The Regular Infantry Regiments of the British Indian Army

The Early Years until 1796

The Reorganisation of 1796

The Two Battalion Regiments 1796 - 1824

From the Reorganisation of 1824 to the Mutiny

From the The Mutiny to the Indian Army

The Regiments in 1885

The Regiments in 1902

From 1903 to the Large Regiments of 1922

The Regiments in 1914

The 1922 Reorganisation into Large Regiments

The Regiments in 1922


The Second World War and Independence

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In 1928 the 3rd Madras Infantry was disbanded. In 1941 is was reraised.

In 1929 the numbers of the Pioneers regiments were dropped and they were titled as The Corps of ... Pioneers from then on. In 1933 all four Corps of Pioneers were disbanded. In 1941 the Corps of Sikh Pioneers was reraised in the Infantry as The Mazhabi and Ramdasia Sikh Regiment, later The Sikh Light Infantry.

In 1937 Burma was split off from India and the 20th Burma Rifles became The Burma Rifles of the Burmese Army.

In 1945 the numbers in the titles were dropped except for the Punjab Regiments.

In 1947 the regiments were divided between India and Pakistan (four Gurkha regiments going to the British Army). Many companies of a distinct class or religion were exchanged between regiments.

When India became a republic in 1950, all royal connections were removed from the titles and the badges.

When Pakistan became a republic in 1956, all royal connections were removed from the titles and the badges. This was concurrent with a major reorganisation of it’s infantry regiments.

Contents
- Line Infantry -
- Pioneers -
- Gurkha Rifles -
 

- Line Infantry -
 
Titles in 1922 Titles in 1947 Titles in 2010
1st Punjab Regiment 1st Punjab Regiment to Pakistan, 1956: merged intoThe Punjab Regiment
2nd Punjab Regiment 2nd Punjab Regiment to IndiaThe Punjab Regiment
3rd Madras Regiment 1928: disbanded
1941: 3rd Madras Regiment The Madras Regiment to IndiaThe Madras Regiment
4th Bombay Grenadiers The Indian Grenadiers to IndiaThe Grenadiers Regiment
5th Mahratta Light Infantry The Mahratta Light Infantry to IndiaThe Maratha Light Infantry
6th Rajputana Rifles The Rajputana Rifles to IndiaThe Rajputana Rifles
7th Rajput Regiment The Rajput Regiment to IndiaThe Rajput Regiment
8th Punjab Regiment 8th Punjab Regiment to Pakistan, 1956: merged intoThe Baloch Regiment
9th Jat Regiment The Jat Regiment to IndiaThe Jat Regiment
10th Baluch Regiment The Baluch Regiment to Pakistan, 1956: merged intoThe Baloch Regiment
11th Sikh Regiment The Sikh Regiment to IndiaThe Sikh Regiment
12th Frontier Force Regiment The Frontier Force Regiment to Pakistan, 1956: merged intoThe Frontier Force Regiment
13th Frontier Force Rifles The Frontier Force Rifles to Pakistan, 1956: merged intoThe Frontier Force Regiment
14th Punjab Regiment 14th Punjab Regiment to Pakistan, 1956: merged intoThe Punjab Regiment
15th Punjab Regiment 15th Punjab Regiment to Pakistan, 1956: merged intoThe Punjab Regiment
16th Punjab Regiment 16th Punjab Regiment to Pakistan, 1956: merged intoThe Punjab Regiment
17th Dogra Regiment The Dogra Regiment to IndiaThe Dogra Regiment
18th Royal Garhwal Rifles The Royal Garhwal Rifles to IndiaThe Garhwal Rifles
19th Hyderabad Regiment The Kumaon Regiment to IndiaThe Kumaon Regiment
20th Burma Rifles 1937: to the Burmese Army
1941: The Assam Regiment to IndiaThe Assam Regiment
1941: The Bihar Regiment to IndiaThe Bihar Regiment
1941: The Mahar Regiment to IndiaThe Mahar Regiment
1942: The Ajmer Regiment
1943: The Chamar Regiment
1941: 1st Coorg Battalion to India
1941: 1st Lingayat Battalion
1942: 1st Afridi Battalion
1945: The Indian Parachute Regiment
raised in Pakistan, 1971: to BangladeshThe East Bengal Regiment
 

- Pioneers -
 
Titles in 1922 Titles in 1947 Titles in 2010
1st Madras Pioneers 1933: disbanded
2nd Bombay Pioneers 1933: disbanded
3rd Sikh Pioneers 1933: disbanded ¹ The Sikh Light Infantry to IndiaThe Sikh Light Infantry
4th Hazara Pioneers 1933: disbanded
 
¹ 1941: reraised in the Infantry as The Mazhabi and Ramdasia Sikh Regiment
 

- Gurkha Rifles -
 
Titles in 1922 Titles in 1947 Titles in 2010
1st King George’s Own Gurkha Rifles 1st King George V’s Own Gurkha Rifles to India1 Gorkha Rifles
2nd King Edward’s Own Gurkha Rifles 2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles to Great Britain, 1994: merged intoThe Royal Gurkha Rifles
3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles 3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles to India3 Gorkha Rifles
4th Prince of Wales’s Own Gurkha Rifles 4th Prince of Wales’s Own Gurkha Rifles to India4 Gorkha Rifles
5th Royal Gurkha Rifles 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles to India5 Gorkha Rifles
6th Gurkha Rifles 6th Gurkha Rifles to Great Britain, 1994: merged intoThe Royal Gurkha Rifles
7th Gurkha Rifles 7th Gurkha Rifles to Great Britain, 1994: merged intoThe Royal Gurkha Rifles
8th Gurkha Rifles 8th Gurkha Rifles to India8 Gorkha Rifles
9th Gurkha Rifles 9th Gurkha Rifles to India9 Gorkha Rifles
10th Gurkha Rifles 10th Gurkha Rifles to Great Britain, 1994: merged intoThe Royal Gurkha Rifles
raised in India11 Gorkha Rifles
 

The Indian Regiments since 1950

The Pakistan Regiments since 1956