The Governor General's Bodyguard was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

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

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 ...

and served as the British Indian equivalent to the Household Cavalry of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

History

The

Presidency armies The presidency armies were the armies of the three Presidencies of British India, presidencies of the East India Company's Company rule in India, rule in India, later the forces of the the Crown, British Crown in British Raj, India, composed pr ...

had no cavalry of any kind in the 1760s and were composed of contingents of European troops already in service of the

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

as infantry. Two troops of

dragoons Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

and one troop of

hussars A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...

were raised - the latter becoming the personal bodyguard of the

Governor-General of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the emperor o ...

. However, these units were disbanded during the reorganisation of the army by

Robert Clive Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, was the first British List of governors of Bengal Presidency, Governor of the Bengal Presidency. Clive has been widely credited for l ...

after his return to India in 1765. By 1772, the East India Company would not have a single cavalry-man in service. The first bodyguard regiment was raised in 1773 for

Warren Hastings Warren Hastings (6 December 1732 – 22 August 1818) was a British colonial administrator, who served as the first governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and so the first governor-gener ...

, the first

, as the Governor's Troop of Moghuls. across India. Hastings handpicked 50 troopers from the Moghal Horse, a unit which was raised in 1760 by local sirdars. In the same year, the

Raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

, Cheyt Singh of Benares provided another 50 troopers, that took the strength of the unit to 100. The first commander of the unit was Captain Sweeny Toone, an officer of the East India Company, who had Lieutenant Samuel Black as his subaltern. The establishment of the unit was as follows: * 1 Captain * 1 Lieutenant * 4 Sergeants * 6

Daffadar Daffadar ( Hindustani: दफ़ादार (Devanagari) ; (Nastaliq)) is the equivalent rank to sergeant in the Indian and Pakistani cavalry, as it was formerly in the British Indian Army. The rank below is lance daffadar. The equivalent in i ...

s * 100 troopers * 2 Trumpeters * 1

Farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adju ...

The Bodyguard was the only corps of cavalry in 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 ...

until 1777 when two regiments of cavalry, raised in 1776, were transferred by the

Asaf-ud-Daula Mirza Asaf-ud-Daula (23 September 1748 – 21 September 1797) was the Nawab wazir of Oudh ratified by Shah Alam II, from 26 January 1775 to 21 September 1797, and the son of Shuja-ud-Dowlah. His mother and grandmother were the Begums of ...

, the

Nawab of Awadh The Nawab of Awadh or Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers of Kingdom of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in northern India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to an Iranian dynasty''Encyclopædia Iranica'', R. B. B ...

Company rule in India

The Governor General's Bodyguard first saw action in 1773–74, against the

Sannyasi rebellion The Sannyasi rebellion () was a revolt by ''sannyasis'', ''sadhus'' (Hindu ascetics) in Bengal.In the Eighteenth Century Pandit Bhavanicharan Pathak, a Bhumihar from Jaso village of Buxar, was the main hero of the 'Sannyasi Rebellion' against the ...

. Its next campaign during the First Rohilla War where in April 1774, the Rohillas were defeated completely at the Battle of St. George. The regiment was also during the 3rd Mysore War (1790–92) against

Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...

where it successfully thwarted an assassination attempt on the life of Governor-General

Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805) was a British Army officer, Whig politician and colonial administrator. In the United States and United Kingdom, he is best known as one of the leading Britis ...

. In 1801, a detachment consisting of one Native Officer and 26 other ranks went to Egypt to provide riders for an experimental unit of horse artillery to remove a French force that had invaded Egypt. It marched for 120-miles in the desert in the height of summer. All their horses died and they had to place the guns on camels. The Bodyguard detachment never saw action in Egypt, as

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

had capitulated by the time that they arrived there. In 1811, the regiment earned its first Battle Honour 'Java' in 1811, during the conquest of the island in the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

from the

Dutch colonial empire The Dutch colonial empire () comprised overseas territories and trading posts under some form of Dutch control from the early 17th to late 20th centuries, including those initially administered by Dutch chartered companies—primarily the Du ...

