THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
WAR BOOKS
WITH THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. 1914.
FAMOUS FIGHTS OF
INDIAN NATIVE
REGIMENTS
By
REGINALD HODDER
Author of "British Regiments at the Front," Etc.
HODDER AND STOUGHTON
LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO
MCMXIV
The Author wishes to express his indebtedness to Mr. J. Norvill for his valuable assistance and suggestions.
THE PADISHA'S WORDS
"I look to all my Indian soldiers to uphold the Izzat of the British Raj against an aggressive and relentless enemy.
"I know with what readiness my brave and loyal Indian soldiers are prepared to fulfil this sacred trust on the field of battle shoulder to shoulder with their comrades from all parts of the Empire. Rest assured that you will always be in my thoughts and prayers.
"I bid you to go forward and add fresh lustre to the glorious achievements and noble traditions of courage and chivalry of my Indian Army, whose honour and fame are in your hands."
CONTENTS
ORDER OF THE DAY.—No. 1.
Soldiers of the Indian Army Corps,
We have all read with pride the gracious message of his Majesty the King-Emperor to his troops from India.
On the eve of going into the field to join our British comrades, who have covered themselves with glory in this great war, it is our firm resolve to prove ourselves worthy of the honour which has been conferred on us as representatives of the Army of India.
In a few days we shall be fighting as has never been our good fortune to fight before, and against enemies who have a long history.
But is their history as long as yours? You are the descendants of men who have been mighty rulers and great warriors for many centuries. You will never forget this. You will recall the glories of your race. Hindu and Mahomedan will be fighting side by side with British soldiers and our gallant French Allies. You will be helping to make history. You will be the first Indian soldiers of the King-Emperor who will have the honour of showing in Europe that the sons of India have lost none of their ancient martial instincts and are worthy of the confidence reposed in them.
In battle you will remember that your religions enjoin on you that to give your life doing your duty is your highest reward.
The eyes of your co-religionists and your fellow-countrymen are on you. From the Himalayan Mountains, the banks of the Ganges and Indus, and the plains of Hindustan, they are eagerly waiting for the news of how their brethren conduct themselves when they meet the foe. From mosques and temples their prayers are ascending to the God of all, and you will answer their hopes by the proofs of your valour.
You will fight for your King-Emperor and your faith, so that history will record the doings of India's sons and your children will proudly tell of the deeds of their fathers.
JAMES WILLCOCKS,
Lieut.-General
Commg. Indian Army Corps.
Camp, Oct. 10th, 1914.
Our native army in India is principally composed of Sikhs, Pathans, Punjabi Mussalmans, and Gurkhas. Each of these races has acquired in its own way a high reputation for valour and martial skill, and it need not be doubted that the men drawn from these sources in the East to confront a relentless foe in the West are absolutely reliable.
Quite a third of the Indian Army is composed of Sikhs. They are not exactly a race, but are a military and religious caste, the only modern importation into their religion being a savour of socialism. The Sikh sect dates from the fifteenth century, when Baba Nanak raised them, so to speak, from the indiscriminate mass, to governing positions in the Punjab. This was partly owing to their strong religious sentiment, but principally to their military capabilities. In course of time, they came to dominate the whole of Northern India, and reached the height of their power under the Maharajah Runjit Singh (1780-1839). The Sikh wars of 1845-6 and 1848-9 are a matter of history. In these both British and Sikhs fought with the utmost gallantry. But, since 1849, the brave Sikhs have been loyal British subjects, and have fought on our side not only in the Indian Mutiny, but in Abyssinia, Afghanistan, China, Burma, Somaliland, and Tibet. At the present time, the Indian Army includes thirteen Sikh battalions, and there are one or more Sikh squadrons in each of the cavalry regiments, as well as a company or two in each of the infantry battalions.
The Khalsa Sikh is the beau-ideal of everything high and noble in the Sikh race. Stirred by the depths of his own religion, he fought and conquered at its behest. And to him is owing the high reputation and romantic popularity of an honoured name. The Khalsa Sikh is derived from many different castes, but principally from the Jats of the Punjab, whose character has responded to, and whose development has been moulded by, the self-reliant, warlike, and manly teachings of their ideal lawgiver and hero, Govid Singh, from whom their name is derived—the word Sikh being originally Singh.
It is to the Jat element that the Sikh owes his most lofty characteristics. Thus the Jat Sikh respects himself wisely. His racial pride is based on the knowledge that he is justly, and without doubt, the flower of India. With him, as with all others who undertake great deeds in the present, the natural stimulus to such deeds is the stirring song of heroic achievements in the past.
The Pathans emanate from the Afghan race, and inhabit the hills of the north-west frontier of India. While many of the clans are Shiahs, the majority are orthodox Mussalmans. These Pathans, who frequently figure in novels dealing with Indian life, are, in their way, romantic figures. They are not only tall, handsome, and striking in appearance, but they have also a very independent character, obeying discipline for discipline's sake, and their officers for love of them. It is very strange that their facial characteristics are decidedly Jewish in type. It may be asked why there are only Company regiments, and no Class regiments of the Pathans. The reason is that, while they do not possess all the qualities which make for the complete efficiency of the Class regiment, they have unusual merits which are a very desirable leaven to almost any body of fighting men. They are certainly an admirable factor in combination with Sikhs and Punjabi Mussalmans.
The Punjabi Mussalmans were the original inhabitants of the Punjab, and their strong characteristics are still uppermost in that province. By race they are both Rajput and Jat, but their clans are many. From their wealthy families are recruited many fine cavalry regiments. They have a particular leaning towards mountain cavalry work, and this tendency has been fostered by the Government. Taking them all round, they are most efficient and courageous soldiers, and their attachment to their officers is proverbial.
As to the Gurkha, he needs but slight introduction. He is, so to speak, the "Little Benjamin" of the force from India, and excites great interest by his high courage and remarkable skill.
When the Gurkhas were told that they were wanted to fight in the great war they asked, "Shall we all be killed?"; and the officer said, "Not all." They inquired, "Shall a great many be killed?" He replied, "Possibly." Then they asked, "Will a hundred come back?" "Perhaps so." "That will be enough," they said; "our people will know that we have fought well."
The Gurkha's skill with his kukri is so remarkable as to appear absolutely unerring. Given a human mark—let us say in the shape of a German—he can take off his nose or ear, or pierce his eye with deadly precision. No knife-thrower in the world can so accurately and closely fence in a man standing against a wall as can a Gurkha with some twenty knives—without drawing a drop of blood. A soldier writing from the front concludes his mention of these terrible little men with the passage: "God help the Germans these men come across, for nobody else can. Death to them is a pastime." Yet, though the art of throwing the kukri is perfection itself among the Gurkhas, it must not be supposed that they make a practice of throwing it at the enemy. They would not run the risk of losing the beloved weapon for the sake of killing one German.
The well-known fighting races inhabiting the Punjab, such as the Sikhs and Pathans, are supplemented by a considerable number of smaller fighting castes. All these are either of Rajput, Jat, or Tartar descent; but, being mostly Mahomedans, they are prone to claim Moghul or Arab origin. Though not very distinct from some of the more unwarlike Punjab castes, they have, at some period of their history, displayed enough valour to acquire the ascendancy over neighbouring districts, and the memory of this has given them that pride of blood and race and that spirit of self-reliance which so largely constitute the martial instinct. The smaller Mahomedan fighting tribes of the Punjab are often grouped together under the generic term "Punjabi Mahomedan."
The most important, from a military point of view, are the Ghakkars, who make excellent soldiers. They are fine men, fierce, proud, and high-spirited.
Awans and Sials.—These were at first soldiers, and latterly agriculturists. During the Mutiny the Sial chief remained loyal, and rendered active assistance by raising a small body of cavalry from his tribe for Imperial use.
The Kharrals are also a well-built, hardy tribe, possessing the martial instinct in a high degree. The Bhattis and the Khokars are also among the warriors of India.
[Note.—The warriors of India have a score to settle with the Germans. It is a private matter not to be mentioned in the same breath with the whole-hearted loyalty of the Indian troops, but at the same time it will lend a keener edge to every kukri, a more formidable point to every lance and bayonet, a more deadly aim to every bullet. What rankles justly in the Indian's breast in this. During the Boxer Insurrection of 1900 the Germans treated the brave Indian troops fighting by their side as if they had been the dirt of the earth. Our noble Indians, whose traditions were clothed in glory long before the Germans knew proper clothing of any kind, have not forgotten this. For fourteen years they, too, have been looking forward to "the day." And now it has come. "For the Padisha and the Right!"—if one could read their thoughts—"and, incidentally, a squaring of accounts!">[
[A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INDIAN ARMY]
Commands.—A Command is one of the principal administrative portions into which the Army of India is divided. There are four such Commands—the Punjab, Bengal, Madras, and Bombay. Each Command is presided over by a Lieut.-General, and is further divided into first and second class districts, commanded by Major-Generals and Brigadier-Generals respectively. The principal executive authority is vested in the Commander-in-Chief in India, subject to the control of the Governor-General, who is, by law, the supreme head of the Army.
Native Cavalry.—A regiment of native cavalry, with the exception of the Guides and the Lancers of the Hyderabad Contingent, consists of four squadrons. The strength varies slightly, but is usually eight British officers, one medical officer, seventeen native officers, and 608 noncommissioned officers and men.
