Infantry
Active1758–present
Country British India
 India
AllegianceRepublic of India
Branch British East India Company
 British Indian Army
Indian Army
TypeInfantry
Regimental coloursRed
Anniversaries27 October (Infantry Day)

The Infantry of the Indian Army is the largest combat arm of the Indian Army. It consists of personnel, who historically have engaged in ground combat on foot. It presently also consists of mechanised and airborne infantry.

History

The infantry was historically the first combat arm in any army. The present regiments of the Indian Army trace their origin to the British East India Company, when Indians were employed to protect their trading stations. From the middle of the eighteenth century, the three presidencies of the company began to maintain armies at Calcutta (Bengal Army), Madras (Madras Army) and Bombay (Bombay Army). The presidency armies had their own Regiments and cadre of European officers. There were European regiments, where both the officers and men were Europeans, as well as 'Native' regiments, which were officered by Europeans, but the other ranks were Indians. The recruitment of Indians was usually done locally, with battalions each drawn from single castes, or and from specific communities or geographical areas. This pattern of recruitment continues to this day in many of the older regiments. Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, 55 out of 70 infantry regiments of the Bengal Army were disbanded and more infantry regiment raised from Punjab and those including Gorkhas. Indian troops maintained internal security in the country, fought for the defence of the North-West Frontier and were sent abroad to take part many conflict zones of the British empire. The infantrymen subsequently served in the two world wars with distinction.[1][2][3]

Rajput soldiers of the British Indian Army, 1911

Regimental organisation

Each regiment consists of more than one infantry battalion. A battalion is commanded by an officer of the rank of Colonel. The battalion is further divided into four rifle companies, one headquarters company and at times a support company. Each company is commanded by an officer of the rank of a Major or a Captain. A company will have three platoons, which in turn will have three sections. In addition, each battalion has a Ghatak platoon, which is a special operations capable reconnaissance platoon. An infantry battalion usually has a strength of 15-20 officers and 650-800 other ranks. The latter includes Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and other ranks (ORs).[4][5][6]

Rajputana Rifles contingent during the Republic Day parade, 2014

Regiments

The Indian Army has four types of regiments based on class composition[7][8] -

  • Single Class- These regiments have troops from a single class, e.g. Dogra Regiment. This group also includes three scout units (highlighted in green), which are affiliated with an existing regiment. These units includes recruits only from a small geographical area and have a role of serving only in the border region from where they have been raised.
  • Fixed Class - They are composed of troops from two or more ethnic groups. The sub-units have troops from a single ethnic group e.g. Rajputana Rifles are recruited primarily from Jats and Rajputs populations.
  • Mixed Fixed Class - They are similar to the Fixed Class regiments but the sub-units have troops from more than one ethnicity. e.g. the Punjab Regiment comprises Sikhs, Punjabis and Dogras but all function in mixed sub-units.
  • All India All Class- These units contain a heterogeneous mix of all Indian classes and are generally those units, which have been raised after independence. e.g. Brigade of the Guards.

Based on role, the regiments can be classified as-

  • Regular infantry
  • Airborne infantry
  • Mechanised Infantry

The regiments, date of formation, regimental centre, number of battalions (regular, Territorial Army (TA) and Rashtriya Rifles (RR), motto and war cry are as follows[7] -

