105th Mahratta Light Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 105th Mahratta Light Infantry were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army
. The regiment traces their origins to 1788, when they were raised as the 3rd Battalion, Bombay Sepoys.
The regiments first action was during the Mysore Campaign
in the Third Anglo-Mysore War
. This campaign was followed by the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
, during which the regiment fought in both the major battles the Battle of Seedaseer
and the Battle of Seringapatam
. They were then used in the punitive expedition in the Beni Boo Ali campaign in 1821, against the pirates in Eastern Arabia and the Persian Gulf
. The regiment was involved in the Siege of Kahun
next during the First Afghan War. A detachment of 140 men held off the besieging force from May to September, before being forced to surrender. China was the regiments next destination during the Second Opium War
. They were then part of the force used in the annexation of Burma during the Second Burmese War, this being their final action in the 19th century.
After World War I
the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. In 1922, the 105th Mahratta Light Infantry became the 2nd Battalion 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
. After independence they were one of the regiments allocated to the Indian Army
.
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. The regiment traces their origins to 1788, when they were raised as the 3rd Battalion, Bombay Sepoys.
The regiments first action was during the Mysore Campaign
Mysore (1789-91)
The battle honour of Mysore commemorates the Third Anglo-Mysore War of 1789-92. Tipu Sultan attacked Travancore on 29 December 1789 and this made the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas apprehensive who entered into a "Triple Alliance" with the English. The Third Anglo-Mysore War went on for about...
in the Third Anglo-Mysore War
Third Anglo-Mysore War
The Third Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company and its allies, including the Mahratta Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad...
. This campaign was followed by the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company under the Earl of Mornington....
, during which the regiment fought in both the major battles the Battle of Seedaseer
Battle of Seedaseer
The Battle of Seedaseer was a battle of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War on 6 March 1799 at Seedaseer , a hill and pass on the border of the Coorg and Mysore country seven miles from Piriyapatna and with a view almost as far as Seringapatam. A British force of 2,000 was surrounded by 18-20,000 men of...
and the Battle of Seringapatam
Battle of Seringapatam
The Siege of Seringapatam was the final confrontation of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore. The British achieved a decisive victory after breaching the walls of the fortress at Seringapatam and storming the citadel. Tippu Sultan, Mysore's...
. They were then used in the punitive expedition in the Beni Boo Ali campaign in 1821, against the pirates in Eastern Arabia and the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. The regiment was involved in the Siege of Kahun
Siege of Kahun
The Siege of Kahun was a siege of the isolated hilltop fort of Kahun during the First Anglo-Afghan War.-Course:A 300-man detachment from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Bombay Native Infantry, led by Captain Brown, marched on Kahun, then the Marri tribe's main stronghold, in order to support the Bombay...
next during the First Afghan War. A detachment of 140 men held off the besieging force from May to September, before being forced to surrender. China was the regiments next destination during the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
. They were then part of the force used in the annexation of Burma during the Second Burmese War, this being their final action in the 19th century.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. In 1922, the 105th Mahratta Light Infantry became the 2nd Battalion 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
5th Mahratta Light Infantry
The 5th Mahratta Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, whenthe Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The regiment fought in World War II and raised 30 battalions...
. After independence they were one of the regiments allocated to the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
.
Predecessor names
- 3rd Battalion, Bombay Sepoys - 1788
- 1st Battalion, 3rd Bombay Native Infantry - 1796
- 5th Bombay Native Infantry - 1824
- 5th Bombay Native (Light) Infantry - 1841
- 5th Bombay (Light) Infantry - 1885
- 5th Bombay Light Infantry - 1901
- 105th Mahratta Light Infantry - 1903