The native cavalry, with the exception of the Body-Guards and the three regiments of Madras Lancers (now the 26th King George's Own Light Infantry, the 27th Light Cavalry and the 28th Light Cavalry), is organised on what is called the Silladar System, i.e., the horses, saddlery, clothing, equipment and war arms (except carbines and revolvers) are the private property of the regiment, and are provided for by funds to which all ranks pay donations on joining, with monthly subscriptions throughout their entire service. This system is characteristic of their dignity and standing. The original donation, or assami, is returned on a man being pensioned or discharged. A baggage mule or pony, and a driver who acts as grass-cutter, are maintained by every pair of fighting men. Two Sowars, mounted on fast-trotting camels, are attached to each squadron for the rapid conveyance of orders over long distances. The native cavalry is armed with sword and carbine. Lancers carry their own special weapon in addition. All corps are trained in the use of the lance, which in some regiments is carried by the front-rank men.
The Ranks.—The native ranks and their respective duties are as follow:—
Risaldar-Major.—The chief native officer of the regiment. The badge of his rank is a crown worn on each shoulder-strap. He commands a half-squadron, and is the confidential adviser of the Commandant in all matters relating to the native ranks.
Risaldar and Ressaidar.—Half-squadron commanders. The badge of the former is three stars; of the latter, two stars, worn on each shoulder-strap.
Woordie-Major.—Native adjutant. He is generally a Ressaidar.
Kot Dafadār.—The senior non-commissioned officer of the regiment.
Dafadār.—Sergeant.
Solutri.—Veterinary subordinate.
Sowar.—Trooper.
Native Artillery.—A native mountain battery has an establishment of five British officers, three native officers, and 253 non-commissioned officers and men. The armament consists of six 2.5 in. R.M.L. guns, carried on mules.
The only native field batteries now maintained are those of the Hyderabad Contingent. Each battery consists of two British officials, two native officers, and 128 non-commissioned officers and men. The armament consists of two six-pounder S.B. guns and two twelve-pounder howitzers.
Native Infantry.—A single battalion of native infantry is organised in four double companies, and has a complement of nearly twenty British officers, one medical officer, sixteen native officers, and eighty non-commissioned officers. The strength of the rank and file varies from 800 in the Punjab and Bengal to 720 in Madras and Bombay. To facilitate transfers in war time, the infantry, with a few exceptions, is organised into groups of two or three linked battalions, having a common regimental centre. Each battalion has a reserve, varying in strength from 218 to 160 men.
Native ranks and duties are:—
Subadār-Major.—Principal native officer of the battalion and confidential adviser of the Commanding Officer on all matters relating to the native ranks. He also commands a company.
Subadār.—Company commander.
Jemadār.—Subaltern.
Havildār-Major.—Sergeant-major.
Quarter-Master-Havildār.—Quarter-master-sergeant.
Havildār.—Sergeant.
Naick.—Corporal.
Sepoy.—Private.
Recruiting.—For recruiting purposes, India is divided into districts, each in charge of an officer, who recruits only for some particular race. All recruiting parties detached from regiments work under his orders, and all candidates for enlistment are brought to him for approval after undergoing medical examination. The number of applicants for service, especially for the Silladar Cavalry, is often in excess of the number of vacancies available. Recruits must be from sixteen to twenty-five years of age. There is a comparative scale of chest measurement to height, the minimum in each case being 33 in. and 5 feet 6 in. Special standards are allowed for Gurkhas, Dogras, and Mazhbi Sikhs. A native soldier enlists for three years. At the end of that time he may either claim his discharge or prolong his service up to twenty years, when he becomes entitled to a pension. All enlistments are for general service, with liability to serve wherever required.
Racial Composition.—Regiments of native cavalry and battalions of infantry are organised on the class system. They may be composed entirely of one class, when they are called "Class" regiments, or they may be recruited from three or four classes, kept apart in separate companies, when they are styled "Class Company" regiments. For instance, the 14th Sikhs, composed of eight companies of Sikhs, would be an example of the former, while the 30th Punjab Infantry, composed of four companies of Sikhs, two of Dogras, and two of Punjabi Mussalmans, would serve as an example of the latter.
Forage and Rations.—The native soldier pays for his own food and, in the Silladar Cavalry, also for the upkeep of his horse. A regimental bazaar is attached to each corps, from which the men purchase their rations. When the cost of the daily ration exceeds Rs. 3.8.0 per month, compensation is granted by the Government for the difference. On field service the native soldier draws free rations, and in addition to his ordinary pay is granted a special monthly allowance.
Quarters.—The quarters of native troops, except in Burma and on the North-west Frontier, are ranges of huts, called lines, which have to be built and kept in order by the corps temporarily occupying them. To defray the cost of repairs, the Government makes an allowance, which is paid monthly.
Education.—Each regiment and battalion has a school, at which attendance is voluntary. Sepoys are required to pass an easy examination in reading, writing, arithmetic and drill before promoted to non-commissioned rank.
Bands.—These are maintained by infantry, but not by cavalry. All Gurkha battalions and many corps in which Pathans are enlisted have pipers as well as bandsmen, buglers and drummers. The pipers make their own pipes, in imitation of the Scottish bagpipes, and acquire considerable efficiency under the instruction of Highland bandmasters.
Furlough and Leave.—The popularity of service in the native army is largely due to the liberal manner in which furlough and leave are granted.
Dress.—The dress of the native army is picturesque and distinctive. Kilmarnock caps are worn by the Gurkhas and Garhwalis, otherwise the universal headdress is the turban or pugri. In the Silladar Cavalry all uniforms are provided under regimental arrangements. In the other regiments clothing is issued by the clothing factories at Calcutta and Madras, but the khaki uniform, and all necessaries, such as great-coats, boots, pugris, haversacks, water-bottles, bedding, cooking-pots, etc., are purchased or manufactured regimentally, and may be had from the quarter-master at fixed prices.
Most of our native Indian soldiers are either peasant proprietors or cultivators, and on retirement from service return to their former employment. Some, however, accept minor posts with the civil administration, such as those of caretakers or messengers.
The Indian soldier is generally excellent in sports and athletics. The skill of the Sowar in tent-pegging, lime-cutting, and his daring feats of horsemanship are well known. In the infantry, wrestling is a favourite amusement, and certain classes, more especially Gurkhas, are keen sportsmen in the all-round sense of the word.
The military and agricultural classes of India are seen at their best in the native army. Enthusiastic in his profession, endued with great pride of race and considerable spirit, the native soldier feels that there is a camaraderie and a community of interests between himself and his British officers which are wholly lacking in his relations with civil officials. Daily intercourse in the lines, and in various games and sports, affords opportunities for mutual acquaintance, and enables British officers to acquire that personal influence over their men which has been so largely responsible for the brilliant results achieved by most of our great men of India.
There are three great classes of Sikhs: the Sikh by race, the Sikh by religious sect, and the Sikh by political conviction. They are, however, divided tribally as follows:—
The Jat Sikhs,
The Khattri Sikhs,
The Kamboh Sikhs,
The Lobana Sikhs,
The Sikh Chuhras or Mazhbis,
The Sikh Tarkhans,
The Kalal Sikhs.
The Jat Sikhs.—Our Jat recruits are drawn from the Eastern Jats, a race of hardy husbandmen. They are, so to speak, a clan of Indian agricultural peasantry. They came originally from the highlands of Scythia. These men possess the necessary instincts of the soldier, and their history has been marked by stern, hard fighting.
The Khattri Sikhs.—These are the merchant caste of the Punjabis.
The Kamboh Sikhs.—These make excellent soldiers, being of very fine physique and possessing great courage. They have always been noted for their cunning strategy, which now, being far less "slim" than in former times, has developed into the permissible strategy of war.
The Lobana Sikhs.—These are the social equals of the Jats.
The Sikh Chuhras or Mazhbis.—The term "Mazhbis" has now come to be applied to all Chuhras who have adopted Sikhism as their religion. The true Mazhbis are descendants of certain Chuhras, who rescued in a heroic fashion the body of Gurai Teg Bahadur from the Mahomedans, thus saving it from being dishonoured. In return for this, Gurai's son, Govind Singh, bestowed upon them the title of "Mazhbis Rangreeta" ("Chosen Brave"), and invited them into the fold of Sikhism. Therefore the name Mazhbis belongs properly to the descendants of these particular Chuhras' families. Inspired as they are by the glorious history and traditions of Khalsa, these men make excellent soldiers.
Sikh Tarkhans.—Tarkhans are carpenters by caste and profession. They are intelligent and industrious men, of whom about 20 per cent. are Sikhs by religion, the rest being Hindu or Mahomedan. Sikh Tarkhans, if carefully recruited, could supply a fair number of good soldiers.
Kalal Sikhs.—The Kalals are by caste and profession distillers and wine merchants on a small scale. Twenty-five per cent. of these have now embraced Sikhism, the rest being Hindu or Mahomedan; the Hindus being about 50 per cent. of the whole, and the Mahomedans about 25 per cent. Sikh Kalals are often styled Alhuwalias, from the fact that the famous and important Alhuwalia Misb was founded by the Kalal convert to Sikhism. The Chiefs of Kapurthala have always been Kalals by descent, and, since the rise of the Sikh Kalals to political prominence, they have largely given up their original profession to take to the more respectable avocations of merchandise and agriculture. The Kalals have a reputation for "enterprise, mercy and obstinacy"; and the Sikh Kalals make good soldiers, being of good physique and great hardihood.
