23rd Sikh Pioneers | |
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![]() Jemadar 23rd Sikh pioneers standing 4th from right | |
Active | 1857-1922 |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Three battalions |
Part of | Bengal Army (to 1895) Bengal Command |
Nickname(s) | Muzbee Pioneers [1] |
Uniform | Drab; faced chocolate |
Engagements | 1857 Siege of Delhi 1857 Siege of Lucknow 1857 Capture of Lucknow 1858 Taku Forts 1860 Taku Forts 1860 Palikao 1868 Abyssinia 1878 - 80 Afghanistan 1878 Peiwar Kotal 1879 Charasiah 1897 Kabul 1897 Chitral 1903 Tibet 1914-1918 First World War 1919 Afghanistan 1920 Iraq |
Commanders | |
Colonel-in-Chief | King Edward VII (1904) |
The 23rd Sikh Pioneers were a regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1857, when they were known as the 15th (Pioneer) Regiment of Punjab Infantry. The regiment was mainly recruited from the Ramdasia Chamar Sikhs of Punjab Province, later due to not get Mazhbis during 1857 Campaign Siege of Delhi, British officers mixed the class composition of the regiment with Ramdasia Sikhs who are also untouchable caste with having same status like Mazhbi Sikhs, according to the author of History of Sikh Pioneers, Sir George Macmunn. Due to majority of Mazhbis in Class Composition of the Sikh Pioneer Regiment they are famously known as Muzbee Pioneers [2] [3] and Despite being Pioneers by name, the regiment was specially trained as Assault Pioneers.
They took part in the Battle of Taku Forts (1858), the Battle of Taku Forts (1860) and the Battle of Palikao in the Second Opium War. This was followed by the 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia a punitive expedition carried out by the armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire and Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia. [4] They next took part in the Battle of Peiwar Kotal, the Battle of Charasiab in the Second Afghan War in 1878. In 1903, they took part in the British expedition to Tibet an invasion of Tibet by British Indian forces, seeking to prevent the Russian Empire from interfering in Tibetan affairs.
After World War I, the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. [5] In 1922, the 23rd Sikh Pioneers now became the 1st Battalion, 3rd Sikh Pioneers, they were renamed again in 1929, as the Corps of Sikh Pioneers, which was disbanded in 1933. During the Second World War the regiment was reformed and named the Sikh Light Infantry. This regiment was allocated to the new Indian Army after independence.
The North-West Frontier was a region of the British Indian Empire. It remains the western frontier of present-day Pakistan, extending from the Pamir Knot in the north to the Koh-i-Malik Siah in the west, and separating the modern Pakistani frontier regions of North-West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Balochistan from neighbouring Afghanistan in the west. The borderline between is officially known as the Durand Line and divides Pashtun inhabitants of these provinces from Pashtuns in eastern Afghanistan.
The 20th Duke of Cambridge's Own Infantry (Brownlow's Punjabis) was a regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 8th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 20th Duke of Cambridge's Own Infantry (Brownlow's Punjabis) in 1904 and became 2nd Battalion (Duke of Cambridge's Own) 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army, where it continues to exist as 6th Battalion The Punjab Regiment.
The 32nd Sikh Pioneers was a regiment of the Indian Army during British rule. The regiment was founded in 1857 as the Punjab Sappers (Pioneers). After a series of names changes, it became the 32nd Punjab Pioneers in 1901 and the 32nd Sikh Pioneers in 1903. To honour the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Indian they took part in the Rawalpindi Parade 1905. In 1922, it united with 23rd Sikh Pioneers and 34th Sikh Pioneers, to form 2nd Bn, 3rd Sikh Pioneers. Their most celebrated feat of arms was the relief in 1895 of the besieged British garrison of Chitral, by a gruelling crossing of the snow-covered Shandur Pass.
The Sikh Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment is the successor unit to the 23rd, 32nd and 34th Royal Sikh Pioneers of the British Indian Army. The regiment recruits from the Sikh community of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana states of India.
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The 13th Rajputs (The Shekhawati Regiment) was an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, and later of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to the Shekhawati Regiment raised in 1835, as part of the Jaipur contingent of the Honourable East India Company and were taken into the company's service as a local battalion 8 years later. They fought in the Battle of Aliwal in the First Anglo-Sikh War. Remaining loyal during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, they were taken into the Bengal Army as the 13th Bengal Native Infantry in 1861. There followed a number of different name changes the 13th (Shekhawati) Bengal Native Infantry 1884–1897, the 13th (Shekhawati) Rajput Regiment of Bengal Infantry 1897–1901, the 13th (Shekhawati) Rajput Infantry 1901–1903. Then finally in 1903, after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army the 13th Rajputs (The Shekhawati Regiment). During World War I they were part of the Imperial Service Infantry Brigade assigned to the Indian Expeditionary Force B that was sent to British East Africa. They fought at the Battle of Tanga, where although initially deployed in outdated formations, the regiment subsequently showed steadiness in street fighting with the defending German colonial troops.
The 29th Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 21st Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 29th Punjabis in 1903 and became 10th (Training) Battalion of 15th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1943, it was converted into the 15th Punjab Regimental Centre. In 1947, the 15th Punjab Regiment was allocated to the Pakistan Army. In 1956, the 1st, 14th, 15th and 16th Punjab Regimental Centres where amalgamated to form the Punjab Regimental Centre.
The 36th Sikhs was an infantry regiment in the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1887, when they were the 36th (Sikh) Bengal Infantry. Composed of Jat Sikhs, it was created by Colonel Jim Cooke and Captain H. R. Holmes. They had one other change in title in 1901, when they became the 36th Sikh Infantry. They finally became the 36th Sikhs in 1903, after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army. During this time they fought an action in 1897, in defence of the Samana Ridge against a huge army of Pathans in the Battle of Saragarhi. To honour the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to India they took part in the Rawalpindi Parade 1905. During World War I they were stationed as part of the Garrison of Tianjin in China and took part in the Siege of Tsingtao.
The 15th Ludhiana Sikhs was an infantry regiment in the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1846, when they were known as the Regiment of Ludhiana. During the Indian Mutiny they were relied upon to hold Benares throughout the period of the Mutiny. In 1861, they became the 15th Bengal Native Infantry and shortly afterwards to the 15th (Ludhiana) Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry in 1864. Further changes in title followed they became the 15th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry in 1885, the 15th (Ludhiana) Sikh Infantry in 1901 and the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs following the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army in 1903. To honour the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Indian they took part in the Rawalpindi Parade 1905.
The 19th Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 7th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 19th Punjabis in 1903 and became 1st Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment i.e. 1/14 Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army, where it continues to exist as 5th Battalion The Punjab Regiment.
The 21st Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 21st Punjabis in 1903 and became 10th (Training) Battalion of 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1943, it was converted into the 14th Punjab Regimental Centre. In 1947, the 14th Punjab Regiment was allocated to the Pakistan Army. In 1956, the 1st, 14th, 15th and 16th Punjab Regimental Centres where amalgamated to form the Punjab Regimental Centre.
The 22nd Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 22nd Punjabis in 1903 and became 3rd Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army, where it continues to exist as 7th Battalion The Punjab Regiment.
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The 30th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 22nd Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 30th Punjabis in 1903 and became 1st Battalion 16th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army, where it continues to exist as 13th Battalion The Punjab Regiment.
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