Regular and airborne infantry
Regiment Active From Regimental Centre Reg. Bn. TA Bn. RR Bn. Motto War Cry
Madras Regiment 1758 Wellington, Tamil Nadu 21 3 4 "Swadharme nidhanam shreyaha" ("It is a glory to die doing one's duty") "Veera Madrassi, Adi Kollu, Adi Kollu" ("Brave Madrassi, Strike and Kill, Strike and Kill!")
Rajputana Rifles 1775 Delhi Cantonment 19 2 4 "Veer bhogya vasundhara" ("The brave shall inherit the earth") "Raja Ramachandra ki jai" ("Victory to King Ramachandra")
Rajput Regiment 1778 Fatehgarh, Uttar Pradesh 20 2 4 "Sarvatra vijay" ("Victory everywhere") "Bol Bajrang Bali Ki jai" ("Say victory to Lord Hanuman")
Dogra Regiment 1877 Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh 20¶ 4 4 "Kartavyam anvatma" ("Duty before death") "Jawala Mata ki jai" ("Victory to Goddess Jawala")
Sikh Regiment 1846 Ramgarh Cantonment, Jharkhand 20 3 3 "Nischay kar apni jeet karon" ("With determination, I will be triumphant") "Jo bole So Nihal, sat sri akal" ("Shout Aloud in Ecstasy, True is the Great Eternal God!") "Wahe Guruji Da Khalsa, Wahe Guruji Di Fateh" ("The Khalsa of Waheguru is victorious")
Jat Regiment 1795 Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 22 2 4 "Sangathan va veerta" ("Unity and valour") "Jat balwan, jai bhagwan" ("The Jat is strong, victory to God")
Parachute Regiment 1945 Bengaluru, Karnataka 15 2 1 "Shatrujeet" ("The conqueror") "Balidan Param Dharma" ("Sacrifice, Supreme Duty")
Punjab Regiment 1761 Ramgarh Cantonment, Jharkhand 21 3 4 "Sthal wa jal" ("By land and sea") "Jo bole So Nihal, sat sri akal" ("Shout Aloud in Ecstasy, True is the Great Eternal God!"); "Bol Jawala Ma ki jai" ("Say victory to Goddess Jawala")
The Grenadiers 1778 Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 23 2 4 "Naam, Namak, Nishan" ("Name, Salt, Mark") "Sarvada shaktishali" ("Always strong")
Sikh Light Infantry 1944 Fatehgarh, Uttar Pradesh 19 3 3 "Deg teg fateh" ("Victory to charity and arms") "Jo bole So Nihal, sat sri akal" ("Shout Aloud in Ecstasy, True is the Great Eternal God!")
Maratha Light Infantry 1768 Belgaum, Karnataka 22 2 4 "Duty, honour, courage" "Bola Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki jai ("Say victory to King Shivaji); "Temlai Mata ki Jai" ("victory to Goddess Temlai"); Har Har Mahadev" ("O Lord Mahadev, you are omnipresent")
The Garhwal Rifles 1887 Lansdowne, Uttarakhand 21¶ 2 3 "Yudhaya krit nischya" ("Fight with determination") "Badri Vishal Lal ki jai" ("Victory to the Great Lord Badri Nath")
Kumaon Regiment 1813 Ranikhet, Uttarakhand 20¶ 2 3 "Parakramo vijayate" ("Valour triumphs") "Kalika Mata ki jai" ("Victory to Goddess Kali"); "Bajrang Bali ki jai" ("victory to Lord Hanuman"); "Dada Kishan ki jai" ("Victory to Dada Kishan")
Assam Regiment 1941 Shillong, Meghalaya 15 5 3 "Assam vikram" ("Unique valour") "Rhino charge"
Bihar Regiment 1941 Danapur, Bihar 22 2 4 "Veerta se yudh par" ("To war with valour") "Bajrang Bali Ki Jai" (Victory to Lord Hanuman) ; "Har Har Mahadev" ("O Lord Mahadev, you are omnipresent")
Mahar Regiment 1815 Saugor, Madhya Pradesh 21 3 3 "Yash sidhi" ("Success and attainment") "Bolo Hindustan ki jai" ("Say victory to India")
Jammu & Kashmir Rifles 1821 Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 21 4 3 "Prashata ranvirta" ("Valour in battle is praiseworthy") "Durga Mata ki jai" ("Victory to Goddess Durga")
Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry 1947 Awantipora, Jammu and Kashmir 20 3 - "Balidanam vir lakshanam " ("Sacrifice is a characteristic of the brave") "Bharat Mata ki jai" ("Victory to Mother India")
Naga Regiment 1970 Ranikhet, Uttarakhand 3 1 1 "Parakramo vijayate" ("Valour triumphs") "Jai Durga Naga" ("Victory to Durga Naga")
1 Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) 1815 Subathu, Himachal Pradesh 6 1§ "Kayar hunu bhanda marnu ramro" ("Better to die than live like a coward") "Jai Ma Kali, ayo Gorkhali" ("Hail Goddess Kali, here come the Gorkhas")
3 Gorkha Rifles 1815 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 5 1§ 1§ "Kayar hunu bhanda marnu ramro" ("Better to die than live like a coward") "Jai Ma Kali, ayo Gorkhali" ("Hail Goddess Kali, here come the Gorkhas")
4 Gorkha Rifles 1857 Sabathu, Himachal Pradesh 5 1§ "Kayar hunu bhanda marnu ramro" ("Better to die than live like a coward") "Jai Ma Kali, ayo Gorkhali" ("Hail Goddess Kali, here come the Gorkhas")
5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) 1858 Shillong, Meghalaya 6 1§ "Shaurya evam nistha" ("Courage and determination") "Jai Ma Kali, ayo Gorkhali" ("hail Goddess Kali, here come the Gorkhas")
8 Gorkha Rifles 1824 Shillong, Meghalaya 5 1§ "Kayar hunu bhanda marnu ramro" ("Better to die, than live like a coward") "Jai Ma Kali, ayo Gorkhali" ("Hail Goddess Kali, here come the Gorkhas")
9 Gorkha Rifles 1817 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 5 1§ 1§ "Kayar hunu bhanda marnu ramro" ("Better to die, than live like a coward") Jai Ma Kali, Ayo Gorkhali ("Hail Goddess Kali, here come the Gorkhas")
11 Gorkha Rifles 1918–1922; from 1948 Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 6 1 "Yatraham vijayastatra" ("Victory resides where I reside") "Jai Ma Kali, Ayo Gorkhali ("Hail Goddess Kali, here come the Gorkhas")
Ladakh Scouts 1963 Leh, Ladakh 5 "Ki ki so so Lhargyalo" ("Victory to God")
Arunachal Scouts 2010 Rayang, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh 2
Sikkim Scouts 2013 Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 2