. The successor President's Bodyguard unit has the unique distinction of being the only surviving unit to carry this honour. Java and other Dutch territories were not returned to the

Kingdom of the Netherlands The Kingdom of the Netherlands (, ;, , ), commonly known simply as the Netherlands, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united under the monarch of the Netherlands, who functions as head of state. The re ...

until 1816, after the conclusion of the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. In 1824, a detachment volunteered to sail over the '' kaala paani'' ("black water", or open ocean, which Hindu soldiers once refrained from crossing, for fear of losing their caste) to take part in the

First Anglo-Burmese War The First Anglo-Burmese War (; ; 5 March 1824 – 24 February 1826), also known as the First Burma War in English language accounts and First English Invasion War () in Burmese language accounts, was the first of three wars fought between the ...

and earned their second Battle Honour "Ava". The Bodyguard received their third Battle Honour "Maharajpore" for the Battle of Maharajpore (29 December 1843) during Gwalior campaign, when the British intervened against the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

during the battle for the succession that erupted in

Gwalior Gwalior (Hindi: , ) is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; It is known as the Music City of India having oldest Gwalior gharana, musical gharana in existence. It is a major sports, cultural, industrial, and political c ...

after the death of Maharaja Jankoji Rao Scindia II. The regiment saw extensive service 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 ...

in 1845 and won four Battle Honours, the most awarded to any regiment. It was involved in the first engagement of the conflict, the Battle of Mudki (Moodkee), where the regiment's

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...

, Lieutenant Charles Digby Dawkins, was killed. The regiment took part in the subsequent battles of the war; at the Battle of Ferozeshah, the Battle of Aliwal, and the last battle of the war, the

Battle of Sobraon The Battle of Sobraon was fought on 10 February 1847, between the forces of the East India Company and the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the declining Sikh Empire of the Punjab region, Punjab. The Sikhs were completely defeated, making this the ...

. The regiment was also active during the

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

. Governor-General

Canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although under ...

asked the Indian officers and other ranks to serve without arms as a precautionary measure, which they did in good faith. With their loyalty established, the Bodyguard later escorted Canning to the grand durbar at

Allahabad Prayagraj (, ; ISO 15919, ISO: ), formerly and colloquially known as Allahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi, Varanasi (Benar ...

where he proclaimed that India would be governed by the British Crown, and the title of Viceroy was conferred on the Governor General on 1 November 1858.

British Raj

After the transfer of the rule of India from the East India Company to the

British Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

through the

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

, the Governor General's Bodyguard was renamed to the Viceroy's Bodyguard. The subsequent recruitment and selection was from various elite regiments and units of the

. In 1885, the regiment participated in the

Third Anglo-Burmese War The Third Anglo-Burmese War (), also known as the Third Burma War, took place during 7–29 November 1885, with sporadic resistance continuing into 1887. It was the final of three wars fought in the 19th century between the Burmese and the Br ...

. In 1893, William Riddell Birdwood became the Master

Adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

of the regiment, seeing service in a number of North-West Frontier expeditions, with his home (regimental) base in

Dehradun Dehradun (), also known as Dehra Doon, is the winter capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, d ...

. During World War I, Viceroy and Governor-General Hardinge offered the Bodyguards as Divisional Cavalry for the Meerut Division, which was going to France, but it was decided that the best use of the unit was to serve as trainers for raw remounts of cavalry and artillery. Thus for the entire period of the war, the regiment worked as a remount training center. However, a detachment of the unit was sent to France as a reinforcement for the 3rd Skinner's Horse.

World War I and II

In the

First World War 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 ...

, men of the regiment were deployed to the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

in the fight against the German-allied

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, seeing service in the

Mesopotamian campaign The Mesopotamian campaign or Mesopotamian front () was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the British Empire, with troops from United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Britain, Australia and the vast major ...

. The regiment was mechanised in 1944 while retaining its ceremonial mounted squadron. The regiment was re-roled as an airborne unit and joined the 44th Indian Airborne Division, and re-named the 44th Indian Airborne Division Reconnaissance Squadron (Governor General's Bodyguard) It would retain the name until sometime after the war, when it reverted to its former name. During World War II, for a brief period of time, the Viceroy's Body Guard served as 44th Division Reconnaissance Squadron.

Partition and independence of India

During the

Partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

was divided 2:1 between the Dominions of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. Muslim personnel of the regiment were transferred to the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

to form the Governor General's Bodyguard in Pakistan. The rest of the regiment, comprising the Sikhs, Jats and Rajputs remained with the

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 ...

. The Viceroy's gold-plated buggy was coveted by both India and Pakistan. Its fate was decided by a coin toss between Colonel Thakur Govind Singh (India) and Sahabzada Yaqub Khan (Pakistan) and India won the buggy. The regiment would be renamed the

President's Bodyguard The President's Bodyguard (PBG) is an elite household cavalry regiment of the Indian Army. It is the senior-most regiment in the order of precedence of the units of the Indian Army. The primary role of the President's Bodyguard is to escort an ...

when India became a republic on 26 January 1950. In Pakistan, the successor regiment kept the title of Governor-General's Bodyguard until 1956 when Pakistan became a republic.

