1st Brahmans

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1st Brahmans
Active1776-1931
Country British India
BranchArmy
RoleInfantry
Size1 battalion (2 battalions during World War I)
Nickname(s)Neelwar ki Paltan
Engagements Second Anglo-Maratha War 1803-05
Anglo-Nepalese War 1814-16
First Anglo-Burmese War 1824-26
Siege of Bhurtpore 1826
First Afghan War 1839
Third Anglo-Burmese War 1885-87
First World War 1914-18
Battle honours Laswari

Bharatpur

Burma 1885-1887

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 the 4th Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment. The regiment was disbanded in 1931. [1]

Contents

Designations

Over the years the regiment was known by a number of different designations:

History

East India Company service

While in the service of the East India Company the regiment was awarded battle honours for service in the Second Maratha War 1803–05, the Anglo-Nepalese War 1814–16, the Second Anglo-Burmese War 1824–26 and the Bhurtpore Campaign 1826.

Post First War of Independence 1857

The regiment was the senior-most among the twelve Bengal Native Infantry regiments that survived the Great Indian Rebellion of 1857–58. It was accordingly one of the small number of Bengal regular infantry regiments to retain the traditions of East India Company service in the new post-Mutiny army. [3] Renumbered as the 1st of the Bengal line, it subsequently saw active service in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of 1885–87. Following the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army, when the names of the presidencies were dropped, the regiment became the 1st Brahman Infantry in 1901. [4]

World War I

In 1914, the regimental centre of the 1st Brahmans was located at Allahabad (now Prayagraj) and it was linked with the 3rd Brahmans. The regiment recruited mostly from the Bhumihar, Gaur, Kanyakubja and Saryuparin Brahmin communities. [5] [6] Full dress uniform of the sepoys included a high khaki turban with red fringe, a scarlet kurta (long coat) with white facings, white waist-sash, dark blue trousers and white leggings. [4] [7]

The regiment spent part of World War I in India before being posted to Aden, then under threat from Ottoman forces. A second battalion raised in 1917 saw service in the Persian Gulf.

Post-war service and disbandment

After the war, a major reorganisation was undertaken in the Indian Army and the various single-battalion infantry regiments were grouped together to form larger regiments of four to six battalions each. The 1st Brahmans became the 4th Battalion of the 1st Punjab Regiment in 1922. It was disbanded in 1931 due to retrenchment in the Indian Army. [4] [8] [9]

Deployments

2nd Battalion

Uniform

Regimental Centre

Class composition

2nd Battalion

See also

References

  1. ↑ India, Army Headquarters (3 February 2012). Indian Army List January 1919 — Volume 2. Andrews UK Limited. ISBN   978-1-78150-257-0.
  2. 1 2 Authority Of The Council (July 1918). Indian Army List For July I -1918. pp. 469b.
  3. ↑ Lt. Gen. Sir George Macmunn, page 106 "The Armies of India", ISBN   0-947554-02-5
  4. 1 2 3 Barthorp p.15
  5. ↑ Gaylor, John (1992). Sons of John Company. The Indian & Pakistan Armies 1903-1991. Spellmount. p. 130. ISBN   0-946771-98-7.
  6. ↑ Sharma, Anurag (12 November 2022). BRAHMINS WHO REFUSED TO BEG: BRIEF HISTORY OF BHUMIHARS, "AYACHAK" BRAHMINS OF EAST INDIA). Notion Press. p. 96. ISBN   979-8-88833-371-6.
  7. ↑ Schollander, Wendell (9 July 2018). Glory of the Empires 1880-1914. History Press Limited. p. 339. ISBN   978-0-7524-8634-5.
  8. ↑ Qureshi. The First Punjabis.
  9. ↑ Sumner, p.15
  10. 1 2 3 4 Military Department (July 1890). The Quarterly Indian Army List For July I 1890. p. 276.
  11. ↑ Military Department (October 1891). The Quarterly Indian Army List For Oct I 1891. p. 284.
  12. 1 2 Authority Of The Council (July 1895). Indian Army List For July I -1895. p. 297.
  13. ↑ Authority Of The Council (April 1896). Indian Army List For April I - 1896. p. 338.
  14. 1 2 Military Department (April 1899). The Quarterly Indian Army List For April I 1899. p. 338.
  15. ↑ Military Department (April 1901). The Quarterly Indian Army List For April I 1901. p. 339.
  16. ↑ Military Department (July 1910). The Quarterly Indian Army List For July I 1910. p. 311.
  17. 1 2 Army Headquarter India (January 1920). The Quarterly Indian Army List For January I -1920. pp. 1016–1019.
  18. 1 2 Authority Of The Council (July 1921). Indian Army List For July -1921. pp. 1016–1019.
  19. 1 2 Army Department, Government of India (April 1922). The Indian Army List 1922 April. p. 1050.
  20. ↑ Authority Of The Council (October 1924). Indian Army List For Oct - 1924. p. 1050.
  21. ↑ Government Of India (April 1927). Indian Army List For April -1927. p. 552.
  22. 1 2 Authority Of The Council (July 1930). Indian Army List For July -1930. p. 552.
  23. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1931). Indian Army List For Jan -1931. p. 552.
  24. ↑ Authority Of The Council (October 1925). Indian Army List For Oct -1925. p. 803.
  25. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1917). Indian Army List For July I -1917. p. 469.
  26. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922. p. 1016.
  27. ↑ Authority Of The Council (October 1923). Indian Army List For Oct - 1923. p. 1050.
  28. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1925). Indian Army List For July -1925. p. 803.
  29. ↑ Government Of India (April 1928). Indian Army List For April -1928. pp. 548–49.

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