The 4th Infantry of Hyderabad Contingent was a regular infantry regiment of the British East India Company. The Hyderabad Contingent was the armed force of the Nizam of Hyderabad, who was obliged to retain an army at Hyderabad after the 1801 treaty. The Contingent was also designated as the Nizam`s Army and the Nizam`s Contingent. Later the unit was incorporated as a part of the Kumaon Regiment of the British Indian Army. Hyderabad Contingent was among the 3 main Presidency Armies in British India, which were controlled by the British East India Company until the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 (also known as the Indian Rebellion).
Later the different presidency armies were amalgamated to form the united British Indian Army in the year 1903. The 4th Infantry of Hyderabad Contingent was also known as the 97th Deccan Infantry.
History of 4th Infantry of Hyderabad Contingent
The 4th Infantry of Hyderabad Contingent was raised as the as 3rd Battalion of the Aurangabad Division in the year 1794. Subsequently the unit came under the administrative control of the Honourable British East India Company. In the year 1826 the unit was allotted as the 4th Regiment of Infantry of Nizam`s Cavalry. In the year 1854, the military regiment was titled as the 4th Infantry of Hyderabad Contingent. The British Indian army regiment was developed as the 3rd (Deccan) Battalion 19th Hyderabad Regiment in 1922.
After the governmental withdrawal of the British Empire in India on 15th August 1947, the British India was divided into the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan by the Partition of India. As an effect, the British Indian Army was shared accordingly amongst the newly formed countries of India and Pakistan. The 4th Infantry of Hyderabad Contingent was assigned to the modern Indian Army.
Designations of 4th Infantry of Hyderabad Contingent
The 4th Infantry of Hyderabad Contingent consisted of a number of designations during its service in the British Indian Army. These are cited as follows -
* 3rd Battalion of the Aurangabad Division in 1794
* 4th Regiment of Infantry of Nizam`s Army in 1826
* 4th Infantry of Hyderabad Contingent in 1854
* 97th Deccan Infantry in 1903
* 3rd (Deccan) Battalion 19th Hyderabad Regiment in 1922
* Kumaon Regiment in 1945
* Assigned to the Indian Army in 1947