¶ The Dogra Regiment, Garhwal Rifles, Kumaon Regiment have a scout battalion each, in addition to the above-mentioned battalions. Arunachal Scouts is affiliated to Assam Regiment, Ladakh Scouts to Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and Sikkim Scouts is to 11 Gorkha Rifles.

§ Since the Gorkha Regiments have relatively smaller number of battalions, 1 Gorkha Rifles and 4 Gorkha Rifles provide troops for 15 Rashtriya Rifles battalion, 3 Gorkha Rifles and 9 Gorkha Rifles for 32 Rashtriya Rifles battalion, and 5 Gorkha Rifles and 8 Gorkha Rifles for 33 Rashtriya Rifles battalion. 3 Gorkha Rifles and 9 Gorkha Rifles are affiliated to 137 Composite Eco-Task Force Battalion (Territorial Army).

Mechanised infantry
Regiment Active From Regimental Centre Reg. Bn. TA Bn. RR Bn. Motto War Cry
Brigade of the Guards 1949 Kamptee, Maharashtra 22 2 1 "Pahla humesha Pahla ("First, always first") "Garud ka hu bol pyare" ("I am the son of Garuda say O my friend")
Mechanised Infantry Regiment 1979 Ahmednagar, Maharashtra 27 "Valour and faith" "Bolo Bharat Mata ki jai" ("Say victory to Mother India")

Infantry School

The Infantry School is the alma mater of infantry and rose from a small training establishment to its present form in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh on 1 April 1948. The headquarters and major training facilities are located at Mhow. It is also the location for the infantry museum. The Junior Leaders’ Wing is located at Belgaum, Karnataka and the Non Commissioned Officers’ Academy is at Binnaguri, West Bengal.[9][10] In addition, officers and men might be sent to specialised training establishments like the High Altitude Warfare School and Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School.

BMP-2 of the Guards Regiment during the Republic Day parade, 2022

Infantry Day

Infantry Day is celebrated on 27 October every year to commemorate the landing of infantry troops at Srinagar airport in 1947. This momentous act turned back the Pakistani invaders from the outskirts of Srinagar and was a turning point in the 1947 War.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Brief History of the Pre-Partition Indian Army". 19 August 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  2. ↑ Shrivastava, VK; Bakshi, GD (2000). Infantry, a Glint of the Bayonet. Lancer Publishers. ISBN 978-8170622840.
  3. ↑ Jackson, Donovan (1940). India's Army. Sampson Low, Marston & Co Ltd.
  4. ↑ "Know The Indian Army-A Basic Fact-file On The Organisation And Structure Of Infantry Regiments". 22 June 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Know Your Army: Structure". Official Indian Army Web Portal. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Outline Organisation of a Standard Infantry Battalion". 4 January 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Infantry Regiments: The cutting edge of Soldiering". 24 January 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "Demand for new caste-, faith- or ethnicity-based regiments for Indian Army not in consonance with policy or national interest". 22 April 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "The Infantry School". Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "India's first infantry museum to be inaugurated in Mhow on December 16". 11 December 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "Indian Army Celebrates 76th Infantry Day". 27 October 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
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