Rajput Regiment in World War I and World War II

The Two World Wars

An Indian infantry section of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment about to go on patrol on the Arakan front, 1944
Most of the Rajput battalions saw action during the First World War. The 1st battalion fought at the Battle of Dujailah in Mesopatamia, where it was nearly annihilated. The 3rd battalion fought the Battles of Qurna and Kut-al-Amara against the Turks. In one of the battles the Turks had invaded both the flanks of the 3rd Rajput, during which Jemadar Sital Baksh was severely wounded. Sepoy Jhandu Singh rushed to his rescue, the Jemadar ordered him to leave him behind but the sepoy lifted him on his back and started moving through the marshlands. Soon both the rescuer and the rescued became targets of the Turks and were riddled with bullets. Sepoy Jhandu Singh was awarded a posthumous IOM and Médaille militaire. A large number of other awards and battle honours were won by the Rajputs and at the end of WW1, a total of 37 battle honours were on the colours of the Rajputs, which exceeded that of any other regiment of the Indian Army.

World War I

In 1922 the infantry regiments of the British Indian Army were reorganised and all the Rajput regiments (with the exception of 13th (Shekhawati) Rajput Infantry, which became the 10th battalion of the 6th Rajputana Rifles) were amalgamated to become battalions of the new 7th Rajput Regiment (which in 1947 was renamed the Rajput Regiment) as follows:

  • 1st battalion:
    • predecessor units:
    • 2nd Battalion, 15th Bengal Native Infantry (1798–1857)
    • 31st Bengal Native Infantry (1857–1861)
    • 2nd Bengal Native Light Infantry (1861–1876)
    • 2nd (The Queen's Own) Bengal Native Light Infantry (1876–1897)
    • 2nd (The Queen's Own) Rajput Bengal Light Native Infantry (1897–1901)
    • 2nd (The Queen's Own) Rajput Light Infantry (1901–1911)
    • 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry (1911–1922)
  • 2nd battalion:
    • predecessor units:
    • 2nd Battalion, 16th Bengal Native Infantry (1798–1824)
    • 33rd Bengal Native Infantry (1824–1861)
    • 4th Bengal Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry (1861–1890)
    • 4th (Prince Albert Victor's) Bengal Infantry (1890–1897)
    • 4th (Prince Albert Victor's) Rajput Regiment, Bengal Infantry (1897–1901)
    • 4th Prince Albert Victor's Rajputs (1901–1922)
  • 3rd battalion:
    • predecessor units:
    • 1st Battalion, 24th Bengal Native Infantry (1798–1824)
    • 69th Bengal Native Infantry (1824–1828)
    • 47th Bengal Native Infantry (1828–1861)
    • 7th Bengal Native Infantry (1861–1883)
    • 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Bengal Native Infantry (1883–1893)
    • 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajput Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry (1893–1903)
    • 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajput Infantry (1903–1922)
  • 4th battalion:
    • predecessor units:
    • 1st Battalion, 30th Bengal Native Infantry (1798–1824)
    • 59th Bengal Native Infantry (1824–1861)
    • 8th Bengal Native Infantry (1861–1897)
    • 8th (Rajput) Bengal Infantry (1897–1901)
    • 8th Rajput Infantry (1901–1922)
  • 5th battalion:
    • predecessor units:
    • 2nd Extra Battalion, Bengal Native Infantry (1825–1828)
    • 70th Bengal Native Infantry (1828–1861)
    • 11th Bengal Native Infantry (1861–1885)
    • 11th Bengal Infantry (1885–1897)
    • 11th (Rajput) Bengal Infantry (1897–1901)
    • 11th Rajput Infantry (1901–1922)
  • 10th (Training) battalion:
    • predecessor units:
    • Regiment of Lucknow from loyal elements of the 13th, 48th and 71st Bengal Native Infantry (1857–1861)
    • 16th Bengal Native Infantry (1861–1864)
    • 16th (The Lucknow) Bengal Native Infantry (1864–1885)
    • 16th (The Lucknow) Bengal Infantry (1885–1897)
    • 16th (The Lucknow) Rajput Bengal Infantry (1897–1901)
    • 16th Rajput Infantry (The Lucknow Regiment) (1901–1922)
Also the one class character of most of the infantry regiments were changed and the Rajputs introduced a company each of Punjabi Muslims and Hindustani Muslims in each of their battalions.

Between the world wars, the battalions had many postings. In the late 1936 and 1937, the 3rd battalion, styled 3/7 Rajput, was posted to Waziristan in what is now the tribal areas of Pakistan. During that time, they were employed against Afghan insurgents and criminal gangs raiding across the border.

World War II

A number of Rajput regiments participated in World War 2:
  • The 1st battalion was in the Arakan during the Burma campaign and then took over the defence of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
  • The 2nd battalion was also in the Arakan area and a number of actions were fought by it. The capture of Point 551, also called Rajput Hill was the most important. The Japanese holding this feature had turned back repeated attacks by other battalions but the Rajputs carried the day winning an IOM, five MC's and two MM's for this action.
  • The 3rd battalion was shipped by convoy to Egypt in August and September 1940. Their convoy was attacked several times by Italian bombers operating out of Ethiopia. The battalion's Bren guns were deployed for air defense and on one occasion are believed to have brought down an Italian aircraft. The battalion was at Suez and Egypt and was sent to defend Cyprus after the German attack on Crete as part of Indian 5th Infantry Division's 161 Indian Infantry Brigade. Here, they were mainly used in an anti-parachute role, supported by elements of Australian armour. Later, they returned to Egypt and participated in fierce fighting around Deir el Shein and Ruweisat Ridge including a particularly difficult offensive on 21/22 July 1942 where they lost many casualties including the CO. Later in the year they participated in the Second Battle of El Alamein.
  • The 4th battalion was also involved in the Western Desert Campaign at Sidi Barrani and El Alamein and on its return to India was posted to the Kohima front.
  • The 5th battalion fought in the Battle of Hong Kong. The action against the invading Japanese was short and swift with heavy casualties to the regiment. The regiment along with the British garrison was forced to surrender and the men became POWs and had to undergo great hardships. 130 men of the 5th Rajput were either beaten or starved to death or died because of a lack of medical care. The Japanese wanted Captain M.A. Ansari of the 5th Rajput to renounce his allegiance to the British, but he refused. For five months he was subjected to brutal beatings and treatment, as a result of which he could not walk. He was then sent to live with the other ranks instead of the officers. Captain Ansari remained true to the regiment and organised a system for helping escapees. He was again put in jail and tortured but refused to be broken. In the end the Japanese executed him. Captain M.A. Ansari was awarded the George Cross for his heroism.

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