82nd Punjabis
Encyclopedia
The 82nd Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army
. It was raised in 1788, as the 29th Madras Battalion. It was designated as the 82nd Punjabis in 1903 and became the 5th Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment
in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army
, where it continues to exist as 4th Battalion The Punjab Regiment
.
of the British East India Company
, which was largely responsible for the British conquest of south and central India
. Captain James Dalrymple at Ellore in November 1788, as the 29th Madras Battalion. Next year, it took part in the Third Mysore War
. In 1799, it took part in the Seringapatam
. Four years later, it was engaged in the Second Mahratta War
, while in 1824, it moved to Burma to take part in the First Burma War. It returned to Burma in 1890, and was engaged in the pacification of Upper Burma
following the Third Anglo-Burmese War
.
s and Hindu Jats. As a result of the reforms
brought about in the Indian Army by Lord Kitchener
, all Madras units had 60 added to their numbers, and the regiment's designation was changed to 82nd Punjabis. On the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the 82nd Punjabis were serving on the North West Frontier of India. In January 1916, they were dispatched to Mesopotamia
, where they were engaged in the desperate British efforts to relieve the besieged garrison at Kut al Amara. The regiment suffered 223 casualties in the Battle of Dujaila Redoubt. In January 1917, it fought in the Battle of the Hai Salient and then took part in the British advance towards Baghdad
. In the fierce fighting at Shumran, while crossing the River Tigris, the regiment again suffered heavy casualties. After capture of Baghdad
on 15 March, the 82nd Punjabis remained employed on guard duties, first at Baghdad, and then on the Persian frontier. They returned home in February 1919, and later that year, participated in the Third Afghan War.
, 66th
, 76th
and 84th Punjabis
, and the 1st Brahmans
to form the 1st Punjab Regiment in 1922. The battalion was redesignated as 5th Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment. During the Second World War, 5/1st Punjab fought in the Burmese Campaign
. After the Japanese invasion of Burma, the battalion fought in a number of rear-guard actions, as the British retreated a thousand miles to India. In 1944, it fought in the Second Arakan Campaign, and then took part in the Reconquest of Burma. After the war, the battalion was sent to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. In 1947, the 1st Punjab Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was merged with the 14th
, 15th
and 16th Punjab Regiment
s to form one large Punjab Regiment
, and 5/1st Punjab was redesignated as 4 Punjab. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, the battalion fought at Suleimanki, while in the 1971 war, it again distinguished itself in the Battle of Chhamb
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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 was raised in 1788, as the 29th Madras Battalion. It was designated as the 82nd Punjabis in 1903 and became the 5th Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment
1st Punjab Regiment
The 1st Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 14th, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956, to form the Punjab Regiment....
in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
, where it continues to exist as 4th Battalion The Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)
The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in 1956 from an amalgamation of the 1st Punjab Regiment, 14th Punjab Regiment, 15th Punjab Regiment and 16th Punjab Regiment...
.
Early History
The regiment had its antecedents in the old Madras ArmyMadras Army
The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of the British India within the British Empire.The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three...
of the British East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, which was largely responsible for the British conquest of south and central India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Captain James Dalrymple at Ellore in November 1788, as the 29th Madras Battalion. Next year, it took part in the Third 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...
. In 1799, it took part in the 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...
. Four years later, it was engaged in the Second Mahratta War
Second Anglo-Maratha War
The Second Anglo-Maratha War was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India.-Background:...
, while in 1824, it moved to Burma to take part in the First Burma War. It returned to Burma in 1890, and was engaged in the pacification of Upper Burma
Upper Burma
Upper Burma refers to a geographic region of Burma , traditionally encompassing Mandalay and its periphery , or more broadly speaking, Kachin and Shan States....
following 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...
.
