The 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajputs were an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

of the

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 Gover ...

, later of the united

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

. They could trace their origins to 1798, when they were the 1st Battalion, 24th

Bengal Native Infantry The regiments of Bengal Native Infantry, alongside the regiments of Bengal European Infantry, were the regular infantry components of the East India Company's Bengal Army from the raising of the first Native battalion in 1757 to the passing in ...

. Over the years the regiment became known by a number of different titles. The 69th Bengal Native Infantry 1824–1828, the 47th Bengal Native Infantry 1828–1861, the 7th Bengal Native Infantry 1861–1883, the 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Bengal Native Infantry 1883–1893, the 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajput Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry 1893–1903 and finally after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army when the names of the presidencies were dropped 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajputs. During this time the regiment took part in the

First Anglo-Sikh War The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company in 1845 and 1846 around the Firozpur district of Punjab. It resulted in the defeat and partial subjugation of the Sikh empire and cession of Jammu ...

, the

Second Opium War The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Chinese War or ''Arrow'' War, was fought between the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States against the Qing dynasty of China between 1856 and 1860. It was the second major ...

, the Sudan Campaign, the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious F ...

and

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. the 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajputs now became the 3rd Battalion 7th Rajput Regiment. After India gained its independence this was one of the regiments allocated to the new

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

References

Publications

*Rawlinson, H G, The History of the 3rd Battalion 7th Rajput Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own), Oxford University Press, London, 1941 * British Indian Army infantry regiments Honourable East India Company regiments Military units and formations established in 1798 Military units and formations disestablished in 1922 Military units and formations of the Boxer Rebellion Bengal Presidency 1798 establishments in the British Empire {{BritishIndia-mil-stub