Bihar Regt 

The Bihar Regiment was formed in 1941 by regularising the 11th (Territorial) Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment, and raising new battalions. The Biharis were not considered good soldier material by the British after 1857 since the Hindu Rajputs and Brahmans of Bihar, who were widely recruited in the old Bengal Army, had taken a very prominent part in the Sepoy Rebellion. The Biharis were recruited once again after a long time as infantry soldiers only in the Second World War, because the manpower reserves of Punjab etc could not keep pace with the extremely heavy demands of the Burma Front.

The Bihar Regiment is reported to consist half of the Adivasis. The word 'Adivasi' means 'original inhabitants' in Sanskrit, and therefore the term means the indigenous people of India.

Shri Birsa Munda is a legendary figure in the history of the Indian struggle for freedom; and known as an early advocate and exponent of tribal rights and as an indomitable fighter against foreign rule and oppression. He fought against British rule, suffered imprisonment and subsequently became a martyr. The Bihar Regiment invokes his name in one of their battle cries -- Birsa Munda Ki Jai (Victory to Birsa Munda).

The Battalions:

• 1st Battalion
• 2nd Battalion
• 3rd Battalion
• 4th Battalion
• 5th Battalion
• 6th Battalion
• 7th Battalion
• 8th Battalion
• 9th Battalion
• 10th Battalion
• 11th Battalion
• 12th Battalion
• 14th Battalion
• 15th Battalion
• 16th Battalion
• 17th Battalion
• 21st Battalion