82nd Punjabis
In 1903, the regiment, now designated as the 22nd Madras Infantry, was reconstituted with Punjabi Muslims, SikhSikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s and Hindu Jats. As a result of the 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...
brought about in the Indian Army by Lord Kitchener
Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
, all Madras units had 60 added to their numbers, and the regiment's designation was changed to 82nd Punjabis. On the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the 82nd Punjabis were serving on the North West Frontier of India. In January 1916, they were dispatched to Mesopotamia
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
, where they were engaged in the desperate British efforts to relieve the besieged garrison at Kut al Amara. The regiment suffered 223 casualties in the Battle of Dujaila Redoubt. In January 1917, it fought in the Battle of the Hai Salient and then took part in the British advance towards Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. In the fierce fighting at Shumran, while crossing the River Tigris, the regiment again suffered heavy casualties. After capture of Baghdad
Fall of Baghdad (1917)
The British Indian Army fought the Ottoman Empire in the First World War. On 11 March 1917, after a series of defeats, it captured Baghdad after a two-year campaign.-Arrival of General Sir Frederick Stanley Maude:...
on 15 March, the 82nd Punjabis remained employed on guard duties, first at Baghdad, and then on the Persian frontier. They returned home in February 1919, and later that year, participated in the Third Afghan War.
Subsequent History
After the First World War, the 82nd Punjabis were grouped with the 62nd62nd Punjabis
The 62nd Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1759 as the 3rd Battalion of Coast Sepoys, and formed part of the Madras Army. It was designated as the 62nd Punjabis in 1903 and became 1st Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to...
, 66th
66th Punjabis
The 66th Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1761 as the 7th Battalion of Coast Sepoys. It was designated as the 66th Punjabis in 1903 and became 2nd Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment in 1922...
, 76th
76th Punjabis
The 76th Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised by Captain Thomas Lane at Trichonopoly on 16 December 1776, as the 16th Carnatic Battalion. It was designated as the 76th Punjabis in 1903 and became the 3rd Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment in 1922...
and 84th Punjabis
84th Punjabis
The 84th Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised by Captain Donald Macdonald at Vellore on 12 August 1794, as the 34th Battalion of Madras Native Infantry. It was designated as the 84th Punjabis in 1903 and became the 10th Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment in 1922....
, and the 1st Brahmans
1st Brahmans
The 1st Brahmans was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised at Oudh by Captain T Naylor in 1776 for service in the army of Nawab Wazir of Oudh, and was known as the Nawab Wazir's Regiment. It was transferred to the East India Company in 1777. In 1922, it was designated as...
to form the 1st Punjab Regiment in 1922. The battalion was redesignated as 5th Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment. During the Second World War, 5/1st Punjab fought in the Burmese Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
. After the Japanese invasion of Burma, the battalion fought in a number of rear-guard actions, as the British retreated a thousand miles to India. In 1944, it fought in the Second Arakan Campaign, and then took part in the Reconquest of Burma. After the war, the battalion was sent to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. In 1947, the 1st Punjab Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was merged with the 14th
14th Punjab Regiment
The 14th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956, to form the Punjab Regiment....
, 15th
15th Punjab Regiment
The 15th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956 to form the Punjab Regiment....
and 16th Punjab Regiment
16th Punjab Regiment
The 16th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 15th Punjab Regiments in 1956 to form the Punjab Regiment....
s to form one large Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)
The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in 1956 from an amalgamation of the 1st Punjab Regiment, 14th Punjab Regiment, 15th Punjab Regiment and 16th Punjab Regiment...
, and 5/1st Punjab was redesignated as 4 Punjab. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, the battalion fought at Suleimanki, while in the 1971 war, it again distinguished itself in the Battle of Chhamb
Battle of Chamb
In 1971, India and Pakistan clashed at the Battle of Chamb. The Pakistani Army's primary objective was to capture the town of Chamb and surrounding areas which had strategic importance for both Pakistan and India. Previously, in 1965, the Pakistani Army was able to reach further beyond Chamb and...
.
Genealogy
- 1788 29th Madras Battalion
- 1796 2nd Battalion 11th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
- 1824 22nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
- 1885 22nd Regiment of Madras Infantry
- 1901 22nd Madras Infantry
- 1903 82nd Punjabis
- 1922 5th Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment
- 1956 4th Battalion The Punjab Regiment
Further Reading
- Qureshi, Maj MI. (1958). The First Punjabis: History of the First Punjab Regiment 1759-1956. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
- Wilson, Lt Col WJ. (1882–88). History of the Madras Army. Madras: The Government Press.
- Phythian-Adams, Lt Col EG. (1943). Madras Infantry 1748-1943. Madras: The Government Press.
- Rizvi, Brig SHA. (1984). Veteran Campaigners – A History of the Punjab Regiment 1759-1981. Lahore: Wajidalis.