The 8th Lancers was (until 1922) one of the 39

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

s of the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

. It had originally been part of the army of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

before passing into the reorganised

Bengal Army The Bengal Army was the army of the Bengal Presidency, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire. The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company (EIC) until the Govern ...

of the post-Mutiny period and ultimately into the unified Indian Army of 1904. As the 3rd Cavalry it is now part of the modern

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

Origin and history

The 8th Lancers were the last cavalry regiment to be established before the Great Mutiny of 1857, being raised by Captain W. H. Ryves at Sultanpore in 1846. The regiment served in

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

in 1857 and in the 2nd Afghan War. They were issued with lances in 1899 to become the 8th Bengal Lancers, later changed to the 8th Lancers. As the 8th Cavalry the regiment spent World War I on internal security duties in India although it was sent to Palestine in 1920. On returning to India in 1921 they were amalgamated with the 5th Cavalry and renamed the 3rd Cavalry.

Titles

Like all regiments of the Indian Army, the 8th Lancers underwent many name changes in the various reorganisations. They are listed below. *1846 17th Irregular Cavalry *1847 18th Irregular Cavalry *1861 8th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry *1900 8th Regiment of Bengal Lancers *1901 8th Bengal Lancers *1903 8th Lancers *1904 8th Cavalry *1922 3rd Cavalry following amalgamation with the 5th Cavalry

References

*Kempton, C (1996). ''A Register of Titles of the Units of the H.E.I.C. & Indian Armies 1666-1947.'' Bristol: British Empire & Commonwealth Museum. *Gaylor, J (1992). ''Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903- 1991.'' Stroud: Spellmount Publishers Ltd. {{British Indian Army Cavalry Regiments 1903 - 1946 Military units and formations established in 1846 British Indian Army cavalry regiments Honourable East India Company regiments Indian World War I regiments 1846 establishments in British India