THIRD BATTALION THE RAJPUTANA RIFLES Waffadar Paltan *** Volume I 1818-1920 THIRD BATTALION THE RAJPUTANA RIFLES Waffadar Paltan *** Volume I 1818-1920 Colonel Dr Narendar Singh, Ph.D Foreword by Gen (Dr) Vijay Kumar Singh PVSM, AVSM, YSM (Retd.) PENTAGON PRESS LLP Third Battalion: The Rajputana Rifles – ‘Waffadar Paltan’ Colonel Dr Narendar Singh, Ph.D ISBN 978-93-86618- First Published in 2019 Copyright © Reserved All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the book are the individual assertion of the Author. The Publisher does not take any responsibility for the same in any manner whatsoever. The same shall solely be the responsibility of the Author. Published by PENTAGON PRESS LLP 206, Peacock Lane, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi-110049 Phones: 011-64706243, 26491568 Telefax: 011-26490600 email: [email protected] website: www.pentagonpress.in Cover conceptualized and made by Akanksha Bhutani Printed at Avantika Printers Private Limited. “Dedicated to Everyman who has been Part of the Family of 3rd Battalion The Rajputana Rifles without whom there would have been no History and in which Three Generations of my Family had the Privilege to Serve.” Contents Foreword xvii From the Tiger’s Desk xix Acknowledgements xxi Preface xxiii Chronological Table xxvii Abbreviations xxix 1 Background to Raising of the Army by the English in India 1 Name ‘India’ and ‘Native’ – Soldiers referred as sipahi or sepoy – Pervasive presence of the military within the decision-making process – Military is at the centre of Indian History – Bombay Gifted to English as Settlement- Sir Abraham Shipman permitted to raise a force of 400 men – First Mention of 150 Indian Troops Recruited – Bombay rented to The East India Company – Seat of government of the Presidency was trans- ferred from Surat to Bombay – Three chief fortified positions: The Island of Bombay, Fort St. George at Madras and Fort William at Calcutta – The three presidencies effec- tively independent of each other – Unsuccessful expedition against Gheriah – Regi- ment from Bombay sent to Fort St. David – Native Infantry Battalions organised along similar lines to the British Battalions – Formation of Grenadier Companies – 120 Protestant recruits and a complete company of Swiss soldiers under Captain de Zeigler- Reorganization of Bombay Army – The royal troops stationed in each Presi- dency enjoyed generally inferior conditions – Tension and jealousies amongst Royal Troops and Company Officers – “Battle of Colachel,” Defeat of Dutch – Early officers were soldiers of fortune and discontent was mainly over salary and prize money 16 – Major Shinger Lawrence; “The Father of the Indian Army,” – Sepoys had their own officers called Subedars – King’s Commissioned Officer took precedence over a Company’s Officer – Arrival of the first Royal Troops – Bombay got its ‘Lal Pultan’ and its first Sepoy Companies in 1760 – Major William Fraser recommended an establish- ment of 1500 sepoys – Introduction of Complete Set of Order’s – Indian Sepoys sent out of country – Discontent of the Company’s officers emerged – Governor of the Bengal Presidency became Governor-General-Lieutenant Colonel commanding the battalion was responsible for the recruitment and maintenance of discipline – Bombay Presidency involved in Maratha Politics – Married Indian women or kept them as mistresses – Banjaras employed to provide transport – Army Re-organisation of 1796 – Military College established at Baraset – An oath of fidelity was administered to each recruit in the presence of the ‘Regimental Colours’ – Regimental System was Intro- duced – The Expeditionary Force to Egypt included sepoys from Bombay Army – Presidency Armies developed individuality, form and character – Uniform and equip- 8 3rd Battalion: The Rajputana Rifles ment of the British line was copied without much consideration for climatic suitability – East India Company Military Seminary at Addiscombe – Soldiers Armed with Brown Bess Musket with Bayonet 2 Birth of the Regiment 32 Maratha War’s – Infantryman or a ‘pyada’ – Augmentation was dated to 1 January to commemorate the memorable defence, on that day, of the village Koregoan – Uniform of the new Regiment should be “dark green facings, gold epaulets and yellow buttons” – Battalion consisted of ten companies. Two of these, the Grenadier Company and the Light Companies, paraded on the right and left of the line respectively – Assemblage of men from all the parts of the country, mainly Konkan – Lieutenant Colonel J. Cunningham, from Poona Auxiliary Horse appointed first Commandant – The ‘Purabiyas’ – The Mahrattas – Fraush, Bhils and Kolis from Gujarat – Jews – Muslims – Purwarries – Pardesis – Instance of insubordination or disaffection in a corps never heard of – Incentive for acquiring adequate knowledge Hindustani and Mahratta– Physical exercises – Government issued a notice that passports were necessary for all Europeans – Ban on Smoking – The Hoondie System – Scarcity of Officers Presiden- cies Armies – Prelude to Subalterns Commanding Companies – Presentation of Colours by Lady Nightinghall, wife of General Sir Miles Nightingall Commander-in-Chief 38 – Amusements in The Regiment – November 6th, 1818, Mr. Elphinstone hosted a dinner at Poona – Pindari – Thugs in and around Bombay 41 – First action at Pritchetgad on 10 May 1818 – Native armies of those days were of huge dimensions, dragging in their train ten times the number of the fighting men in the shape of followers, and constituting a series of moving bazars – Safety of the ‘zenana’ would be more important than defeating enemy – The Difference between rank in the Regiment and Rank in the Army (Sale of Commissions) – Promotion to the Rank of Captain 46 – Appoint- ment of Subedars and Syrang Major – Officer’s Borrowing Money – Recruitment from Immediate Vicinity – Establishment of Military Stations‘Kucha’ and ‘Pukka’ – Poona 1819 – Boundaries of Poona Cantonment settled by Colonel Gifford – Satara 1820 – Murder of The Rajah of Kolhapur 1821 – Foiled attempt of the prisoners to effect general escape from Satara Goal – Release of Batta to Native Troops – Private Commercial Transaction in The Army Prohibited – East India Company was extremely wary of allowing any increase in the number of European women in India – The Commanding Officer had eighteen servants – The Bibi’s 3 Expansion of the Empire: Gujarat 1823–35 62 Surat January 1823 – Suvali or Swally Port – British Customs at Swally – Journey from Suvali to Surat – Surat flourishing centre for ship building Centre – The Maharaja Gaikwad of Baroda the third ranking prince in India – Maharaja of Baroda ceded to the British in Saurashtra and Mahi Kantha – Baroda October 1824 – Honourable Governor-General-in-Council had complaints on the Character of some of the Staff officers – Regiment Reviewed by Major General Wilson on 19th January 1824 – New Organization of the Indian Army and Renumbering of Regiments 1824 – Drummers and Fifers were only to be Europeans or half castes – Regiment of artillery, battalion of foot artillery, the Corps of Golandanze, and each regiment of Cavalry to have same number of officers as Infantry Regiment – Officers up to the Rank of Major on Regi- mental lists for Promotion – Every Officer in the actual Command is to receive 400 rupees per month in addition to his other allowances – Each battalion to Constitute a Regiment – Dress Infantry Regiments – Lieutenant Colonel Brackley Kennet appointed Contents 9 Commandant – British Cavalry to follow silladar system – No caste was excluded from enlistment – Native officers Lost Power – Native officers Lost Power – Move from Surat to Baroda – Pay and Allowances – Collection of ‘jamabandi’, ‘ghásdána’ and kamávisdáris – Bacha Jamadar and Resistance of Kolis – Mehavasi villages up in arms plundering over nearly whole of Mahi Kantha – British Political Agent was appointed for Mahi Kantha attached to Baroda Residency – Regiment suffered heavy losses in Operations and moved out prematurely – 22nd Regiment at Vengurla – Buasaheb Raja of Kolhapur and Baby Elephant – Demand to the rights of Forts of Kolhapur, Panhala, Pavangad – Move to Kutch December 1927 – Regiment found Palanwadia Kalis of North Gujarat ‘untameable plunderers’- Driving out Sind plunderers from Haba Hills, eighteen miles North of Bhuj – Action against Thugee and Brigands of earlier Pindari – Intrigues in the Region NO peace or stability – Smallpox Epidemic – Headquarters’ of the Northern Districts moved to Hursole from Kaira – 7th and 8th Companies of the Regiment Reduced – Command of Detachments – Trouble in Sind – Disturbances in State of Idar and move of Regiment to Ahmedabad – Disturbances in State of Baroda– Sati – A Pundit and a Maulvi Added to Every Regiment – Redress of Grievances – “Northern Division of the Army” – Change in the Military Uniform – Profits arising from regimental canteens appropriated in variance with the intention of the institu- tion – Alterations and Reductions in the Army Establishments – Charges being pre- ferred before court martials inferior to general, for crimes involving capital punishment 4 Stay at Belgaum 96 Camp equipage was carried by various means to Belgaum – Difficult to Move in For- mations – Saranjam – Kittur Desai Shivalingarudra Sarja helped British against Peshwa –