26th Punjabis
Encyclopedia
The 26th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army
. It was raised in 1857, as the 18th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 26th Punjabis in 1903 and became 2nd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment
in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army
, where it continues to exist as 10th Battalion The Punjab Regiment
.
in June 1857, as the 18th Regiment of Punjab Infantry, during the upheaval of the Indian Mutiny. The manpower consisted of Pathan
s, Punjabi Muslims, Sikh
s and Dogra
s. The regiment took part in the Bhutan War of 1864-66, the Second Afghan War of 1878-80 and the Third Anglo-Burmese War
of 1885-87. In 1895, it took part in the Relief of Chitral
, while in 1897, it operated with the Mohmand Field Force during the great tribal uprising on the North West Frontier
of India.
brought about in the Indian Army by Lord Kitchener
in 1903, the regiment's designation was changed to 26th Punjabis.
In 1911, the 26th Punjabis moved to Hong Kong
to protect British interests following the Chinese Revolution of 1911. On the outbreak of the First World War, the regiment returned from Hong Kong to India. In December 1915, it sailed for Mesopotamia. During 1916, it fought on the Tigris
Front in the Battles of Dujaila
and Sannaiyat, as the British made desperate efforts to relieve their besiged garrison at Kut al Amara. In 1917, the regiment was again engaged in fighting on the River Tigris and took part in the British advance on Baghdad
. In 1918, it moved to Persia, returning to India in October 1919. In 1918, the 26th Punjabis raised a second battalion, which was disbanded in 1922.
, 27th
, 28th
and 29th Punjabis
. The battalion's new designation was 2nd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment. During the Second World War, the battalion fought in Borneo
, where it was captured by the Japanese in March 1942. It was re-raised in 1946 as a Machine-Gun Battalion. In 1947, the 15th Punjab Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was merged with the 1st
, 14th
and 16th Punjab Regiment
s to form one large Punjab Regiment
, and 2/15th Punjab was redesignated as 10 Punjab. The battalion fought in Kashmir
during the 1948 war with India. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, it fought at Suleimanki, while in 1971, it served in the Rajasthan
Sector.
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...
. It was raised in 1857, as the 18th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 26th Punjabis in 1903 and became 2nd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment
15th Punjab Regiment
The 15th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956 to form the Punjab Regiment....
in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
, where it continues to exist as 10th Battalion The Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)
The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in 1956 from an amalgamation of the 1st Punjab Regiment, 14th Punjab Regiment, 15th Punjab Regiment and 16th Punjab Regiment...
.
Early History
The regiment was raised by Captain HT Bartlett at PeshawarPeshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
in June 1857, as the 18th Regiment of Punjab Infantry, during the upheaval of the Indian Mutiny. The manpower consisted of Pathan
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s, Punjabi Muslims, Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s and Dogra
Dogra
The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. Being a diversified group, the Dogras include both Savarnas such as Brahmins, Rajputs and Non-savarnas. The Dogras also incluide merchant castes such as Mahajans...
s. The regiment took part in the Bhutan War of 1864-66, the Second Afghan War of 1878-80 and the Third Anglo-Burmese War
Third Anglo-Burmese War
The Third Anglo-Burmese War was a conflict that took place during 7–29 November 1885, with sporadic resistance and insurgency continuing into 1887. It was the final of three wars fought in the 19th century between the Burmese and the British...
of 1885-87. In 1895, it took part in the Relief of Chitral
Chitral Expedition
The Chitral Expedition was a military expedition in 1895 sent by the British authorities to relieve the fort at Chitral which was under siege after a local coup.-Background to the conflict:Chitral was at the extreme north west of British India...
, while in 1897, it operated with the Mohmand Field Force during the great tribal uprising on the North West Frontier
North-West Frontier (military history)
The North-West Frontier was the most difficult area, from a military point of view, of the former British India in the Indian sub-continent. It remains the 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...
of India.
