The 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, also known as 13th Rajputs (The Shekhawati Regiment), was a regiment of foot soldiers raised by the British East India Company. The unit was a part of the Bengal Native Infantry and operated under the Bengal Army of Bengal Presidency till 1895. The 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry was founded in 1835 and remained in service till the year 1922. The 13th Rajputs were also considered as a division of the Bengal Command. King Edward VII acted as the Colonel-in-Chief of the 13th Rajputs in 1904.
History of 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
The 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry was founded under the Honourable British East India Company as Shekhawati Regiment in the year 1835 before the Indian Sepoy Mutiny in 1857. It was raised as part of the Jaipur Contingent. It was included as a local battalion into the service of the East India Company eight years later. Later the British Indian Army took charge of the unit along with the 3 British Presidency Armies in India, namely the Madras Army, the Bombay Army and the Bengal Army. The infantry regiment participated in several British military campaigns and battles.
During the Great Revolt of 1857, most of the regiments of the Bengal Army participated in the rebellion against the British administration. But the troops of the unit maintained their loyalty to the English East India Company. As a result, the unit was included in the Bengal Army as the 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry in the year 1861. The military force was renamed several times, such as the 13th (Shekhawati) Rajput Regiment of Bengal Infantry in 1897, 13th (Shekhawati) Rajput Infantry in 1901 and 13th Rajputs (The Shekhawati Regiment) after the reforms in the British Indian Army by Lord Kitchener in 1903.
Military Operations of 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
The troops later fought in the Battle of Aliwal during the First Anglo Sikh War. The army unit also took part in the Second Anglo Afghan War. The infantry unit also served in the military Expedition to Sikkim in 1888, which was conducted by the British Army against the Tibetan forces. The military battalion of the 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry later participated in the British military expedition to Chitral. The 13th Rajputs also provided valuable military services during the First World War and served as a part of the Imperial Service Infantry Brigade. It was assigned to the Indian Expeditionary Force B and was stationed in British East Africa.
Development of 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
After the First World War, the British Indian Government restructured the Indian Army. Many multi battalion regiments of 4 to 6 battalions were made by the conjugation of the single battalion infantry regiments. The 13th Rajputs (The Shekhawati Regiment) infantry regiment was re-designated as the 10th (Shekhawati) Battalion 6th Rajputana Rifles in the year 1922. After India became independent from the British Empire in India on 15th August 1947, the battalion was assigned to the modern Indian Army.
Designations of 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
The 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry of the British Indian Army maintained many titles through out the regrouping of the army. These are listed as follows -
* Shekhawati Regiment in 1835
* 13th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry in 1861
* 13th (Shekhawati) Bengal Native Infantry in 1884
* 13th (Shekhawati) Rajput Regiment of Bengal Infantry in 1897
* 13th (Shekhawati) Rajput Infantry in 1901
* 13th Rajputs (The Shekhawati Regiment) in 1903
* 10th (Shekhawati) Battalion 6th Rajputana Rifles in 1922
* Assigned to the modern Indian Army in 1947
