Royal Indian Artillery
Encyclopedia
The Royal Regiment of Indian Artillery, generally known as the Royal Indian Artillery (RIA), was an administrative corps of the British Indian Army
. The East India Company raised the first regular company of Artillery in 1748,with a small percentage of Indian Gunners called Gun Lashkars, Tindals and Serangs.A few Indian Mountain Batteries, officered by the British, were raised in the 19th century and formed part of the Royal Artillery.Royal Indian Artillery (RIA) of British India Army , was raised on September 28, 1827, as a part of the Bombay Army
, a presidency army
of the Bombay Presidency
. It was later renamed as 5 Bombay Mountain Battery, and involved in First Anglo-Afghan War
(1839-1842). The Indian Rebellion of 1857
was sparked off in Meerut on 10 May 1857, primarily by native artillery of Bengal Army
, following which all Indian artillery units were banned except mountain artillery batteries , though for his service during the Indian Rebellion
, Major Richard Keatinge
of Bombay Artillery, was awarded the Victoria Cross
in 1858.
The RIA saw extensive service in the First World War
, in East Africa
, Gallipoli
, Mesopotamia and Palestine
.
The Royal title was conferred upon the regiment in 1945. The partition of India
in 1947 resulted in the RIA being divided between the newly formed artillery regiments of India
(Regiment of Artillery
) and Pakistan
.
The most celebrated member of the RIA was Umrao Singh
, who was awarded the Victoria Cross
in World War II
.
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...
. The East India Company raised the first regular company of Artillery in 1748,with a small percentage of Indian Gunners called Gun Lashkars, Tindals and Serangs.A few Indian Mountain Batteries, officered by the British, were raised in the 19th century and formed part of the Royal Artillery.Royal Indian Artillery (RIA) of British India Army , was raised on September 28, 1827, as a part of the Bombay Army
Bombay Army
The Bombay Army was the army of the Bombay Presidency, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia.The Presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three presidencies to the direct...
, a presidency army
Presidency armies
The presidency armies were the armies of the three presidencies of the East India Company's rule in India, later the forces of the British Crown in India...
of the Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
. It was later renamed as 5 Bombay Mountain Battery, and involved in First Anglo-Afghan War
First Anglo-Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...
(1839-1842). The Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
was sparked off in Meerut on 10 May 1857, primarily by native artillery of Bengal Army
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
, following which all Indian artillery units were banned except mountain artillery batteries , though for his service during the Indian Rebellion
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, Major Richard Keatinge
Richard Harte Keatinge
Lieutenant General Richard Harte Keatinge VC CSI was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Life and career:Keatinge was born in Dublin...
of Bombay Artillery, was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
in 1858.
The RIA saw extensive service in the First World War
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...
, in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
, Mesopotamia and Palestine
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
.
The Royal title was conferred upon the regiment in 1945. The partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947 resulted in the RIA being divided between the newly formed artillery regiments of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(Regiment of Artillery
Regiment of Artillery
The Regiment of Artillery is an operational arm of the Indian Army. Formerly part of Royal Indian Artillery of British Indian Army which itself traces its origins to the formation of Bombay Artillery in 1827...
) and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
The most celebrated member of the RIA was Umrao Singh
Umrao Singh
Captain Umrao Singh VC , ; ) was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross , the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
, who was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.