98th Infantry

The 98th Infantry was a regiment of the British East India Company that was formed in 1788. The unit was a part of the Hyderabad Contingent was the armed force of the Nizam of Hyderabad. It was also known as the Nizam`s Army and Nizam`s Contingent. It remained in service till the year 1922. The 98th Infantry regiment was also incorporated as a part of the Madras Command.

History of 98th Infantry
The army unit was raised as the 1st Battalion of the Ellichpur Brigade in 1788 for the Princely State of Hyderabad. The regiment remained as a part of the Army of the Nizam of Hyderabad until the year 1853. After signing of a treaty in the year 1853, between the British Governor General of India and the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Nizam`s Contingent was re-designated as the Hyderabad Contingent. Later it became apart of the British Indian Army.

The 98th Infantry regiment served during the Third Anglo Maratha War and actively fought in the Battle of Mahidpur. The troops also took part in the Siege of Nowah and also in the Capture of Nowah. The military battalion later participated in the Central India Campaign after the culmination of the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857. During the Boxer Rebellion, it was stationed in China as part of the relief force in the year 1900. The unit also provided significant military service during the First World War. It served as part of the Indian Expeditionary Force B and was posted in British East Africa.

Development of 98th Infantry
After the First World War, the British Government of India undertook a major restructuring of the British Indian Army. This led to the formation of multi battalion regiments of 4 to 6 battalions by the amalgamation of the different single battalion infantry regiments. The 98th Infantry was renamed as the 4th Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment in the year 1922.

After the political withdrawal of the British Empire in India, the nation acquired freedom on 15th August 1947. As a consequence, the Partition of India divided the country to raise the 2 newly formed sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India. The British Indian Army was also shared amongst India and Pakistan accordingly. The military unit of the former 98th Infantry regiment was assigned to the modern Indian Army.

Designations of 98th Infantry
The armed battalion of the British Indian Army held many designations through out the regrouping of the army. These are listed as follows -
* 1st Battalion of the Ellichpur Brigade in 1788
* 7th Regiment of Infantry, Nizam`s Army in 1826
* 5th Infantry, Hyderabad Contingent in 1854
* 96th Berah Infantry in 1903
* 4th Battalion, 19th Hyderabad in 1922
* Assigned to the modern Indian Army in 1947