Bombay Army

Sepoys of the 3rd Battalion of native infantry at Bombay, 1773

In the early stages of Company rule in India, Bombay was rated as an unhealthy and unprofitable region. Accordingly, only a small garrison was maintained while emphasis was placed on creating a local navy (the "Bombay Marine") to control piracy. In 1742 the Bombay Army consisted of eight companies of European and Eurasian garrison troops, numbering 1,593 of all ranks.[3] These had evolved from independent companies dating back as far as 1668 when the Company took over control of the city of Bombay.[2][4]^: 14

The Mahars served in both Bombay Army and Marine battalions. Prior to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 they were heavily recruited and constituted between a fifth and a quarter of the entire Bombay Army.[5]

By 1783 the Bombay Army had grown to 15,000 men, a force that was still significantly smaller than the other two Presidency armies. Recruitment from the 1750s on had however been expanded to include a majority of indigenous sepoys, initially employed as irregulars for particular campaigns. The first two regular sepoy battalions were raised in 1768, a third in 1760 and a fourth ten years later.[4]^: 16 The non-Indian (mostly British but also including Swiss and German mercenaries) element was organized in a single Bombay European Regiment.[6]

In 1796 the Bombay Native Infantry was reorganized into four regiments, each of two battalions. The Bombay Foot Artillery, which traced its history back nearly 50 years prior to this date, was brought up to six companies in strength in 1797.[7]

The Bombay Army was heavily involved in the First Maratha War and the defeat of Tipu Sultan of Mysore in 1799.[8]

Native Officers of the Bombay Army in dress uniform, 1818

Prior to the cessation of Company rule in 1861, the Bombay Army played a substantial role in campaigns against the Bani Bu Ali in 1821, in North-Western India, notably the 1st Afghan War of 1838–1842, the Sind War of 1843, the 2nd Sikh War of 1848–49 and the Persian War of 1856-57. The Bombay Army had acquired responsibility for garrisoning Aden, and The 1st Bombay European Regiment, The Bombay Marine Battalion and the 24th Bombay Native Infantry all saw service there in 1839.[9]

As of 1 January 1842 the Bombay Army's disposition was as follows:[10]

• The Bombay Garrison
• The Poona Division – Headquartered in Poona
• The Northern Division – Headquartered in Ahmedabad
• The Mhow Brigade
• The Scinde Field Force
• Forces in Lower Scinde
• Forces Garrisoning the Asirgarh Fort
• Forces in and around Karrack Island (Kharg Island), in the Persian Gulf
• Forces in Aden.

The Bombay native infantry establishment continued to expand until it reached 26 regiments in 1845. Three Bombay Light Cavalry regiments were raised after 1817, plus a few troops of irregular horse. One brigade of Bombay Horse Artillery comprising both British and Indian personnel had been established by 1845, plus three battalions of foot artillery.[3]

The Bombay Presidency's Army was also supplemented by regular British Army Regiments and in 1842 one cavalry and four infantry regiments were deployed on the "Bombay Establishment".[11]

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was almost entirely confined to the Bengal Army. Of the thirty-two Bombay infantry regiments in existence at the time only two mutinied. After some initial uncertainty as to the loyalty of the remainder, it was deemed possible to send most of the British troops in the Presidency to Bengal, while the Bombay sepoy and sowar (cavalry) units held the southern districts of the North-West Frontier.[4]^: 92 Some Bombay units saw active service during the repression of the rebellion in Central India.[12]

Following the transfer from East India Company rule to that of the British government in 1861 the Bombay Army underwent a series of changes. These included the disbandment of three regiments of Bombay Native Infantry and the recruitment of replacement units from the Beluchi population. Originally created as irregular units, the three "Belooch" regiments in their red trousers were to remain a conspicuous part of the Bombay Army for the remainder of its separate existence.[13]

By 1864 the Bombay Army had been reorganised as follows:[14]

• The Northern Division
• The Poona Division
• The Mhow Division
• The Scinde Division

With brigades at Bombay, Belgaum, Neemuch, Poona, Ahmednuggur, Nusseerabad and Deesa; as well as a garrison in Aden. During the remainder of the 19th century Bombay Army units participated in the 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia, the Second Afghan War of 1878–80, and the Third Anglo-Burmese War of 1885–87.[15]

In 1895 the three separate Presidency Armies were abolished and the Army of India was divided into four commands, each commanded by a lieutenant-general. These comprised Madras (including Burma), Punjab (including the North West Frontier), Bengal and Bombay (including Aden).[16]

In 1895 the three separate Presidency Armies began a process of unification which was not to be concluded until the Kitchener reforms of eight years later.[17] As an initial step the Army of India was divided into four commands, each commanded by a lieutenant-general. These comprised Bombay (including Aden), Madras (including Burma), Punjab (including the North West Frontier) and Bengal.[16] In 1903 the separately numbered regiments of the Bombay, Madras and Bengal Armies were unified in a single organisational sequence and the presidency affiliations disappeared.[18]

As with many of the Indian infantry fighting regiments, the Bombay Native Infantry mostly adhered to British army regulations - the officers prior to 1856 having worn coatees with gold lace, shakos with a regimental plate and buckskin breeches. Studies of two British officers: one mounted, in service dress, the other in cold weather uniform; an officer from a grenadier company in full dress; two sepoys in cold weather dress; two sepoys in hot weather dress; a sepoy's blue soft cap and three sketches of grenadier uniform details can be seen at the National Army Museum. In addition, a surviving officers uniform to the 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry Regiment can also be seen at the NAM, the uniform with provenance to John Grant Malcolmson VC.[19] For a brief time after January 1856, the Bombay infantry regiments transitioned to tunics with Carman denoting tunics were for those 'who are at the present without dress coatee'.[20] 1856 pattern officers tunics were scarlet with light yellow facings and gold braid. Following the re-organisation in 1861, many of the Bombay Native Infantry regiments were reformed to rifle regiments adopting green cloth uniforms with red facings.[21]