The 5th Bengal European Cavalry was a 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 conscript ...

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 South ...

, created in 1858 and disbanded in 1859. The regiment was raised in

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

by the

in 1858 as the 5th Bengal European Light Cavalry, for service in the

Indian rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

; the "European" in the name indicated that it was manned by white soldiers, not Indian

sowars Sowar ( ur, سوار, also ''siwar'' meaning "the one who rides" or "rider", from Persian ) was originally a rank during the Mughal Empire and Maratha Empire. Later during the British Raj it was the name in Anglo-Indian usage for a horse-sold ...

. During the Mutiny, a Major of the regiment, Charles John Stanley Gough, received the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

White Mutiny

As with all other "European" units of the Company, the 5th Bengal European Cavalry regiment was placed under the command of the British Crown following the end of the Mutiny in 1858 and the passage of the

Government of India Act 1858 The Government of India Act 1858 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (21 & 22 Vict. c. 106) passed on 2 August 1858. Its provisions called for the liquidation of the British East India Company (who had up to this point been ruling ...

. However, the regiment disbanded rather than be transferred into the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. The regiment had been among the most outspoken during "white mutiny" over the proposals to transfer the "European regiments" into the British Army. The mutiny successfully achieved concessions from the British government, which allowed men to opt for free discharges and passage home as an alternative to transferring into the British Army.

References

{{reflist Honourable East India Company regiments Military units and formations established in 1858 Military units and formations disestablished in 1859 Bengal European Bengal Presidency Bengal European Cavalry