16th Rajputs (The Lucknow Regiment)
Encyclopedia
The 16th Rajputs was an infantry
regiment
of the Bengal Army
and later of the united British Indian Army
.
It can trace its origins to 1857, during the Indian Mutiny when it was formed from men of the 13th, 48th and 71st Bengal Native Infantry regiments that remained loyal to the British. Named The Lucknow Regiment they were responsible for guarding the Bailey Gate in the Lucknow
Residency. Over the years they were known by a number of different titles the 16th Bengal Native Infantry in 1861, the 16th (The Lucknow) Bengal Native Infantry 1864, the 16th (The Lucknow) Bengal Infantry 1885, the 16th (The Lucknow) Rajput Bengal Infantry 1897, the 16th Rajput Infantry (The Lucknow Regiment) 1901 and finally after the Kitchener reforms
of the Indian Army the 16th Rajputs (The Lucknow Regiment).
During this time the regiment took part in the Duffla Hill Expedition
, the Second Afghan War, the Third Anglo-Burmese War
, the Siege of Malakand
and the Campaign against the Bunerwals. During World War I
they served in the Mesopotamia Campaign with the Jubbulpore Brigade 5th (Mhow) Division
.
After World War I the Indian government reformed the Indian Army again moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The 6th Rajputs (The Lucknow Regiment) now became the 10th Training Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment
. After Independence this was one of the regiments allocated to the new Indian Army
.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the Bengal Army
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
and later of the united British 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...
.
It can trace its origins to 1857, during the Indian Mutiny when it was formed from men of the 13th, 48th and 71st Bengal Native Infantry regiments that remained loyal to the British. Named The Lucknow Regiment they were responsible for guarding the Bailey Gate in the Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
Residency. Over the years they were known by a number of different titles the 16th Bengal Native Infantry in 1861, the 16th (The Lucknow) Bengal Native Infantry 1864, the 16th (The Lucknow) Bengal Infantry 1885, the 16th (The Lucknow) Rajput Bengal Infantry 1897, the 16th Rajput Infantry (The Lucknow Regiment) 1901 and finally after the Kitchener reforms
Kitchener Reforms
The Kitchener Reforms of the Indian Army began in 1903 when Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, India, completed the unification of the three armies of the former Presidencies , and also the Punjab Frontier Force, the Hyderabad Contingent and other local forces, into one...
of the Indian Army the 16th Rajputs (The Lucknow Regiment).
During this time the regiment took part in the Duffla Hill Expedition
Daphla Hills
Daphla Hills is a tract of hilly country on the border of Eastern Bengal and Assam occupied by an independent tribe called Daphla. It lies to the north of the Tezpur and North Lakhimpur subdivisions, and is bounded on the west by the Aka Hills and on the east by the Abor Range...
, the Second Afghan War, the Third Anglo-Burmese War
Third Anglo-Burmese War
The Third Anglo-Burmese War was a conflict that took place during 7–29 November 1885, with sporadic resistance and insurgency continuing into 1887. It was the final of three wars fought in the 19th century between the Burmese and the British...
, the Siege of Malakand
Siege of Malakand
The Siege of Malakand was the 26 July – 2 August 1897 siege of the British garrison in the Malakand region of colonial British India's North West Frontier Province...
and the Campaign against the Bunerwals. During 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...
they served in the Mesopotamia Campaign with the Jubbulpore Brigade 5th (Mhow) Division
5th (Mhow) Division
The 5th Division was a regular division of the British Indian Army and part of the Southern Army which was formed in 1903 after Lord Kitchener was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India between 1902 and 1909...
.
After World War I the Indian government reformed the Indian Army again moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The 6th Rajputs (The Lucknow Regiment) now became the 10th Training Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment
7th Rajput Regiment
The 7th Rajput Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, after the Indian government decided to reform the army moving away from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments...
. After Independence this was one of the regiments allocated to the new 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...
.