Strength and ethnic composition

The strength of this regiment has varied throughout its history. The minimum strength of the unit was 50 when it was raised in 1773, but the precise maximum strength of the unit is not known. The President of India's website claims a number of 1,929, just before the

but some historians believe the number to have been 469. According to the book "Historical Records of the Governor General's Body Guards", published in 1910, the maximum strength of the unit was 529 all ranks on 12 February 1844, just before the first Sikh War. In addition to 529 soldiers of all ranks, orders were also issued to attach two ''Rissalahs'' of Irregular Cavalry, taking the strength of the unit to 730 all ranks. The ethnic composition of the unit varied equally. Recruitment started when the unit was raised in 1773 by Governor

, with a strength of 50 handpicked troopers. This nucleus of the Bodyguard was later augmented by another 50 horsemen, provided by

Maharaja Chait Singh Rafa'at wa Awal-i-Martabat Maharaja Shri Chet Singh Sahib Bahadur (died 29 March 1810), commonly known as Raja Chet Singh, a Bhumihar king from the Narayan dynasty, was the 3rd ruler of Kingdom of Benaras in northern India. Chet Singh succeede ...

, thus bringing the overall strength of the regiment up to 100 horses and men by the end of that year. By 1800, Hindus (Brahmins and Rajputs) were allowed to join the regiment along with Muslims, but the area of the recruitment remained the same

Awadh Awadh (), known in British Raj historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a historical region in northern India and southern Nepal, now constituting the North-central portion of Uttar Pradesh. It is roughly synonymous with the ancient Kosala Regio ...

and Bihar. In 1800, the recruitment pool was changed from the

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal until 1937, later the Bengal Province, was the largest of all three presidencies of British India during Company rule in India, Company rule and later a Provinces o ...

to the

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...

and the regiment was reconstituted with troopers from the Madras cavalry for the next 60 years. During this period, South Indian castes comprised the bulk of this unit. After the

, the center of recruitment of the Indian Army was shifted from Awadh and southern India to northern India. Sikhs were allowed to enlist for the first time in Aug 1883 and Punjabi Muslims in October 1887. The recruitment of Brahmins ceased in 1895. After that, the proportions of recruits was fixed at 50% Sikhs (Malwa and Majha) and 50% Muslims (Hindustani and Punjabi).

Names

The name of the regiment has changed throughout its history:

Uniform

Clothing regulations of 1913 were as below: Uniform: red; facings blue.
Badges and Device:
''On buttons —'' * British officers.— burnished, with the Royal and Imperial Cypher in a Garter, bearing the motto of the Order of tho Garter, and a Tudor crown above. * Indian officers.— Brass, with crossed lances ; Tudor crown in upper angle, and "G. G. B. G." across the lower angle. ''On field cap, —'' A Tudor crown in gold embroidery.
''On forage cap. —'' Tudor crown surmounted by a lion, passant, regardant, in gold ombvoidery.
''On pouch. —'' In gold embroidery the monogram "G. G. B. G." surmounted by a Tudor crown.
''On pouch belt. —'' Gilt burnished, side prickers and chains.

Battle honours

The Governor-General's Bodyguard has the following

battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...

s: * Java * Ava * Maharajpoor * Moodkee * Ferozeshah * Aliwal * Sobraon all of which, except for "Java", are considered to be

repugnant Repugnant was a Swedish death metal band from Stockholm active from 1998 to 2004. The band has been cited as one of the first revivalists of the Swedish death metal movement, along with Kaamos. They recorded their only studio album ''Epitome of ...

for the successor President's Bodyguard regiment and cannot be carried on

regimental colours In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 year ...

Standards, guidons & banners

The

started issuing

standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object t ...

to Indian cavalry regiments in 1779. In 1800, the regiment was presented with its first standard by Governor-General Wellesley at the conclusion of his Review of the Body Guard. In 1815, the Governor-General

Francis Rawdon-Hastings Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings (9 December 175428 November 1826), styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762, Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783, The Lord Rawdon from 1783 to 1793 and The Earl of Moira bet ...

and his wife

Flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

presented a standard to the newly raised squadron. Two more Standards were presented to the newly raised squadrons of the Body Guards in 1844, when the strength of the regiment was highest. Standards were abolished in regiments of Indian Cavalry in 1864 and in 1931, a Guidon was presented to the Body Guards, which was last carried on escorts in 1936. Two Silver state trumpets with banners were presented to the Bodyguard by the Viceroy and Governor-General

Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading Rufus Daniel Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading (10 October 1860 – 30 December 1935), known as the Earl of Reading from 1917 to 1926, was a British Liberal politician and judge, who served as Lord Chief Justice of England, Viceroy of India, and S ...

in 1923, on the 150th anniversary of the raising of the unit. One banner represented the Star of India with the battle honours of the regiment, and the other banner carried the

coat-of-arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achiev ...

of the Governor-General of India. Each successive viceroy presented a banner to the Bodyguard upon assuming office; the banners of previous viceroys being kept in the custody of the regiment.

