It marched for 120 miles in the desert in the height of summer. In 1801, a detachment consisting of one Native Officer and 26 other ranks went to Egypt to provide riders for an experimental unit of horse artillery. During this campaign, it successfully thwarted an assassination attempt on the life of Governor General Lord Cornwallis. The Bodyguard was also present during the 3rd Mysore War (1790–92) against Tipu Sultan. George where the Rohillas were defeated completely. Its next campaign was against Rohillas in April 1774 in the battle of St. The PBG first saw action in 1773–74, when it was deployed against Sanyasis – a band that ravaged the countryside in the guise of mendicants. earned during the British rule of India) and cannot be carried on regimental colours. The President's Bodyguard has the following battle honours: Īll of which, except for "Java", are considered to be repugnant (i.e. In the pre-Independence era, the average height of a member of the President's Bodyguards was 1.90 metres (6 ft 3 in). The basic height requirement for enlistment is 1.83 metres (6 ft 0 in). Ĭurrently Jats, Rajputs and Jat Sikhs taken in equal numbers 33.1 percent, primarily from the states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. After that, the proportions of recruits was fixed at 50% Sikhs (Malwa and Majha) and 50% Muslims (Hindustani & Punjabi). The recruitment of Brahmins ceased in 1895. The GGBG was no exception and Sikhs were allowed to enlist for the first time in Aug 1883 and Punjabi Muslims in October 1887. After the Great Mutiny of 1857, the center of recruitment of the Indian Army was shifted from Awadh and southern India to northern India. During this period, South Indian castes comprised the bulk of this unit. In 1800, the recruitment pool was changed from the Bengal Presidency to the Madras Presidency and the GGBG was reconstituted with troopers from the Madras cavalry for the next 60 years. īy 1800, Hindus (Brahmins and Rajputs) were allowed to join the GGBG along with Muslims, but the area of the recruitment remained the same: Awadh & Bihar. This nucleus of the Bodyguard was later augmented by another 50 horsemen, provided by Maharaja Chait Singh of Benares, thus bringing the overall strength of the regiment up to 100 horses and men by the end of that year. Recruitment started when the unit was raised in 1773 by Governor Warren Hastings, with a strength of 50 handpicked troopers. The ethnic composition of the unit varied equally. The present strength of the regiment is 4 officers, 20 junior commissioned officers and 198 sowars (cavalrymen). In addition to 529 soldiers of all ranks, orders were also issued to attach two Rissalahs of Irregular Cavalry, taking the strength of the unit to 730 all ranks. According to the book "Historical Records of the Governor General's Body Guards", published in 1910, the maximum strength of the unit was 529 all ranks on 12 February 1844, just before the first Sikh War. The President of India's website claims a number of 1,929, just before the First Sikh War but some historians believe the number to have been 469. The minimum strength of the unit was 50 when it was raised in 1773, but the precise maximum strength of the unit is not known. The strength of this regiment has varied throughout its history. The name of the regiment has changed throughout its history: The Bodyguard was the only corps of cavalry in the Bengal Presidency until 1777 when two regiments of cavalry were transferred to the Company by the Nawab of Oudh. The establishment of the unit was as follows: The first commander of the unit was Captain Sweeny Toone, an officer of the East India Company, who had Lieutenant Samuel Black as his subaltern. In the same year, the Raja, Cheyt Singh of Benares (now Varanasi) provided another 50 troopers, that took the strength of the unit to 100. Hastings handpicked 50 troopers from the Moghal Horse, a unit which was raised in 1760 by local sirdars. It was raised by Governor-General Warren Hastings in September 1773. President's Bodyguard (PBG) is the oldest surviving mounted unit and the senior most regiment of the Indian Army. By 1772, the Company did not have a single cavalryman in service. These were however disbanded in the reorganisation of the army by Robert Clive after his return to India in 1765. Since the army of the East India Company had no cavalry of any kind at that point of time, two troops of dragoons and one troop of hussars were raised - the latter becoming the personal bodyguard of the Governor-General. The first bodyguard to be raised in India was in 1773 when European troops, already recruited into the East India Company's service as infantry, were earmarked for the role. Mahender Singh (former second-in-command of the regiment) in summer ceremonial uniform
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