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Raising the Regiment
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The 4th Regiment of regular Bengal Cavalry was raised on 20 Feb 1797 at Moniah, now called Maner, a small town between Arrah and Dinapur (west of Patna) near the confluence of the Sone with the Ganges. The regiment was not involved in the Mysore War of 1799 in southern India. However, they took part in the 2nd Maharatta War of 1803-05. The British/Indian army was divided between the forces under Wellesley and those under General Gerald Lake. The 4th Bengal Native Cavalry were in Lake’s army, fighting at Allighur, which was a siege involving infantry, and also at Laswarree.
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Laswarree 1 Nov 1803
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Abaji positioned his Maharatta army between the village of Malpur and Laswarree, another village 2,000 yards away. The 3rd Cavalry Brigade, consisting of the 29th Light Dragoons and the 4th Bengal Native Cavalry, was ordered to advance on Malpur and prevent the removal of enemy guns, as Lake was sure that the Maharattas were going to escape north. The 1st Cavalry Brigade, with the 2nd Cavalry Brigade in support, was ordered to attack Laswarree. The advance Guard consisted of the 1st Brigade; the 8th Light Dragoons and the 1st and 3rd Bengal Cavalry. They were led by Colonel T P Vandeleur, but he was shot dead by a French artilleryman and command devolved upon Lt-Col Gordon, CO of the 1st Bengal Cavalry. They charged the Maharatta artillery and the 8th LD especially suffered heavy casualties from grapeshot.
Meanwhile the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, containing the 4th Cavalry under Colonel Macan attacked the enemy right flank. They charged through Laswarree and returned to charge again and again. They would have charged a fourth time but Lake ordered all the cavalry to retire. Abaji called for a ceasefire to talk terms but both sides used the hour’s respite to either re-position to better ground, or place their guns more favourably. The 3rd Brigade was ordered to support the infantry advance, and the 2nd Brigade was directed to the enemy’s left with orders to attack the enemy should they retreat. The infantry were led by the 76th Regiment. The 29th Light Dragoons were held in readiness to support them, but the Maharatta artillery emptied many saddles as they waited. The 76th Foot carried on, and were decimated by the enemy guns. They would have been finished off by Abaji’s cavalry but they proved ineffective and were deterred by the advance of the 29th LD and 4th Cavalry. These units charged the enemy infantry and broke through their line. On seeing this, Lake brought up two battalions of Native Infantry.
Lake himself brought up the 12th and 16th Native Infantry which took advantage of the gap made by the 29th LD and 4th Cavalry. This 3rd Brigade drove the Maharatta cavalry off the field of battle and turned on the rear of the enemy infantry. The enemy right wing was now defeated, and the left wing began to retreat. This was the moment when the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, consisting of the 27th LD, the 2nd and 6th Bengal Native Cavalry, went on the attack and captured 2,000 prisoners. The 4th BLC was awarded the battle honour LASWAREE on 23 Feb 1829
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Mangrol, 1 Oct 1821
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At Mangrol in the State of Kotah in Rajputana, on 21 Oct 1821, there was an incident which resulted in the dismissal of most of the officers and men of the 3rd 4th and 5th Troops of the 4th Bengal Light Cavalry, amounting to half the regiment. They were accused of cowardice and failure to support their commanding officer who was severely wounded, and two other officers who were killed. It was suggested that it was not so much cowardice as dislike of their CO whom they wished to disgrace. The National Archives (ref.IOR/F/4/737/20042) have a record of this as well as the proceedings of the Court of Enquiry with a list of officers and men.
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Stations 1828 - 1857
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From 1828 the regiment was stationed at Meerut. In December 1832 they moved to Nasirabad, and in January 1836 were stationed at Kurnaul. On 19 February 1840 they arrived at Neemuch. In January 1848 they were stationed at Cawnpore, and at Umballa from January 1855.
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Conversion to Lancers 1840
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The 4th Bengal Light Cavalry were noted in the East India Register of 1840 as being Lancers. The Bengal Army Lists from 1840 up until 1857 continue to refer to them as Lancers. This was not altogether unusual as the Bombay Light Cavalry converted their first regiment to lancers at around the same time. A painting of the Durbar of 1847 at Lucknow shows a Bengal Light Cavalry Indian officer wearing red lancer uniform. This is labelled as 4th Bengal Light Cavalry and is a rare depiction of the 4th BLC Lancers.