Other bodyguard units

During the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

, each

presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...

had its own bodyguard unit, called the Governor's Body Guard. These units were disbanded in 1947.

Governor's Body Guard, Madras

Governor's Body Guard, Madras was raised in 1778 in Madras and was the senior-most unit among the three Governor's Body Guard regiments. It was raised with one Sergeant, one Corporal and 12 European troopers, under command of Lieutenant. P. Sullivan. Unlike other

Madras Army The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations manda ...

regiments, the Governor's Body Guard, Madras retained its name throughout its history till 1947, when it was disbanded. The strength and composition of the unit, however, kept on changing. In 1778, it had one European troop and in 1781, the strength was raised to one European and one Native troop. The European troop was disbanded in 1784 and a company of the light infantry was attached. By 1799, strength of the regiment was raised to 100 men and it performed escort duty in Persia and Mysore war. From 1808 to 1820, detachments from different Madras cavalry regiments joined regiment on rotation. The regiment took part in

Third Anglo-Maratha War The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1819) was the final and decisive conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire, Maratha Confederacy in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an in ...

(1817–1819), where its charge along with 6th Bengal Light Cavalry changed the course of the war and it was considered as the decisive factor in winning the war. During the war, the regiment earned its only Battle Honour ' Seetabuldee' for the relief of Nagpur Residency. The regiment also took part in the

(1824–1826), where it rescued the advance guard which had been surrounded by a large body of enemy force at

Pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

. During the First World War, the regiment served as a remount training center and also patrolled the beaches during the Bombardment of Madras by SMS Emden. A combined force was also formed from detachment from Bombay and Madras Body Guards and was sent to serve in France. The Governor's Body Guards, Madras also received a standard from Viceroy and Governor-General

Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon (12 September 1866 – 12 August 1941), styled as the Earl of Willingdon between 1931 and 1936, was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada and ...

in March 1924 bearing its Battle Honour 'Seetabuldee'. At the time of its raising, the unit only had European troops. But 1781 onwards, South Indian classes dominated the regiment for most of the time, especially Deccani and Madrasi Muslims. In 1947, the unit had Rajputs from Rajasthan and Jats from Western United Provinces and Punjab.

Governor's Body Guard, Bombay

The unit was raised on 22 March 1865 in

Poona Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

from a selected body of troopers of the disbanded Southern Mahratta Horse (SMH), which was first raised in 1850. Though the unit was re-organized twice in 1895 and 1938, there was no change in its title. It retained its title throughout its existence until 1947, when it was disbanded. In 1865, it had Mahratta troopers only from Southern Mahratta Horse; but later Sikhs, Deccani Muslims and Punjabi Muslims also served in the unit.

Governor's Body Guard, Bengal

In 1912, the capital of India was transferred from Calcutta to Delhi and the Viceroy, along with Governor General's Body Guard, moved to Delhi and Bengal got the status of the Presidency just like Bombay and Madras. At that time, Captain Rivers Berney Worgan of 20th Deccan Horse raised Governor's Body Guard, Bengal from volunteers from different Bengal cavalry regiments. This was the youngest unit among three Governor's Body Guard units. This regiment also retained its title throughout its existence and was also disbanded in 1947. Only Punjabi Muslims, Jats and Rajputs were recruited for the unit. With respect to uniforms, all three Governor's Body Guard units followed the basic scarlet pattern with blue facings of the Governor General's Body Guards. There were however a number of distinctions such as cummerbunds and

plastron The turtle shell is a shield for the ventral and dorsal parts of turtles (the Order (biology), order Testudines), completely enclosing all the turtle's vital organs and in some cases even the head. It is constructed of modified bony elements such ...

s between the three bodyguards.

Battle honours

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

* Ava * Mahrajapore * Moodkee * Ferozeshah * Aliwal *

Sobraon Sobraon () is a village in Punjab, India. It is located west to Harike village in Tarn Taran district. The Sutlej river is to the south of this village. The village is located at 31°10'39N 74°51'10E with an altitude of 192 metres (633 feet). ...

References

{{reflist Military units and formations established in 1773 Military units and formations disestablished in 1950 British Indian Army cavalry regiments Indian World War I regiments Indian World War II regiments

History

Company rule in India

British Raj

World War I and II

Partition and independence of India

Strength and ethnic composition

Names

Uniform

Battle honours

Standards, guidons & banners

Other bodyguard units

Governor's Body Guard, Madras

Governor's Body Guard, Bombay

Governor's Body Guard, Bengal

Battle honours

See also

References