The 4th Bengal European Cavalry was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

regiment of the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

, created in 1858 and disbanded in 1859. The regiment was originally raised in

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

by the East India Company in 1858 as the 4th Bengal European Light Cavalry, for service in the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the form ...

; the "European" in the name indicated that the soldiers were white, and not Indian

sowar Sowar (, also sawar or siwar meaning "the one who rides" or "rider", from Persian language, Persian , from the Sasanian Empire, Sasanid Middle Persian, Persian Aswaran, Aswār, from the Achaemenid Empire, Achaemenid Old Persian, Persian Asabār ...

White mutiny

After the passage of the

Government of India Act 1858 The Government of India Act 1858 ( 21 & 22 Vict. c. 106) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed on August 2 1858. Its provisions called for the liquidation of the East India Company (who had up to this point been ruling Briti ...

, the regiment was transferred from the East India Company to "local service" under the

British crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

. This was resented by the men who felt that their "rights had been infringed." When it was proposed that the "European" units be transferred into the British Army there was a period of considerable unrest, known as the "White mutiny". The mutiny successfully achieved concessions from the British Government, allowing soldiers to opt for free discharges and passage home as an alternative to transferring into the British Army, and many soldiers took advantage of the scheme.

References

Honourable East India Company regiments Military units and formations established in 1858 Military units and formations disestablished in 1859 Bengal European Bengal Presidency Bengal European Cavalry {{India-mil-unit-stub

White mutiny

See also

References