The stately, manly Sikh has a character all his own. He has the manly virtues of honesty, industry, and tenacity well developed. He is independent, patient, and full of methodical, laborious energy; and, of all the Sikh tribes of whom this description is more or less true, the Jat may be particularly mentioned.
The Sikh race is drawn from the Punjab tribes, such as the Jat and Khattri, who from time immemorial have been renowned for their sturdy grit and independence. It may perhaps be said that the Jat-Sikh combines especially the best qualities of the Pathan races with those of the Sikh tribes.
All the Punjab races are, as a rule, impatient of control, but the Jat is particularly so, exercising in his impatience a fine quality of individual freedom. This, together with the fact that he is neither truculent nor turbulent, provides him with one of the finest qualities of a well-disciplined soldier, in contradistinction to the machine-made soldier. Well understood, he can be, and has been, well managed. Encouraged to continue in his own peaceful agricultural ways, he is reasonable and contented in doing his work; but if he is roused by what he considers unjust aggression, or any unsolicited interference, he is a dangerous man to deal with.
These salient characteristics of the Jat, combined with other qualities cultivated by British rule and example, have tinctured practically the whole Sikh race.
Respect of self and pride of race have now improved from the Sikh character the early intolerance and ungovernable spirit emanating from the Jats. Even the Sikh religion, as taught by its founder Nanak, has modified the hard-and-fast prejudices of the Hindu on the one hand, and on the other has eliminated the baser rancour and fanaticism of the more exoteric Mahomedanism.
The Sikh of to-day is a level-headed, sober-minded, tolerant man, keenly alive to practical issues. And from this may be judged his valour as a soldier. In the thick of battle the Sikh is cool and resolute. He is possessed of grim determination and tenacity. Just as in any emergency of social life he will keep his head with admirable self-restraint, so in the clash of battle he can be relied upon to do the right thing at the right moment in the right way. While not possessing quite so much élan as some other tribes, he more than compensates for that lack by his immunity from any tendency to panic.
The high-class Sikh may always be known by his stately bearing and lofty courtesy. His every movement is graceful, and the general impression one would get on the approach of a real Sikh is simply this: "Here comes one who is a prince in his own country." This dignity of bearing extends even to the lower classes, especially among our Sepoys, who carry themselves with an easy elegance, much of which is attributable to their splendid physique and the due consciousness of it.
It is not too much to say that of all the fine races of the East there is no type of man superior to the Sikh. In innate breeding he can tread the razor-edge between independence and insolence, between firm resolution and unreasoning obstinacy, between the present value of tradition and the dead husk of the glorified past. In his respect of himself he commands respect from others, and, combining the essential instinct of the soldier with the acquired love of practical ideals he can see with a single eye what the doubleheaded vulture of Prussia cannot see with four.
Constant fighting and an iron discipline had kept the Sikhs in order during the lifetime of Ranjit Singh, but after his death the army became unmanageable.
The history of the Sikh War is too well known to need more than passing reference. The troops of the Khalsa were defeated after a series of hard-fought battles, in which they showed soldierly qualities of the highest order. In the decade which followed the conquest of the Punjab, the British Government, impressed with the fighting capacity of their former opponents, determined to employ them as soldiers in their own army.
On the outbreak of the Mutiny, which from the first was identified with the restoration of the Moghul power, there was an immense revival of Sikhism. Hundreds of Sikhs who had turned their swords into ploughshares flocked to Lahore, and eagerly took service in the regiments there being raised by Lord Lawrence. All were filled with an intense longing to range themselves on the side of justice and right. All were anxious to assist in the capture of Delhi—a city associated in their minds with the heroic struggles and reverses of their forefathers. The spirit of the Khalsa, which had suffered greatly by the defeats on the Sutlej, was aroused at the thought of a conflict between Sikhism and Islam—a conflict the memory of which is now not only nobly forgotten, but to be blotted out for ever by heroism and sacrifice; for both Sikh and Mahomedan of India have joined hands in common cause against the enemy of all human progress. Both have espoused our cause with a devotion and loyalty which is almost without parallel in history.
THE SIKH REGIMENTS, WITH THEIR BATTLE HONOURS
Cavalry
The following regiments contain squadrons of Sikhs:—
2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse).
3rd Skinner's Horse.
4th Cavalry.
6th King Edward's Own Cavalry.
7th Hariana Lancers.
9th Hodson's Horse.
10th Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers (Hodson's Horse).
11th King Edward's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse).
12th Cavalry.
13th Duke of Connaught's Lancers.
16th Cavalry.
18th King George's Own Lancers.
19th Lancers (Fane's Horse).
20th Deccan Horse.
21st Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) (Daly's Horse).
22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force).
23rd Cavalry (Frontier Force).
25th Cavalry (Frontier Force).
29th Lancers (Deccan Horse).
30th Lancers (Gordon's Horse).
31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers.
32nd Lancers.
33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry.
36th Jacob's Horse.
37th Lancers (Baluch Horse).
38th King George's Own Central India Horse.
39th King George's Own Central India Horse.
Infantry
The following regiments are composed exclusively of Sikhs:—
14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs. Raised July 30th, 1846.
Consists of 8 companies of Sikhs.
Badges.—The Plume of the Prince of Wales. The Royal and Imperial Cypher.
Battle Honours.—"Lucknow," "Ali Masjid," "Afghanistan 1878/79," "Defence of Chitral," "China 1900."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.
15th Ludhiana Sikhs. Raised 1846.
Consists of 8 companies of Sikhs.
Battle Honours.—"China 1860/62," "Ahmad Khel," "Kandahar 1880," "Afghanistan 1878/80," "Suakim 1885," "Tofrek," "Chitral," "Punjab Frontier," "Tirah."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings emerald green.
23rd Sikh Pioneers. Raised 1857.
Consists of 8 companies of Mazhbi Sikhs.
Battle Honours.—"Taku Forts," "Pekin," "Abyssinia," "Peiwar Kotal," "Charasiah," "Kabul 1879," "Kandahar 1880," "Afghanistan 1878/80," "Chitral."
Uniform.—Drab, facings chocolate.
32nd Sikh Pioneers. Raised 1857.
Consists of 8 companies of Mazhbi Sikhs.
Motto.—"Aut viam inveniam aut faciam."
Battle Honours.—"Delhi," "Lucknow," "Afghanistan 1878/80," "Chitral."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings blue.
34th Sikh Pioneers. Raised 1887.
Consists of 8 companies of Mazhbi Sikhs.
Battle Honours.—"Chitral," "Punjab Frontier," "China 1900."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings blue.
35th Sikhs. Raised 1798, disbanded 1882, reformed 1887.
Consists of 8 companies of Sikhs.
Battle Honours.—"Punjab Frontier," "Malakand."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.
36th Sikhs. Raised 1858, disbanded 1882, reformed 1887.
Consists of 8 companies of Sikhs.
Battle Honours.—"Punjab Frontier," "Samara," "Tirah."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.
47th Sikhs. Raised 1901.
Consists of 8 companies of Sikhs.
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.
The 48th Pioneers, 51st Sikhs (Frontier Force), 52nd Sikhs (Frontier Force), 53rd Sikhs (Frontier Force), and 54th Sikhs (Frontier Force) are Sikh regiments with other tribes intermixed.
[THE RAJPUTS]
The chief characteristic of the Rajput is his pride of blood. Representing as he does the higher military castes of India, his one ambition has always been to wield a sword, and wield it well. For ages in the past the Rajput maintained his supremacy in one or another part of India. Claiming descent from the sun and the moon, and later from those two heroes of the Mahabharata—Rama and Krishna—the Rajput maintains that his ancient and noble blood has flowed in the veins of kings from times more remote than any other history can record. That old but immortal legend of the Bhagavad Gîta, in which Prince Arjuna held a discourse with Krishna, the supreme Deity, in his war-chariot, drawn up between the opposing forces of Kauravas and Pandavas, is regarded by the Rajput as peculiarly his own. It is not to be wondered at, then, that, possessing from time immemorial this lofty poem, so sublime in its aspiration, so pure and tender in its piety, the Rajput has always been a man of high and noble sentiment and lofty ideals. He is, as the literal rendering of his name implies, the "Rajah's son," and in war has always displayed most noble and fearless qualities.
It cannot be said that the Rajput is content to shine in the reflected glory of the past. In ancient times he devoted his life to making epic history, and in these days this serves him for an ever-present tradition from which he will draw the necessary material to add another volume to that history. Let him dream of the past achievements of his race, his ancient glory in war; let him sing the songs that he has made, and shake off the sloth of peace, and so rush into battle; for out of such dreams and stirring songs springs all human greatness.
There is no questioning the bravery and stamina of the Rajput. Under a good commander who knows how to appeal to him, the Rajput will face death in any grim form. He has a spirit so fierce and dauntless that naturally it is tinctured with the changing tides of strong emotion, which at times may have its drawbacks; but he is, even more than the Gurkha, a soldier fit for a special task; indeed, his dash and heroism are so remarkable that even the Gurkha will sometimes claim to be directly descended from the Rajput.
There is no history to record of the Rajput as a race, for each Rajput state and clan—and there are a large number of them—has its own history. Roughly, they may be described as more or less pure-blooded, modern Hindu (Brahminical) representatives of the early Aryan emigrants into India.
