Bengal Native Infantry

Bengal Infantry Scheme The organisation of the Indian Army was radically different after the Mutiny to the way it was before. Every Bengal native infantry regiment either mutinied or was disbanded during or after the Indian Mutiny. Understanding these regiments can be very confusing because they are known by their numbers and these changed frequently. The number of a regiment usually indicates it's age so that the 1st is the oldest, and the highest number is the newest, but in 1764 the regiments were re-numbered according to the seniority of their captain. This was to be the first of six re-numberings. These units were called battalions up until 1781 when they became regiments. The 1st battalion was raised by Clive in Calcutta in 1757 and fought well at Plassey. Twenty-one battalions were raised by 1764 but the 2nd, 3rd and 5th were destroyed at Patna in 1763. After the 1764 re-numbering, there was a further re-number in 1775 according to which of three brigades they belonged. A further re-numbering occurred in 1781, 1784, 1796 and finally in 1824

Bengal Native Regiments 1825

1st Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

2nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

3rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

4th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

5th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

6th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

7th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

8th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

9th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

10th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

11th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

12th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

14th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

15th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

16th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

17th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

18th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

19th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

20th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

21st Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

22nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

23rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

24th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

25th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

26th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

27th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

28th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

29th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

30th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

31st Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

32nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

33rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

34th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

35th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

36th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

37th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

38th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

39th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

40th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

41st Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

42nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

43rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

44th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

45th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

46th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

47th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

48th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

49th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

50th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

51st Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

52nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

53rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

54th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

55th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

56th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

57th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

58th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

59th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

60th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

61st Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

62nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

63rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

64th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

65th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

66th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

67th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

68th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

69th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

70th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

71st Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

72nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

73rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

74th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry

Bengal European Infantry

Bengal was much slower than the other presidencies in forming regiments comprised of European other ranks and officers. They began with one regiment in 1756 but when the 1st Maratha War started in 1778 they raised 5 more battalions. In 1781 these had been disbanded but re-raised 5 years later. In 1796 they were three regiments but by 1803 they were down to one. The 1st Afghan War encouraged the raising of a 2nd Regiment called Fusiliers and the 3rd was raised in 1853 as a Light Infantry regiment. They were finally absorbed into the British Army when the Crown took over from the East India Company, becoming the 101st (1st Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers), 104th (2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers) and 107th Foot (2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment).

Bengal European Regiments 1853

1st Bengal (European) Fusiliers

2nd Bengal (European) Fusiliers

3rd Bengal (European) Light Infantry

Madras Native Infantry

Madras Infantry Scheme By 1758 the Madras Presidency had an army of around 3,000 with Indian officers. They were undisciplined and unreliable, however, so they were re-organised into battalions under British officers. At first two in 1758, then four more in 1759. By 1767 there were 19 bearing the title Coast Sepoys. In 1770 they were renumbered and divided into north and south battalions. Those in the north were called Circar Battalions and those in the south Carnatic Battalions. This only lasted until 1784 when they all became Madras Battalions with the Carnatic having precedence. Meanwhile, 12 more battalions were raised in 1776/7. Some disbandments took place in 1785 and in 1806 the 1st and 23rd were disbanded for mutinying over the introduction of European-style head-dress. More units were raised so that by 1824 there were 50 regiments. The Madras regiments did not mutiny in 1857 so many survived into the 20th century. Only 6 of these regiments were disbanded in 1862 and 4 in 1864.

Madras Native Regiments 1824

1st Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

2nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

3rd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry Palamcottah Light Infantry

4th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

5th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

6th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

7th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

8th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

9th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

10th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

11th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

12th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

13th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

14th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

15th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

16th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

17th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

18th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

19th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

20th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

21st Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

22nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

23rd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry Wallajahbad Light infantry

24th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

25th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

26th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

27th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

28th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

29th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

30th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

31st Regiment of Madras Native Infantry Trichinopoly Light Infantry

32nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

33rd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

34th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry Chicacole Light Infantry

35th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

36th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

37th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

38th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

39th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

40th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

41st Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

42nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

43rd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

44th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

45th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

46th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

47th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

48th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

49th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

50th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

Madras Rife Corps

Madras European Infantry

Major Stringer Lawrence raised the first troops, 3 companies, for the East India Company in Madras in 1742, 3 companies. By 1766 they had three regiments. In 1774 the 3rd was absorbed into the other two to give them 2 battalions each. But 3 years later the 3rd was re-raised again, with two battalions, for the 1st Maratha War. It was disbanded in 1796 followed by the 2nd in 1799. The 3rd did not appear again until 1853 but the 2nd was re-raised in 1824, disbanded in 1830, and raised again in 1839. These three regiments were taken into the British army in 1861 and became the 102nd (1st Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers), 105th (2nd Battalion, King's Own Light Infantry) and 108th (2nd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers).

Madras European Regiments 1853

1st Madras (European) Fusiliers

2nd Madras (European) Light Infantry

3rd Madras (European) Infantry

Bombay Native Infantry

Bombay Infantry Scheme At first the native troops were raised and disbanded as required. They were commanded by native officers and provided their own clothes and equipment. The example set by Clive in Bengal inspired the government of Bombay to organise their men in a more military way. In 1768 they went a stage further and two regular sepoy battalions were formed and two more over the next two years. In 1777 a Marine Battalion was raised to serve on the Company's armed ships. In 1780 there were 15 battalions plus the Marines. These units were heavily involved in the 1st Maratha War and the 2nd Mysore War but afterwards some battalions were disbanded or absorbed, reducing them to seven, and the 8th was re-numbered and named the 1st Grenadier Battalion in recognition of their defence of Mangalore. There was another increase in size in 1788 when there were five more battalions and all were put into two brigades and re-numbered. A further re-numbering was carried out in 1796 when each regiment was split into 2 battalions.

Bombay Native Regiments 1824

1st Grenadier Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

2nd Grenadier Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

3rd Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

4th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

5th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

6th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

7th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

8th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

9th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

10th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

11th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

12th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

13th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

14th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

15th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

16th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

17th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

18th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

19th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

20th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

21st Marine Battalion

22nd Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

23rd Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

24th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

25th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

26th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry

Bombay European Infantry

Bombay was part of the dowry paid to Charles II when he married Catherine of Braganza. Royal troops were garrisoned in Bombay until 1668 when the Portuguese were finally persuaded to hand over the city. The East India Company invited these troops to enter their service and they formed the first Bombay European Regiment. By 1788 there were two regiments but by the turn of the century they were reduced to only one battalion. During the First Afghan War the 2nd Regiment was raised with the title of Light Infantry. The 1st regiment meanwhile was in Aden. The 3rd Regiment did not appear until 1853. In 1861 the three regiments were transferred to the British Army when the East India Company relinquished control of the Army of India. They became the 103rd, 106th and 109th Foot, which in 1881 became the second battalions of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, the Durham Light Infantry and the Leinster Regiment.

Bombay European Regiments 1853

1st Bombay (European) Fusiliers

2nd Bombay (European) Light Infantry

3rd Bombay (European) Infantry