26th Punjabis
Subsequent to the reformsKitchener Reforms
The Kitchener Reforms of the Indian Army began in 1903 when Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, India, completed the unification of the three armies of the former Presidencies , and also the Punjab Frontier Force, the Hyderabad Contingent and other local forces, into one...
brought about in the Indian Army by Lord Kitchener
Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
in 1903, the regiment's designation was changed to 26th Punjabis.
In 1911, the 26th Punjabis moved to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to protect British interests following the Chinese Revolution of 1911. On the outbreak of the First World War, the regiment returned from Hong Kong to India. In December 1915, it sailed for Mesopotamia. During 1916, it fought on the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
Front in the Battles of Dujaila
Battle of Dujaila
The Battle of Dujaila was fought on 8 March 1916, between British and Ottoman forces during the First World War. The Ottoman forces, led by Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz were besieging Kut, when the Anglo-Indian relief force, led by Lieutenant-General Fenton Aylmer, attempted to relieve the city...
and Sannaiyat, as the British made desperate efforts to relieve their besiged garrison at Kut al Amara. In 1917, the regiment was again engaged in fighting on the River Tigris and took part in the British advance on Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. In 1918, it moved to Persia, returning to India in October 1919. In 1918, the 26th Punjabis raised a second battalion, which was disbanded in 1922.
Susequent History
In 1921-22, a major reorganization was undertaken in the British Indian Army leading to the formation of large infantry groups of four to six battalions. Among these was the 15th Punjab Regiment, formed by grouping the 26th Punjabis with the 25th25th Punjabis
The 25th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 17th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 25th Punjabis in 1903 and became 1st Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment in 1922...
, 27th
27th Punjabis
The 27th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 19th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 27th Punjabis in 1903 and became 3rd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment in 1922...
, 28th
28th Punjabis
The 28th Punjabis were an infantry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 20th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 28th Punjabis in 1903 and became 4th Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment in 1922...
and 29th Punjabis
29th Punjabis
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 Battalion of 15th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1943, it was converted into the 15th Punjab Regimental...
. The battalion's new designation was 2nd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment. During the Second World War, the battalion fought in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, where it was captured by the Japanese in March 1942. It was re-raised in 1946 as a Machine-Gun Battalion. In 1947, the 15th Punjab Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was merged with the 1st
1st Punjab Regiment
The 1st Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 14th, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956, to form the Punjab Regiment....
, 14th
14th Punjab Regiment
The 14th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956, to form the Punjab Regiment....
and 16th Punjab Regiment
16th Punjab Regiment
The 16th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 15th Punjab Regiments in 1956 to form the Punjab Regiment....
s to form one large Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)
The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in 1956 from an amalgamation of the 1st Punjab Regiment, 14th Punjab Regiment, 15th Punjab Regiment and 16th Punjab Regiment...
, and 2/15th Punjab was redesignated as 10 Punjab. The battalion fought in Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
during the 1948 war with India. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, it fought at Suleimanki, while in 1971, it served in the Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
Sector.
Genealogy
- 1857 The Peshawar Punjab Battalion
- 1857 18th Regiment of Punjab Infantry
- 1861 30th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
- 1861 26th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
- 1864 26th (Punjab) Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
- 1885 26th (Punjab) Regiment of Bengal Infantry
- 1901 26th Punjab Infantry
- 1903 26th Punjabis
- 1918 1st Battalion 25th Punjabis
- 1922 2nd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment
- 1956 10th Battalion The Punjab Regiment
Further reading
- Stoney, Lt PS. (1924). A History of the 26th Punjabis, 1857-1923. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
- Rizvi, Brig SHA. (1984). Veteran Campaigners – A History of the Punjab Regiment 1759-1981. Lahore: Wajidalis.
- Cardew, Lt FG. (1903). A Sketch of the Services of the Bengal Native Army to the Year 1895. Calcutta: Military Department.