... "The mild Hindu
Of far-off Rajputana,
(Who) smiles to think how very few
Will ever reach Nirvana,"
is not the Rajput. It is a mistake to suppose that the Rajputs are the inhabitants of the province bearing their name. They form but a small part of the population of that province, nor are they by any means restricted to it, being found in large numbers from the Indus to Benares. A large section of the Rajputs of the Punjab, having been converted to Mahomedanism, have thereby lost their distinctive character of Rajputs, who, retaining the religion of their forefathers, are essentially Hindu. And among them are seers and philosophers of the highest degree—men whose feet Nietzsche and Treitschke are not worthy to kiss. And in the Rajput's championship of the higher things he is instinct with the wisdom of India, who sends him westward; India, who through the mouth of her sublimest poet says, from a platform undreamed of by the Teutonic philosopher,
"Near to renunciation—very near—
Dwelleth eternal peace."
Each separate Rajput clan has its own peculiar customs and rites, while holding the general customs and rites in common with the whole Rajput race. This peculiarity is strongly marked by the fact that the same clan living in different countries has, in addition to its own general clan rights, others which seem to have been born out of its separate environment. The Rajput in Rajputana invariably marries out of his own clan, but if he allows his daughter to marry into a lower clan he suffers in social position. A Rajput may legally marry more than one wife, and he is permitted by his social and moral code certain things which some other codes condemn.
In the process of recruiting among Rajputs it is a simple matter to tell the real from the false by the following points. A true Rajput will eat with his illegitimate children, but not out of the same dish; he will allow his natural son to smoke his hookah, but only provided he draws the smoke through his closed hand. He will eat food prepared and cooked by the natural children of any Rajput, but he will not eat with them, nor under any conditions allow them to smoke his hookah.
The Rajput woman is noted for her bravery and high ideal of honour. Woe betide the husband or brother who has not all his wounds in front. There are many tales of Rajput women snatching a dagger from their waistband and plunging it into their hearts rather than suffer dishonour. There are even stories current as to their fighting ability, telling how on occasion they have fought valiantly in the field, and even led troops to victory.
THE RAJPUT REGIMENTS, WITH THEIR BATTLE HONOURS
2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry.
Badge.—The Royal and Imperial Cypher of Queen Victoria within the Garter.
Battle Honours.—"Delhi 1803," "Leswarree," "Deig," "Bhurtpore," "Khelat," "Afghanistan," "Maharajpore," "Punjab," "Chillianwallah," "Goojerat," "Central India," "Afghanistan 1879/80," "Burma 1885/87," "China 1900."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings blue.
4th Prince Albert Victor's Rajputs.
Battle Honours.—"Leswarree," "Bhurtpore," "Kabul 1842," "Ferozeshah," "Sobraon," "Afghanistan 1879/80," "Burma 1885/87."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings black.
7th Duke of Connaught's Own Rajputs.
Badge.—The Duke of Connaught's Crest and Cypher.
Battle Honours.—"Moodkee," "Ferozeshah," "Aliwal," "Sobraon," "China 1858/59," "Egypt 1882," "Tel-el-Kebir," "Pekin 1900."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.
8th Rajputs.
Battle Honours.—"Sobraon," "Afghanistan 1879/80."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.
13th Rajputs. (The Shekhawati Regiment.)
Battle Honours.—"Aliwal," "Afghanistan 1879/80," "Chitral."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings blue.
16th Rajputs. (The Lucknow Regiment.)
Battle Honours.—"Lucknow" (with a Turreted Gateway), "Afghanistan 1879/80," "Burma 1885/87."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings white.
For geographical reasons connected with facility in recruiting, the Mahrattas are divided into two parts: the Konkani Mahrattas and the Dekhani Mahrattas. The whole race was originally confined to the country known as Maharashtra, but since their rapid acquirement of power in India they have spread beyond the limits of that country. They may now be found in the heart of the Central Provinces on the east, Central India on the north, and on the borders of Rajputana to the north and west.
Mahrattas are generally divided into three classes:—
1. Brahmans.
2. Chatris—i.e., those who claim Rajput descent.
3. Sudras—those belonging to agricultural and trading classes.
The best of the soldiers are probably those recruited in the Dekhan, who are short, hardy and brave. Most of the Mahrattas in our ranks are recruited from the Konkan. They are taller and smarter than the Dekhanis, who, nevertheless, excel in endurance. The hillmen are nearly always more hardy than the inhabitants of the plain.
There is no history of the early Mahrattas, but as it is tolerably clear that the Mahratta language is Aryan, it follows that the race has at least Aryan blood, although ethnologists set it down clearly to be of Turanian or Dravidian origin.
It seems a curious thing that the Mahrattas were not brought up from the cradle of their race as fighting men, since they have proved in our first meetings with them such excellent foes. It is certain that if they are not born fighters, they have become good soldiers. Mr. Grant Duff in his "History of the Mahrattas" distinguishes them very clearly in a military sense from the Sikhs and the Gurkhas, while admitting that they make excellent soldiers. "The very fact of their having played so conspicuous and not always ignoble a part in the history of India," he says, "marks them out as a race with some qualities of the genuine soldier. The Duke of Wellington, who had such ample opportunities of forming a judgment in regard to them, rated them highly; and there can be no doubt that, with the discipline which the British officer enforces, and his personal example of courage, constancy, and devotion to duty, the Mahrattas can still be made into good soldiers, despite the enervating and softening influence which a long spell of peace appears to have on India."
Authoritative historians have said that the courage of the Mahrattas of old was the courage of the freebooter; that they were at the best bold buccaneers, who were capable at times of courage because it paid them, but that the moment the prospect of gain was taken away, their courage oozed out. These writers maintain that the highest instincts of the soldier were never theirs. The reason of that was necessarily that the loyal and steadfast adhesion to a good cause, which has led the highest human types, in all ages, willingly to sacrifice their lives, never inspired them. Consequently, they were devoid of that spirit which takes death with proud indifference from motives of patriotism. One of these writers says: "The Mahrattas all through history have never sacrificed a whole skin unless there was something very tangible and substantial to be got thereby." Neither has Britain. We have never sacrificed, and never intend to sacrifice, our men for anything less than "something very tangible and substantial to be got thereby." The criticism on both sides then simply amounts to this: that courage is not a thing in itself, but a quality depending on motive, with knowledge; and the Mahratta, although he may have lacked both in the past, has certainly acquired them now.
Again, it has been contended that the Mahratta lacks the elegant proportions of the Jat Sikh, the robust, well-knit figure of the Gurkha, the lofty personal courage of the Pathan—in short, that he is cast in a mould that is anything but heroic. But, when we come to consider that there is in the Mahratta an essential sturdiness and tenacity, we find eventually, and apart from all superficially striking characteristics, the pabulum out of which the finest soldiery can be made.
In physique, the Mahratta is somewhat under the average height. His skin is dark, and his features irregular. But in those features one can discern a tremendous capacity for endurance. He may not be a cultured man—either falsely or truly—but, in the ranks, he possesses those natural adjuncts to steady, quiet strength, tractability, gentleness, patience, and a general willingness to fall in with the idea of someone who obviously knows more.
The Mahrattas in the 1st Bombay Infantry (Grenadiers), now the 101st Grenadiers, proved their grit at Maiwand. In a tough fight they held good till more than half their number were gone. Again, at Suakin, in 1885, the Mahrattas in the 28th Bombay Infantry (Pioneers), now the 128th Pioneers, proved, without a doubt, the nature of the qualities already mentioned, which will indubitably find further development in the present state of war.
Like the Rajputs, the Mahrattas are chiefly Hindus. They have strange objects of worship, such as trees and snakes. Their deities are principally incarnations of Shiva, the Destroyer, such as Etoba and Kandoba. Like all the Hindus, they still maintain a strong belief in Spirit, and, like all races who, in their early stages, have clung to that belief in darkness, they have developed a broader knowledge, which has always walked arm-in-arm with superstition towards enlightenment. Yet, especially in time of war, the Mahrattas throw aside all caste prejudices, even eat in common among themselves, and are not unwilling to accept a drink from Tommy Atkins himself.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MAHRATTAS
Various theories have been advanced as to the origin of the Mahratta-speaking races of Western India. It is a generally accepted idea that, though the higher classes are to some extent of Aryan blood, the majority of the people are descended from aboriginal tribes who settled in the country long before the Aryans commenced their emigration from the Oxus.
The Mahratta country extends from Bombay in the north to Goa in the south, and from the Indian Ocean in the west to the Central Provinces and the Nizam's Dominions in the east. The tract is divided into two well-defined portions by the Ghats, a chain of hills running parallel with the coast. The strip of country near the sea, from the mouth of the Taptee to Goa, is generally known as the Konkan, and was formerly infested with pirates and brigands. The table-land of the Dekhan to the west of the Ghats has been inhabited for numberless generations by cultivators, shepherds, and herdsmen, and it was not until the Mahomedan persecutions had driven these peasants into rebellion that they developed any warlike instincts, and became aware of their own capacity for conquest.
Considering the power to which they at one time attained, it seems remarkable that no mention should have been made of the Mahrattas in history from the time of the Mahomedan conquests in the thirteenth century to the reign of Aurangzeb. It would appear, however, that during this period the country on each side of the Ghats was divided into numerous Hindu principalities, which paid tribute to the Mahomedan Kings of the Dekhan and Golkonda, but were never really subdued. A Mahratta family of the Bhondle tribe, which claimed to be of Rajput descent, had been for many generations in the service of the Sultans of Bijapur. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, a son of this family, named Sivaji, turned brigand, and supported by his peasant followers, who rapidly developed into soldiers, commenced a series of daring raids in the rich plain country to the east of the Ghats. In 1664 Sivaji changed the scene of his operations to the coast, and sacked the town of Surat, carrying off booty to the value of a million sterling. The British factory recently established there by the East India Company was successfully defended by the merchants, supported by sailors from their ships, but the exploit excited general alarm, for Surat was not only a great emporium for trade, but the port at which Mahomedan pilgrims embarked for Mecca, and landed on their return to India.
WITH THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, 1914.
By this time the Moghuls were thoroughly alarmed. The levying of the "chanth," or fourth share of the revenue, by the Mahrattas was seriously affecting their finances, for Sivaji's raids extended to the south, and as far to the east as Bengal. Large Moghul armies took the field against his followers, but on the whole with very little success. The Mahrattas were loose hordes of lightly-clad horsemen, who lived on fruit and grain. They were the Cossacks of India, ever hovering round camps and armies to carry off treasure, though unable to face the heavy-armed Moghuls in the open field. The latter, however, were generally very wanting in activity. Mahrattas could easily escape from fortresses if driven out by starvation, and few Moghul commanders dared to follow them into the winding paths of the Ghats, whither they would retreat, lest the Moghuls, in their turn, should be cut off or starved into submission. Meanwhile, troops of Mahratta horsemen might be scouring the plains, harrying and plundering the peaceful villages, ready to gallop back at the first warning to their fastnesses in the hills and jungles.
Sivaji died in 1680, after a brilliant career of conquest. From then until 1707 the Mahrattas were weakened by quarrels among themselves, which caused the principal power in the state to be gradually transferred from the Bhonste descendants of Sivaji to a family of Brahmans, who were their hereditary Peishwas or Ministers.
Under these "Mayors of the Palace" the Mahratta power reached its zenith. Satara was their original capital, but there were powerful Mahratta governments established at Poona, Gwalior, Nagpur, Indore, and Baroda; and, towards the close of the eighteenth century, they started on a career of conquest which made them masters of India from Delhi to Cape Comorin—a career which was only checked by the rising power of the British.
"WILD MAHRATTA BATTLE"
At the time that the Mahratta Dominion was at its zenith in India, it came into clash with the ever-widening rule of the British. In 1803 the Mahratta Dominion extended from Hyderabad to Mysore as far as Delhi. In addition to this its dependencies and territorial possessions in India were far greater than those of the British.
The second Mahratta War was declared in August, 1803, and General Lake marched on Delhi. The British forces consisted of about 22,000 men in two equal divisions, one under Lake and the other under Wellesley, but the Mahrattas outnumbered this little force by seven to one.
The first event of the war was the attack on the fortress of Aligati by Lake. Here our men had a foretaste of the nature of "wild Mahratta battle" and of the terrible valour of the enemy. History records that the Mahrattas "fought like lions," and it was not until 2,000 of their number were slain that they finally surrendered. During the following week came the fall of Delhi, after a most determined conflict raged in sight of its minarets—a conflict in which the enemy lost 3,000 killed and wounded and 68 guns. A month later the famous stronghold of Agra was taken. This was an important victory, as in those days Agra was practically the key to Northern India.
In this campaign it was fully recognised that the Mahrattas were men of good fighting quality. At the battle of Leswarree, when Lake was outnumbered and forced to retire to wait for his infantry and guns to come up, the prowess of the Mahrattas came as a surprise to him. When some reinforcements arrived he attacked again with still greater determination. On this occasion his horse was shot under him, and his son, dismounting to offer his own horse, was severely wounded. At the same moment, Lake, turning as his son fell, felt a shot pass between his arm and his chest, which, if he had not moved, would have found its way through his heart. But Lake was a man of cool judgment and imperturbable courage. Mounting his son's horse, he surveyed the field of battle and quickly made up his mind to decide matters by the bayonet. Our troops greeted the word of command with a hearty cheer, and immediately the 76th, admirably supported by the Native Infantry Corps, swept down upon the enemy in a furious charge. But Lake's generalship was matched by that of the Mahratta Chief, who instantly ordered his cavalry to charge. It was a tense moment, and it was rendered dramatic by the sudden appearance of the British Dragoons galloping to the relief. "Horse and foot," says a historian, "met in one great shock of battle; sabre rang out against bayonet and musket flashed against pistol and carbine. A short period of indescribable mêlée ensued, in which the fate of the day was decided."
The Mahrattas were defeated. They were a foe as worthy in those days of our steel as they are now, our comrades-in-arms, worthy of the Empire they defend.
Meanwhile Wellesley in the south was trying conclusions with Madhi Scindia and the Rajah of Madhpur. In conjunction with Col. Stevenson he had 7,000 men, who chased Scindia for three weeks, the wily chief having decided to fight on chosen ground. At length, on September 23rd, 1803, Wellesley, after a fatiguing march, reached the bank of the Kaitna River. He was waiting for Col. Stevenson, with whom he had prearranged a plan, but when he discovered that the enemy was in camp on the other side of the river, he concluded that his chance of bringing Scindia to action was "now or never." Accordingly he resolved not to wait for Stevenson, but to attack at once. This was a daring decision, for Scindia's forces numbered 17,000 foot, of whom 10,500 were highly disciplined infantry; and his artillery, consisting of the regular equipment supplemented by 115 guns, was far stronger than that of the British. In addition to this his Mahratta Horse numbered about 30,000. The little British army that was getting ready to defeat this gigantic force numbered 4,520 men, of whom 1,170 (74th and 78th Regiments) were British Infantry, 2,000 Native Infantry, 1,200 Cavalry, and 150 Artillery. The Mahrattas saw this piece of audacity and stood awhile in amazement, but, wise in their generation, they forbore to call the force opposing them "contemptible." When the rest of the world came to have something to say about it, Wellesley simply remarked: "But had I not attacked them I must have been surrounded by their superior cavalry, my troops had starved and I had nothing left but to hang myself to my tent-pole." But it may be justly contended that it was not wholly a case of Hobson's choice, for Wellesley, like Nelson, knew when to be rash and how to be rash, and it might have been said of him, in the words of the French Admiral about Nelson, that his genius lay in the fact that he could rightly estimate every weakness of his enemy.
The battle which followed was of a terrible and terrific nature, but it ended eventually in a glorious victory for the British. From first to last, Wellesley, having conspired with the luck of war, left no single point to the luck of chance.
From an elevated plain he could see the whole Mahratta force encamped on the north side of the Kaitna, where the banks of that river were very steep. Their right, consisting of cavalry, extended to Bokerdon; their left, consisting of infantry, with ninety pieces of artillery, lay near the village of Assaye, which has given its name to the memorable battle.
Wellesley resolved to attack the infantry on its left and rear, and for that purpose he moved his little army to a ford beyond the enemy's left, leaving the Mysore and other irregular cavalry to watch the Mahratta cavalry, and crossing the river only with his regular horse and infantry. He passed the ford, ascended the steep bank, and formed his men in three lines—two of infantry, and the third of horse. This was effected under a brisk cannonade from the enemy's artillery. Scindia, or the European officer who directed his movements, promptly made a corresponding change in his line, giving a new front to his infantry, which was now made to rest its right on the river and its left upon the village of Assaye and the Juah stream, which flowed in a parallel direction with the Kaitna. Scindia's numerous and well-served cannon did terrible execution among Wellesley's advancing lines, killing men and bullocks, and drowning the weak sound of his scanty artillery. At one moment such a gap was made by cannon-ball in the English right that some of the Mahratta cavalry attempted to charge through it; but the British cavalry in the third line came up and drove the Mahrattas back with great slaughter. Finding his artillery of little or no use (the guns could not be brought up for lack of bullocks), Wellesley gave orders to leave it in the rear, and bade the infantry charge with the bayonet.
His steady, resolute advance in the teeth of their guns had already awed the Mahrattas, who would not stand to meet the collision of the English steel: their infantry gave way, and abandoned the guns. One body of them formed again, and presented a bold front; but Lieutenant-Colonel Maxwell charged them with the British cavalry, broke and dispersed them, and was killed in the moment of victory. Wellesley's Sepoys having proceeded too far in pursuit, many of Scindia's artillerymen, who had thrown themselves down among the carriages of their guns as though they were dead, got to their feet again, and turned their pieces against the rear of the advancing Sepoys; and at the same time the Mahratta cavalry, which had been hovering round throughout the battle, were still near. But Maxwell's charge soon silenced the desultory artillery fire, and Scindia's disciplined infantry went off and left ninety pieces of cannon, nearly all brass and of the proper calibres, in the hands of the victors. Wellesley led the 78th British infantry in person against the village of Assaye, which was not cleared without a desperate combat.
Assaye cost Wellesley twenty-two officers and 386 men killed, and fifty-seven officers and 1,526 wounded. Excluding the regular cavalry which had remained on the other side of the river and had not been engaged, the total number of killed and wounded amounted to nearly one-third of his force. The general himself had two horses killed under him, one shot and the other piked; every one of his staff officers had one or two horses killed, and his orderly's head was swept off by a cannon-ball as he rode close by his side. The enemy, who had fled towards the Adjuntee Ghat, through which they had poured into the Dekhan, left 1,200 dead, and a great number badly wounded on the field of battle.
