The 3rd Bengal European Light Cavalry, also known as the 21st Lancers (Empress of India`s) regiment, was a cavalry regiment under the British Indian Army which remained in service from the year 1858 to 1922. Later the army unit was merged with other regiments to raise the 17th/21st Lancers unit. The army unit was a part of the Bengal Army, which was the armed forces of Bengal Presidency and was 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. In the year 1903, the 3 separate presidency armies were united to form the combined British Indian Army.
The Government of India Act 1858, which was authorized after the Sepoy Mutiny in the year 1857, transferred the authority of the 3 Presidency Armies from the British East India Company to the British Empire in India. During the late 19th century, most of the regiments in the Bengal Army were dissolved for their involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Later the British Empire took control over the British East India Company and the three Presidency Armies, namely the Madras Army, the Bengal Army and the Bombay Army.
History of 3rd Bengal European Light Cavalry
The regiment of 3rd Bengal European Light Cavalry was raised by the British East India Company in Bengal in the year 1858. The regiment served during the Great Revolt of 1857- 1858. The Bengal European Light Cavalry Regiments were recruited in November 1857 in Britain in order to replace the 8 regiments of Bengal Light Cavalry that revolted against the British administration in the Indian Rebellion. The use of the term "European" in the title suggested that the army unit was commanded by British soldiers instead of Indian Sowars, who were the cavalry troops of the Presidency Armies. The regiments of the Bengal European Light Cavalry Regiments were reassigned to the British Indian Army in the year 1861. These regiments were transferred as the 19th Hussars, 20th Hussars and 21st Hussars.
The 3rd Bengal European Light Cavalry was officially reassigned to the British Army in the year 1862. The battalion was known as the 21st Regiment of Hussars and was designated as hussars. The regiment provided service during the conquest to Sudan from 1884 to 1885, along with the Light Camel Regiment. The army unit was re-designated as lancers in 1897 and was renamed as the 21st Lancers. The 3rd Bengal European Light Cavalry also took part in the Battle of Omdurman. In the same year, the military battalion was again renamed as the 21st (Empress of India`s) Lancers.
The 21st Lancers unit served in British India during the First World War and later fought on North West Frontier from the year 1915 to 1916. A part of the regiment was stationed in France.
Dissolution of 3rd Bengal European Light Cavalry
In the year 1921, the army regiment was re-designated as the 21st Lancers (Empress of India`s). It was later dissolved after the culmination of the war. In 1922, a part of the unit was re-raised and was merged with 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge`s Own) in order to establish the regiment of the 17th/21st Lancers.
