1st Battalion is now 4 Guards
- 18th Battalion is now 13 Mech. Inf.
- 20th Battalion (former State Forces unit) is now 24th Mech. Inf.
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