THE MAHRATTA COMPANY REGIMENTS, WITH THEIR BATTLE HONOURS
Although there are no Class Regiments composed wholly of Mahrattas, they form in Company Regiments the bulk of the following bodies of Infantry:—
103rd Mahratta Light Infantry.
Raised 1768.
4 companies Dekhani Mahrattas, 2 companies Konkani Mahrattas, 2 companies Dekhani Mussalmans.
Battle Honours.—"Mysore," "Seedaseer," "Seringapatam," "Beni Boo Alli," "Punjab," "Mooltan," "Goojerat," "Abyssinia."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings black.
105th Mahratta Light Infantry.
Raised 1788.
4 companies Dekhani Mahrattas, two companies Konkani Mahrattas, 2 companies Dekhani Mussalmans.
Battle Honours.—"Mysore," "Seedaseer," "Seringapatam," "Beni Boo Alli," "Kahun," "China 1860/62," "Afghanistan 1879/80," "Burma 1885/87."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings black.
110th Mahratta Light Infantry.
Raised 1797.
4 companies Dekhani Mahrattas, 2 companies Konkani Mahrattas, 2 companies Dekhani Mussalmans.
Battle Honours.—"Central India," "Abyssinia," "Afghanistan 1879/80."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings black.
114th Mahratta Light Infantry.
4 companies Konkani Mahrattas, 2 companies Dekhani Mahrattas, 2 companies Dekhani Mussalmans.
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.
116th Mahratta Light Infantry.
Raised 1800.
4 companies Konkani Mahrattas, 2 companies Dekhani Mahrattas, 2 companies Dekhani Mussalmans.
Battle Honours.—"Afghanistan 1879/80," "British East Africa 1901."
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.
117th Mahratta Light Infantry.
4 companies Konkani Mahrattas, 2 companies Dekhani Mahrattas, 2 companies Dekhani Mussalmans.
Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.
There are companies of the Mahrattas also in the
107th Pioneers.
108th Infantry.
109th Infantry.
121st Pioneers.
128th Pioneers.
The Gurkha is more closely a brother-in-arms to Tommy Atkins than is any other native soldier. These brave little men swell with pride—and their chest expansion is enormous—when they are referred to as the "Highlanders of India." Their eyes twinkle and their white teeth gleam in a smile of joy at this well-deserved honour bestowed upon them for many a valiant fight. To stand by the side of their big brothers of the Black Watch, the Seaforth, the Gordon, the Cameron, and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in glory and renown is their Nirvana of bliss; and now, in the greatest conflict of Europe, to fight, and if need be to die, in the same line with them for the great King-Emperor (the Padisha), in the defence of the world against tyranny and wrong, is absolutely the crowning moment in the history of this valiant little man of Nepal. As the Gurkha marches to-day to the tune of The Marseillaise, played on a weird collection of instruments approaching as nearly as possible to the bagpipes, his cheerful spirit is glad beyond words to be in line with the heroes who claim his special admiration, and his one thought is "Shall we fight side by side with the Gordons, as we did at Dargai, or with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, or with the Seaforths?"
But behind his cheerful countenance and jaunty way of carrying himself lies a bulldog courage which, in turn, commands the admiration of his big brothers-in-arms—the British Highlanders. Those gleaming teeth are exposed in no kind of smile when he grips the deadly kukri in a hand-to-hand encounter, and there is no twinkle in the fierce black eyes as he sets his face to the foe, with the cool determination "never to go back," which is a tradition of his race.
On this point, Lt.-Col. Newnham-Davis, writing in "Town Topics," declares that "The Gurkha is the most thorough little man I have ever met in campaigning; he will never go back. He tackles any job that is given him like a bulldog, and he is never beaten. In manœuvres, as in action, one thing a Gurkha regiment will not do is to go back.
"I have seen the Chief Umpire and all his satellites vainly trying to explain to the native officers of a Gurkha company on manœuvres that they were surrounded and outnumbered and out of action, and that they must therefore retire from the mimic fight. The Gurkhas grinned and stopped where they were, and it was only by sounding the 'cease fire' and telling the little men to get back and cook their dinners that the Chief Umpire moved them off the ground."
"In the spring," says the Colonel, writing on the Gurkha War, "the little Gurkhas—jovial little fellows, broad-chested and big-limbed, short in stature, with their Tartar eyes, noses like pugdogs, and great good-natured gashes for mouths—flock down to enlist in our regiments. Brave as lions, vain as peacocks, faithful as dogs, with few prejudices in peace and none in war, the Gurkhas are the special friends and companions of our men.
"The stately Sikh throws away his food if a white man's shadow falls upon it, and between the Mahomedan and the Christian is always the bar of religion, but on a campaign the Gurkha eats his food with as few formalities as Tommy Atkins drinks his wine, and is good company at the camp-fire."
The Gurkha has a merry wit and an equally happy conceit, as the following incident will show. After the assault on Bhurtpore, where the Gurkhas raced with the grenadiers of the 59th for the bridge, the British soldiers praised them for their bravery. They returned the compliment by the following characteristic remark: "The English are as brave as lions; they are splendid Sepoys, and very nearly equal to us."
It may be seen from the above incident that the vanity of these little men is colossal. Indeed, it is only exceeded by their loyalty and gallantry, which can never be questioned, since Lord Roberts, the hero of Kabul, has accorded them the highest and warmest praise.
When Col. Younghusband, travelling in the Pamirs with an expedition of Gurkhas, met the great Russian explorer Gromschefski, a native officer of the Gurkhas asked leave to speak to Younghusband. "Tell him," he said, pointing to the big Russian, "that though we are small men, all the rest of our regiment are taller than he is."
The only ritual the Gurkha observes is that he washes his hands and face and takes off his head-dress before cooking his meals. Any meat that chances to come the Gurkhas' way they call shika (game). It is permitted by their religion to eat anything they have killed when hunting, but in their native land they prefer a kind of food made from rice. In the British service they take kindly but temperately to anything that the canteen supplies.
The Gurkhas were originally protectors of the cows, and this in India is a more or less Divine right. The Hindu regards the cow in the light of his mother, and frequently the beef-eating habit of the Sahib is pathetically reproached by the native in these terms: "What! would you eat your mother?" It may be permissible to stretch the derivation of their name in the present day and apply it to the fact that Britain is now their mother, and that they flocked westward to assist her in her great effort to uphold and ensure the integrity of the world.
The Gurkhas, or Gurkhalis, claim descent from the Ranas of Udaipur in Rajputana. Long ago, when they were driven out of their own country by the Mahomedan invasion, they sought refuge in the mountainous tracts about Kumaon. From this point they gradually began to invade the country to the eastward, as far as the city of Gurkha, Noakote, and ultimately the valley of Nepal, and even Sikkim. It was only when they attempted to force their way southwards that they were met and repulsed by the British. The Treaty of Seganli, which put an end to the Gurkha War of 1814, set a definite limit to their territorial expansion.
In general character the Gurkha is bold and self-reliant. On his gentler side, while extremely independent and self-centred, he is frank, faithful, and capable of fine, heroic loyalty. All his ideas of war and sport are modelled on European ideas. Though resembling in many ways the little Jap, he is built on far sturdier lines. As a humorist once remarked of his race: "They are 5 feet high in some places, and 5 feet round in others." Their movements in attack resemble lightning rapidity as nearly as anything human can. Essentially a phlegmatic race, they are supposed to lack sentiment and emotion, but education and touch with Western civilisation have proved to a great extent that these qualities were potential. In many ways they have been brought out as true sentiment and emotion of the steadier and more genuine kind. This fact, with their natural gaiety of disposition and their good-humoured carelessness of good or evil hap, is no doubt the reason that they make such fine soldiers. There is no grumbling on the part of the Gurkhas.
The Gurkha in battle is terrible, and almost weird in his methods. His ways are the ways of no other living soldier. And this brings us to a consideration of that remarkable weapon, the kukri. It is a heavy, curved knife, as sharp as a razor, and its drawing cut, inflicted with much skill and little force on anything in motion, has terrible effects. For instance, the intrepid Gurkha will wait for the tiger of the jungle to spring, and then, at the right moment, will step aside, leaving his deadly knife to follow the movement of his arm across the tiger's throat.
This wonderful knife, which the Gurkha loves as the British gunner loves his gun, has a small hilt, such as is common to all Indian swords. The blade is about nine inches long, and has a point as sharp as a needle. Both the hilt and the blade are curved, so that the weapon does equally well for the drawing cut or the thrust. Owing to the extreme thickness of the broad blade the weapon is remarkably heavy—a property devised obviously for the purpose of gaining the full force of inertia when the kukri is wielded by the dexterous hand and wrist of the Gurkha. One authority on this weapon says that the weight of the razor-edged blade would drive it half through a man's arm if it were only allowed to fall from a little height. One can imagine, then, the terrible effect if used for the drawing cut of the broad-sword. In the Gurkha's experienced hand its sharp edge carves through both bone and sinew, proving it to be a weapon as formidable as can be conceived. The method of this little warrior with the kukri, then, may be described as an inhibition of force and an exhibition of skill, for by means of it he will quickly cut to pieces any man of gigantic strength and build who does not understand his mode of attack.
