The 8th Rajputs was an infantry battalion of the

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

. They could trace their origins to 1798 when they were the 1st Battalion, 30th

Bengal Native Infantry The regiments of Bengal Native Infantry, alongside the regiments of Bengal European Infantry, were the regular infantry components of the East India Company's Bengal Army from the raising of the first Native battalion in 1757 to the passing in ...

. Over the years the regiment became known by a number of different titles. The 59th Bengal Native Infantry 1824–1861, the 8th Bengal Native Infantry 1861–1897, the 8th (Rajput) Bengal Infantry 1897–1901, the 8th Rajput Infantry 1901–1903 and finally the 8th Rajputs after the

Kitchener reforms The Indian Army was the force of British India, until national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and the princely states, which could also have ...

of the Indian Army. During this time the regiment took part in the

First Afghan War The First Anglo-Afghan War () was fought between the British Empire and the Emirate of Kabul from 1838 to 1842. The British initially successfully invaded the country taking sides in a succession dispute between emir Dost Mohammad Khan ( