The 2nd Regiment of Bengal Cavalry, also known as the 2nd Bengal Lancers (Gardner`s Horse), was an irregular Cavalry Regiment of the British Indian Army. The military unit was formed as Gardner`s Horse in the year 1809 under the Honourable British East India Company. The army regiment was a part of the Bengal Army under the British Indian Army. The armed forces of Bengal Presidency were amongst the 3 main Presidency Armies in British India. The British Presidency Armies belonged to the British East India Company until the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. The Government of India Act 1858, which was authorized after the Sepoy Mutiny in the year 1857, reassigned the authority of the 3 Presidency Armies to the British Empire in India. Later the 3 separate presidency armies were united to form the combined British Indian Army. The unit also participated in the First World War and the Second World War.
History of 2nd Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
The 2nd Regiment of Bengal Cavalry was established as Gardner`s Horse unit by William Linnaeus Gardner at Mainpuri and Farrukhabad in the year 1809. Later it was re-named as the 2nd (Gardner`s) Local Horse in 1823. The regiment was modified as the 2nd Regiment of Bengal Cavalry in 1861 and was designated one of the Bengal Lancers in 1890. After the culmination of the First World War, the British Government of India re-organised and re-grouped the British army of India. The single battalion infantry regiments were amalgamated together to form multi battalion regiments. The 4th Lancers was joined 2nd Bengal Lancers regiment in 1921. The army battalion participated in a number military operations and conquests under the British East India Company and later served as a part of the British Indian Army. The 2nd Regiment of Bengal Cavalry was awarded with battle honours for Arracan, Sobraon, Punjaub (Punjab), Egypt (1882) and Tel El Kebir.
After the country earned independence from the rule of the British Empire in India in the year 1947, the nation was divided by the occurrence of the Partition of India. As a result, 2 self-governing states were formed namely, the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. The British Indian Army was divided amongst the 2 newly independent nations. The 2nd Regiment of Bengal Cavalry was allocated to the modern Indian Army.
Designations of 2nd Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
The 2nd Regiment of Bengal Cavalry of the British Indian Army, contained a number of designations through out its service during the reconstituting of the army, like all the other regiments. These are listed as follows -
* Gardner`s Horse - 1809
* 2nd (Gardner`s) Local Horse - 1823
* 2nd Irregular Cavalry - 1840
* 2nd Regiment of Bengal Cavalry - 1861
* 2nd Regiment of Bengal Lancers - 1890
* 2nd Lancers (Gardner`s Horse) - 1903
* Merged with 4th Lancers - 1921
* 2nd Royal Lancers (Gardner`s Horse) - 1935
* Assigned to Indian Army - 1947