Many years ago, during the conquests on which we founded our Eastern Empire, our men frequently came into clash with the Gurkhas. In those days they were, as enemies, as formidable as they are to-day invaluable as brothers-in-arms. Here is a description of one battle incident in which we suffered severely at their hands: "Brave as lions, active as monkeys, fierce as tigers, the wiry little men came leaping over the ground to the attack, moving so quickly and keeping so far apart from each other that rifle fire was of little use against them. When they came near our soldiers they suddenly crouched and dived under the bayonets, striking upwards at our men with their kukris and ripping them open with a single blow, then darting off as rapidly as they came." Until our men learnt this mode of attack they were greatly discomfited by their little opponents, who got under their weapons, cutting or slashing with knives as sharp as razors, and often escaping unhurt from the midst of the bayonets.
In all the history of invasion and conquests, of floating dynasties and mushroom empires in the East, the most sanguinary chapters deal with the British subjugation of the Gurkhas.
At a time when the Gurkhas were only some twelve thousand strong their reputation as fighters stood high. Many a time and oft had they raided neighbouring territory, carried off cattle, and even extorted tribute, so that at length the British authorities realised that there was only one course to take, and the message was sent to the bold Gurkha Chief: "Keep within your own territory or beware of the consequences." But this ultimatum was treated with scorn by the Gurkhas. Their haughty spirit could not brook such a demand. Hot blood seethed in their veins, and hot words were spoken at their council meetings. Their natural warlike spirit rose to the occasion and they declared war.
That war of 1813-14, and that conquest of a truly warlike race, form a record of one of the most heroic achievements of the British Army.
Nepal, the home of the Gurkhas, is situated on the slopes of the Himalayas. Its natural barricade on the north is a mighty line of peaks soaring against the sides of heaven up to the roof of the world, covered with everlasting snow. In front and to the south dense forests protect it from the approach of an invading host. Terrible were the difficulties and hardships of our men in these forests. Despair almost drove them back, while the prospect of utter failure seemed to stare them in the face. But, as if in a forlorn hope, our men went on, toiling and moiling towards the borders of Nepal; and, with the tenacity that saves every hopeless situation, gained at length the walls of Kalanga.
The fort held out for a long time, but fell at length, though not until the heroic garrison of six hundred had been reduced to seventy. It was here that brave General Gillespie fell as he was cheering his men forward to a fruitless attack. At the outset he had reckoned upon an easy conquest, but owing to the staunch resistance of the Gurkhas, reinforced by their natural advantages, he found the greatest difficulty.
There are many incidents recorded of the Gurkhas in this war, but perhaps the following is characteristic. When a party of our troops were searching for the enemy's outposts, they happened to fall in with a band of Gurkhas. The fierce little men raised a yell and produced their deadly kukris; then, after a brief consultation, their leader strode forward into the open and challenged the English officer in command to a settlement by single combat. His challenge was no sooner offered than it was accepted, and Captain Showers advanced to meet him. A short, sharp fight then took place on the plain separating the two opposing forces; steel met steel, and, after a quick passage, the Gurkha's blood ran crimson in the snow. He had met one who knew his methods.
This war dragged slowly and wearily to a close. Finally there came a time when the Gurkhas were compelled to sue for peace. By the treaty drawn up at the conclusion of hostilities large tracts of territory were ceded to the British; but, as this treaty had to be sent to the Governor-General for approval and signature, there was a delay, and during that delay the bold spirit of the Gurkhas rose against this admission of defeat, and when the treaty was returned they flatly refused to sign it. At this hostilities were resumed, and the British again proceeded to attack.
This time they had a larger share of the luck of war. By the guidance of a party of smugglers they were enabled to penetrate right into the Gurkha stronghold unobserved. Their path lay through deep ravines, darkly enclosed by rugged precipices and shrouded in the gloom of dense overhanging trees. Threading their way through these eerie approaches, they at length came up behind the Gurkhas, who were patiently waiting and watching the regular avenues of approach. Being suddenly attacked in the rear, the Gurkhas were demoralised, and, though they fought bravely, were defeated. This action proved decisive. Again they were conquered, and, from that time, they have nobly admitted the superiority of their conquerors. A few years later their indomitable spirit was linked with that of the British, and they were fighting side by side with the white man in Asia.
The Gurkhas of to-day adhere to the Hindu religion. In their appearance there is a strong trace of Mongolian blood, as shown by their almond-shaped eyes, high cheek bones, and firm but mobile lips.
In early times Nepal consisted of a great number of petty states constantly at war with each other. Thus it happened that, by conquest and reconquest, and intermixture of tribes, the term "Gurkha" became geographical rather than ethnic; that is to say, the name does not, strictly speaking, apply to any special tribe or race, but to the inhabitants of the locality known as Gurkhá.
The principality of Gurkhá owes its existence and name to a yogi called Guraknath. He lived in a cave in a hill in Central Nepal. To this holy man came many devotees daily, and, in the neighbourhood of his cave, there soon sprang up a village which in time spread its boundaries until it assumed importance as the City of Gurkhá, so named after the yogi. In further course of time it became the capital of the district, to which, and to its inhabitants, it gave its name.
It is interesting to note that this yogi Guraknath is still held in great veneration by all Gurkhas, and to-day their battle-cry may be heard in Europe—"Guru Guraknath Kijai" ("Victory to Guraknath!").
The Gurkhas are conquerors of no mean order. Their principal conquests took place in the middle of the eighteenth century. In the year 1599 Drabiya Sah elected himself Gurkha Rajah, and, about 140 years later, the eighth in descent from him—one Narbupal Sah—invaded the Nepal valley. The invasion was unsuccessful and he was driven back, but the spirit of invasion was not defeated. He was succeeded in 1742 by his son, Prithwi Narayan Sah, a lad twelve years old. This boy grew up into a sensible, brave man of great ambitions, and in time became a very capable general and diplomat. It was to his genius as a ruler and a general that the Gurkhas owed their ultimate conquest of the region of Nepal. His first invasion failed, though he and his warriors fought with splendid courage. Later, having subjugated several of the neighbouring states, he strengthened his army from these sources, and undertook a second invasion in 1765. Again he was utterly defeated; but he was a man of heroic courage, and, in his third invasion in 1768, in the course of which he was defeated as often as he was successful, he finally seized Khatmandu—by superior "strategy" as it was known in those days—and dictated terms of peace in the heart of the valley of Nepal.
Prithwi, the conqueror, then removed his capital to Khatmandu, which has ever since remained the capital of the Gurkha kingdom. He died in 1775, after a great and terribly eventful reign of thirty-three years.
Pratap Simha Sah, who succeeded his father Prithwi, attempted the conquest of Sikkim, but failed utterly. In Sikkim the Maharajah obtained the victory over him in so many battles that the Gurkha king was forced to sign away some of his eastern territory; but the Gurkhas returned again and again to the attack, until, in 1776, they utterly defeated the Sikkim Maharajah at the battle of Chinepore, and more than regained their lost possessions.
In 1776 the wars of conquest still continued. Another great man arose, Ran Bahadur Sah, uncle to Pratap Simha Sah's infant son, who was on the throne. Bahadur Sah was a man of ability, and, as Regent, decided to subjugate the Chaobisi principalities. He conspired with the Rajah of Palpa, one of the Chaobisi states, agreeing to a division of the spoil in return for his assistance. The Gurkha-Palpa alliance was then formed, and nearly all the Chaobisi states were subjugated, the Gurkhas keeping the lion's share. Meanwhile the Gurkha armies in the east, under General Saroop Simha, were victorious, and the whole of the Rai and Limbu districts of eastern Nepal were conquered. For some time after that they continued the extension of their rule in Sikkim and parts of Tibet. This latter invasion brought upon the Gurkhas a strong Chinese army, which utterly routed them in the year 1792. In consequence of this the Regent was executed by order of the infant king, who himself, on account of his later atrocities, was forced to abdicate in 1800. After some years of exile in India he returned as a firebrand to Gurkha, and died unhonoured and unmourned in 1807.
It was during the second and third Afghan wars that the Gurkhas and the Highlanders fought together in an admirable combination. A brief description of these two wars, containing some graphic incidents of battle, and showing the part the Gurkhas and the Highlanders played together, will be found in the following chapter.
SOME BATTLES IN WHICH THE GURKHAS HAVE FOUGHT
It is interesting to trace to-day the heroic exploits of the Gurkhas through campaigns in which they have fought side by side with the Highlanders of our own country. Space admits of only a brief account, but it will serve to show exactly how and why the Arms of Lord Roberts come to bear, as supporters, a Highlander and a Gurkha.
The second Afghan war (1878-80) was brought about by the discovery of Russian intrigues with Shere Ali. Although the Amir had been advised by Lord Lytton that he was sending Sir Neville Bowles Chamberlain on a mission to Kabul, he made no satisfactory reply either in assent or dissent; but when Sir Neville reached Ali Musjid, a fortress on the Afghan frontier, his embassy was confronted by an armed force, and, not possessing sufficient troops to attack, he was compelled to turn back. Smarting under this affront—for it had been clearly laid down that his mission was not of a hostile nature—he returned to Peshawur, from which point an ultimatum was despatched to Shere Ali. This led to the formal proclamation of war on November 21st, 1878. Ali Musjid was the scene of the first battle, in which, under Sir Samuel Browne, the 6th Native Infantry, the 45th Sikhs, and 27th Punjab Infantry were engaged.