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Maharajpoor, 29 Dec 1843
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In the Gwalior Campaign the 4th BLC (Lancers) were brigaded with the 1st BLC, detachments of the 5th and 8th BLC, and the Governor-General’s Bodyguard, all under the command of Sir John Littler. The other cavalry brigade (1st) consisted of the 16th Lancers, the 10th BLC and the 4th Irregular Horse, commanded by Sir Joseph Thackwell. The enemy, belonging to the Maharatta Confederacy, decided to take advantage of Britain’s loss of military prestige in Afghanistan and their perceived weakness. Littler’s brigade was ordered to make a direct attack on the enemy’s entrenched position covered by artillery fire while Thackwell’s brigade attacked the left flank and the enemy camp. The flanking movement was held up by a ravine and the 16th Lancers lost two men killed and seven wounded. But the heaviest casualties (800 in all ) fell to the 39th and 40th Regiments of Foot, and the 16th BNI. The casualty figures for the Indian cavalry regiments are not shown. The battle of Maharajpore was fought on the same day as Punniar, 20 miles away, where General Sir George Grey attacked Maharatta trenches in the hills and suffered the loss of 215 casualties, nearly all in the infantry. In that battle the 5th, 8th and 11th BLC fought alongside the 9th Lancers and the 8th Irregular Cavalry. The battle honour for MAHARAJPORE was granted on 4 Jan 1844.
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Moodkee 18 Dec 1845
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At the Battle of Moodkee the 4th BLC fought again in their role as lancers. They were split up so that one wing was with Brigadier Mactier’s brigade, with the 9th Bengal Irregular Horse, on the left of the line, and the other in White’s brigade with the 3rd Light Dragoons. As night fell on 18 Dec, the British guns fired on the Sikhs who were positioned in a Jungle. Gough ordered the cavalry to attack the enemy flanks; the 3rd LD and Governor General’s Bodyguard together with the 4th and 5th BLC attacked on the right. The other wing of the 4th BLC and the 9th Irregular Cavalry attacked on the left. It extended into a night-time battle which caused confusion and brought about casualties from friendly fire. The total losses to Gough’s army were 215 killed and 657 wounded. The 3rd Light Dragoons were the most hard hit in the cavalry, losing 101 killed and wounded, and 120 horses. The Native cavalry lost one officer and 20 men killed, 6 officers, one Indian officer and 43 men wounded. The British soldiers were shocked at the Sikh brutality in the merciless way they slaughtered wounded soldiers. In future battles against the Sikhs there was always the cry of “Remember Moodkee!” to justify British lack of mercy.
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Ferozeshah 21-22 Dec 1845
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The 4th BLC were in Brigadier White’s cavalry brigade with the 3rd Light Dragoons and the 9th Bengal Irregular Cavalry. They were placed on the right of the line and supported the 3rd Light Dragoons when they charged a battery of Sikh artillery, and the enemy infantry behind the guns. The fight was carried into the enemy camp and lasted throughout the night. It looked like a victory for the Sikhs but the next day the enemy withdrew. But a fresh Sikh army under Taj Singh came on the scene and bombarded the exhausted British/Indian army occupying the enemy entrenchments. Gough ordered White to launch another attack against the enemy threatening his right flank. This charge was decisive and partially responsible for the Sikhs’ retreat. But the victory claimed by the British had come at a huge cost in casualties for which Gough was heavily criticised. The 4th were granted the battle honours for MOODKEE and FEROZESHUHUR a year later, on 12 Dec 1846.
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Disbandment at Umballa 1857
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On 10 May 1857, the same day as the Mutiny of the 3rd BLC at Meerut, the 5th and the 60th Bengal Native Infantry mutinied at Umballa. The mutiny was quelled by Colonel Drought and other officers, and the sepoys were ordered to pass their regimental Colours and kiss them. But observers saw the men spitting on the ground soon after taking this fresh oath of fidelity. The 60th was removed from Umballa on 22 May, and marched towards Kurnaul but redirected to Rohtak. There were a large number of British troops at Umballa at the time so there was little opportunity for open rebellion, but as a precaution the other Indian units there were disbanded, including the 4th Bengal Light Cavalry (Lancers) who were disbanded for ‘disaffection’. At that time they had an establishment of 420 men in 6 Troops. Most of them had served less than 16 years. But 71 men had served more than 16 years, and of those, 52 had served more than 20 years. The officers of the 4th and 6th BLC joined the newly created 3rd Bengal European Light Cavalry which later became the 21st Lancers in the British Army.
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| 4th Bengal Light Cavalry Sabretache
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| Commanding Officers
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| 1797 - 1857
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| Officers
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| 1797 - 1857
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| Uniforms
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| 1797 - 1857
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| Battle Honours
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2nd Maharatta War
LASWAREE (1 Nov 1803)
BHURTPORE (18 Jan 1826)
Gwalior Campaign
MAHARAJPORE (29 Dec 1843)
1st Sikh War
MOODKEE (18 Dec 1845)
FEROZESHUHUR (21-22 Dec 1845)
SOBRAON (10 Feb 1846)
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| Titles
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| 1797 | 4th Bengal Native Cavalry |
| 1819 | 4th Bengal Light Cavalry |
| 1840 | 4th Bengal Light Cavalry (Lancers) |
| 1857 | Mutinied at Meerut |
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