103rd Mahratta Light Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 103rd Mahratta Light Infantry were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army
. They could trace their origins to 1768, when they were raised as the 2nd Battalion, Bombay Sepoys. The regiment was first in action in the Mysore Campaign
during the Third Anglo-Mysore War
, quickly followed by the Battle of Seedaseer
and the Battle of Seringapatam
in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
. Their next action was at Beni Boo Ali against pirates in Eastern Arabia and the Persian Gulf
region led the East India Company to carry out a punitive expedition
in 1819 to Ras al Khaimah which destroyed the pirate base and removed the threat from the Persian Gulf.
In 1848, the regiment took part in the Siege of Multan
and the Battle of Gujrat in the Second Anglo-Sikh War
. The 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia
was next for the regiment. This was a punitive expedition
carried out by armed forces
of the British Empire
against the Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia
, he had imprisoned several missionaries and two representatives of the British
government. During World War I
they took part in the Mesopotamia Campaign. With the 17th Indian Brigade they were at the Battle of Es Sinn
. They were then captured with the 6th (Poona) Division
after the Siege of Kut
.
After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. In 1922, the 103rd Mahratta Light Infantry became the 1st Battalion 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
. After independence they were one of the regiments allocated to the Indian Army
.
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. They could trace their origins to 1768, when they were raised as the 2nd Battalion, Bombay Sepoys. The regiment was first in action in the Mysore Campaign
Mysore (1789-91)
The battle honour of Mysore commemorates the Third Anglo-Mysore War of 1789-92. Tipu Sultan attacked Travancore on 29 December 1789 and this made the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas apprehensive who entered into a "Triple Alliance" with the English. The Third Anglo-Mysore War went on for about...
during the Third Anglo-Mysore War
Third Anglo-Mysore War
The Third Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company and its allies, including the Mahratta Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad...
, quickly followed by the Battle of Seedaseer
Battle of Seedaseer
The Battle of Seedaseer was a battle of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War on 6 March 1799 at Seedaseer , a hill and pass on the border of the Coorg and Mysore country seven miles from Piriyapatna and with a view almost as far as Seringapatam. A British force of 2,000 was surrounded by 18-20,000 men of...
and the Battle of Seringapatam
Battle of Seringapatam
The Siege of Seringapatam was the final confrontation of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore. The British achieved a decisive victory after breaching the walls of the fortress at Seringapatam and storming the citadel. Tippu Sultan, Mysore's...
in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company under the Earl of Mornington....
. Their next action was at Beni Boo Ali against pirates in Eastern Arabia and the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
region led the East India Company to carry out a punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
in 1819 to Ras al Khaimah which destroyed the pirate base and removed the threat from the Persian Gulf.
In 1848, the regiment took part in the Siege of Multan
Siege of Multan
The Siege of Multan was a prolonged contest between the city and state of Multan and the British East India Company. The siege lasted between 19 April 1848, when a rebellion in the city against a ruler imposed by the East India Company precipitated the Second Anglo-Sikh War, and 22 January 1849,...
and the Battle of Gujrat in the Second Anglo-Sikh War
Second Anglo-Sikh War
The Second Anglo-Sikh War took place in 1848 and 1849, between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company. It resulted in the subjugation of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab and what subsequently became the North-West Frontier Province by the East India Company.-Background...
. The 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia
1868 Expedition to Abyssinia
The British 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia was a punitive expedition carried out by armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire...
was next for the regiment. This was a punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
carried out by armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
against the Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia
Tewodros II of Ethiopia
Tewodros II was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death....
, he had imprisoned several missionaries and two representatives of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
they took part in the Mesopotamia Campaign. With the 17th Indian Brigade they were at the Battle of Es Sinn
Battle of Es Sinn
The Battle of Es Sinn was a military engagement during the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I. The battle was fought to determine control of the lower Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. It was also viewed, by the British and Indian governments, as a test of the Ottoman forces and...
. They were then captured with the 6th (Poona) Division
6th (Poona) Division
For the World War II formation see 6th Infantry Division The 6th Division was a division of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1903, following the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army.-World War I:...
after the Siege of Kut
Siege of Kut
The siege of Kut Al Amara , was the besieging of 8,000 strong British-Indian garrison in the town of Kut, 100 miles south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. Its known also as 1st Battle of Kut. In 1915, its population was around 6,500...
.
After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. In 1922, the 103rd Mahratta Light Infantry became the 1st Battalion 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
5th Mahratta Light Infantry
The 5th Mahratta Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, whenthe Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The regiment fought in World War II and raised 30 battalions...
. After independence they were one of the regiments allocated to the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
.
Predecessor names
- 2nd Battalion, Bombay Sepoys – 1768.
- 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry – 1796.
- 3rd Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry – 1824.
- 3rd Regiment of Bombay (Light) Infantry – 1871.
- 3rd Bombay Light Infantry – 1901.
- 103rd Maharatta Light Infantry – 1903.