Prior to this battle the Kurram Column, or Field Force, had been formed, under General Roberts. The native troops included in this force were as follow:—
1st Infantry Brigade—29th Bengal Native Infantry, 5th Punjab Infantry, and the Bhopal contingent.
2nd Infantry Brigade—21st Native Infantry, 2nd Punjab Infantry, and 5th Gurkhas, under Major Fitzhugh.
This famous Kurram Column immediately took the field, and their first engagement of importance was at Peiwar Kotal. To the 29th Bengal Native Infantry and 5th Gurkhas, under Col. Gordon, No. 1 Mountain Battery, a wing of the 72nd (Duke of Albany's Own) Highlanders, the 2nd Punjab Infantry and 23rd Pioneers, under Brigadier Thelwall, was assigned the task of turning the enemy's position, while a feint was to be made upon their front. The turning force set out during the night of December 1st. A writer who describes that campaign says: "The bright camp-fires shed their wavering light on the white tents, when, without sound of drum or bugle, the troops fell silently into their ranks, the companies were told off, and the battalions formed.... Nor had they long to wait before their challenge was responded to by two shots, showing that the position had been reached. And ere long the troops found themselves confronted by an abattis formed by felled trees which, laid over each other to the height of 8 feet, completely blocked the way."
On this barricade, the Gurkhas, led by Major Fitzhugh and Captain Cook, made a fierce rush. A stern conflict ensued—a hand-to-hand fight with bayonet, kukri, and clubbed musket; and the Gurkhas drove the enemy back to a second barrier nearly 100 yards to their rear. Here they made another stand, but the ferocity of the lithe and wiry Gurkhas, and the stern valour of the Highlanders—their right wing falling upon the enemy's flank—combined to drive the Afghans from this second stockade with considerable loss.
Here it was that the Gurkhas and the Highlanders rushed on together side by side in a memorable charge, none of them knowing the strength and number either of the enemy or his further stockades. In the uncertain light of early dawn they drove the enemy up the hillside like chaff before the wind. For a time the Afghans fled in disorder, then suddenly they rallied and prepared for a wild charge downhill. Major Galbraith of the 85th Foot was the first to see their intention, and he immediately directed the fire of his men to demoralise and check this movement. While he was doing this an Afghan crept up behind some bushes, and, levelling his rifle at him, took careful aim. Suddenly the Major observed him, and, with the rapidity of lightning, raised his revolver and pulled the trigger. The weapon missed fire, but his prompt action had disturbed the Afghan's aim, and in another moment Captain Cook of the Gurkhas had closed with the native and flung him heavily. There was a quick fight between them, during which Major Galbraith, more fortunate this time with his revolver, sent a bullet through the Afghan's heart. For his brave act in saving the Major's life Captain Cook gained his V.C. But the nation was compelled to mourn this hero very soon, for it was in the following campaign at Sherpur, while leading the Gurkhas, that he was mortally wounded.
By the dawn of day the Gurkhas and the Highlanders, with the assistance of the 29th Punjabis, had taken some important positions, and by the time the sun rose the enemy was defeated.
This victorious campaign was carried on through the craggy ravines of Sappri as far as Siafooden, where the Afghans made a stand and gave battle a second time; but here again the Gurkhas and the Highlanders were the principal factors in their defeat. The subsequent brilliant rush on Shaturgardan Pass was also made glorious by these Highlanders of Britain and Asia. The campaign ended on May 26th, 1880.
Again, in the third Afghan war, the Gurkhas, in common with different regiments of Highlanders and some native regiments, won great distinction.
Sir Louis Cavagnari, who had concluded peace after the first campaign, undertook a personal mission to Kabul. This time the mission was well received—at least at first—but there soon came a time when the Afghans, taking advantage of the necessary inferiority in the numbers of our peaceful mission, insulted it, at first vaguely, then openly, apparently with the idea of goading the Governor to a quarrel. Insult on insult gave fuel to the fire thus aroused, and at last, when the insults became unbearable, the Governor and his staff protested so vigorously that the Afghans seized their opportunity and massacred them. Immediately following on this came the declaration of war by Shere Ali. After the preliminary battles at Charasiah and Asmai the British force advanced to Kabul. There was very severe fighting around the capital, and another sharp engagement at Asmai, after which our troops found themselves entrapped in Sherpur. Here the Gurkhas won a lasting glory for themselves by the recapture of some of our guns which had been taken by the enemy.
During this campaign the Gurkhas took part in the battle of Sijazabad. Here the enemy took up a strong position on the side of a steep hill, which they had further strengthened by barricades of earth and stone. From one to another of these they were driven point by point by the determined assault of the 4th Gurkhas, 14th Punjabis, and the 9th Foot. This was a battle in which all our outnumbered forces, especially the Gurkhas, showed remarkable élan. For many hours the Gurkhas stormed one barricade after another, always driving the Afghans up the hill with bullet, bayonet, and kukri, until at last the enemy's final defence was taken. It was in this battle that an incident occurred which shows, not only the Gurkha's quality, but his primitive methods of revenge—which methods, needless to say, are now somewhat modified. Towards the close of the uphill battle, when the enemy was in full retreat, a single Gurkha, in advance of his fellows, had just shot one of the Afghans, when two of them suddenly sprang up from behind a rock near by. They were Afghan hillmen—fanatics pledged in the name of Allah to the last drop of blood for Islam. They shared the belief, common among Orientals, that death under this pledge was the entrance to Paradise, where the houris are born of pure musk. With a spring one of them fiercely plunged his dagger into the unfortunate Gurkha, while the other with a sweep of his tulwar clove the head of the dying man. Swift as was this passage of arms, still swifter came the retribution. Lieut. Gordon of the 92nd Foot despatched one of the hillmen, and the other immediately fell, riddled by Gurkha bullets. With a ferocious cry the Gurkhas swept down upon the two stricken hillmen, and with their terrible kukris hewed them in pieces. But as the time of Samuel and Agag has departed, so has this primitive lust of revenge been gradually modified in the Gurkha by his association with the humanity of the West.
The Gurkhas were in the famous march of General Roberts on Kandahar, which immediately followed the battle of Sijazabad. It was towards the end of this march that the Gurkhas and the 92nd Gordon Highlanders made an attack on the little village of Gundi-Moolah-Sahibdad. In this memorable assault the Gurkhas and the Gordons almost strove with one another for the kudos of the victory. But the kudos may easily be said to belong to them jointly. And in recognition of this the Gordon loves to talk about his little comrade-in-arms, while the Gurkha worships the Gordon to such a degree that he would lay down his life for him.
The Afghan strife closed—let us hope for ever—with the battle of Kandahar. This conclusive fight stands in history as a signal tribute to the tenacity of the British soldier in general, and to the generalship, since tried and proved and never found wanting, of Lord Roberts. Says a historian, "It was remarkable for the generalship and cool judgment Roberts had shown, and also for the courage displayed by his troops.... On every occasion we were far outnumbered by the enemy, who were equal to our men in physical strength, and armed with nearly the same weapons; but Roberts trusted to the courage of his slender army and to its perfect discipline, which were conspicuous alike in the savage defiles of the Kurram Valley, on the rocky heights of the Peiwar Kotal and the Spingawi Pass, in the lines of Sherpur, and on the splintered bluffs of Asmai."
The Kandahar Field Force was disbanded in September, 1880, and Roberts' last act before returning to India was to distribute distinguished-service medals to the 72nd and 92nd Highlanders and the 5th Gurkhas. These are his words on that occasion, and no doubt every Gurkha at the front to-day has them, or their translation, in his memory, for they have, more than anything else, confirmed and ratified a brotherhood-in-arms between the Gurkhas and the Highlanders:—"Soldiers of the Kandahar Field Force, I am glad to have this opportunity of giving medals for distinguished conduct to the men of the 72nd and 92nd Highlanders and the 5th Gurkhas. They have deservedly won them. I say from my experience as a soldier that no men with whom I have served can have better deserved these rewards; and it is an additional pleasure to me to have seen the other day of what material my Highlanders and Gurkhas are made. I can but hope it may be my good fortune to have such good soldiers at my side when next I go into action.... You may be assured that the very last troops the Afghans ever wish to meet in the field are the Scottish Highlanders and the Gurkhas."
After this, from one who is now a veteran of England, who can doubt that, as the Gurkhas marched towards the front, their hearts went before them to their big brothers of former frays, with the hope that they would be in close touch in the battle line?
THE GURKHA REGIMENTS, WITH THEIR BATTLE HONOURS
The following is a complete list of the ten Gurkha Regiments (each composed of two battalions), with their Battle Honours, etc.:—
1st King George's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment).
Raised at Subathu in 1815, chiefly from Gurkha soldiers of Amar Singh,by Lieut. R. Ross.
Badges.—The Plume of the Prince of Wales and the Royal and Imperial Cypher.
Battle Honours.—"Bhurtpore," "Aliwal," "Sobraon," "Afghanistan '78/80," "Punjab Frontier," "Tirah."
Uniform.—Dark green, facings scarlet.
2nd King Edward's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles).
Raised at Nahau (Sirmoor) in 1815, by Lieut. F. Young, from Gurkha soldiers, who took service with the British on the termination of the first phase of the Nepal war. Granted a truncheon for distinguished service at Delhi, 1857.
Badges.—The Plume of the Prince of Wales and the Royal and Imperial Cypher of Edward VII.