The 96th Berar Infantry were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1797, when they were raised as the 2nd Battalion of the Aurangabad Division for the Princely state of Hyderabad. Until 1853, the regiment was part of the Nizam of Hydrabad's Army then after signing of a treaty with the then Governor General of India, The Nizam's Contingent was renamed as the Hyderabad Contingent and became part of the regular Indian Army.

96th Berar Infantry
Active1797–1922
CountryIndian Empire
BranchArmy
TypeInfantry
Part ofNizam's Contingent
Hyderabad Contingent
Madras Command
ColorsRed; faced dark green.
EngagementsThird Anglo-Maratha War
Second Burmese War
World War I

The regiment fought in the Battle of Mahidpur during the Third Anglo-Maratha War. They then participated in the Siege of Nowah and the later Capture of Nowah.[1] They next participated in the annexation of Burma during the Second Burmese War. They next took part in the Central India Campaign after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments.[2] In 1922, the 96th Berar Infantry became the 2nd Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment. This regiment was allocated to the Indian Army after independence.

Predecessor names edit

  • 2nd Battalion, Aurangabad Division - 1797
  • 2nd Battalion, Berar Infantry
  • 3rd Regiment of Infantry, Nizam's Army - 1826
  • 3rd Infantry, Hyderabad Contingent - 1854
  • 96th Berar Infantry - 1903[3]

References edit

  1. ^ "Nanded District". maharashtra.gov. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  2. ^ Sumner p.15
  3. ^ Quarterly Indian Army List January 1919, p. 1391
  • Barthorp, Michael; Burn, Jeffrey (1979). Indian infantry regiments 1860-1914. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-307-0.
  • Rinaldi, Richard A (2008). Order of Battle British Army 1914. Ravi Rikhye. ISBN 978-0-9776072-8-0.
  • Sharma, Gautam (1990). Valour and sacrifice: famous regiments of the Indian Army. Allied Publishers. ISBN 81-7023-140-X.
  • Sumner, Ian (2001). The Indian Army 1914-1947. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-196-6.
  • Moberly, F.J. (1923). Official History of the War: Mesopotamia Campaign, Imperial War Museum. ISBN 1-870423-30-5
  • Quarterly Indian Army List January 1919. Army Headquarters, India. Calcutta, 1919.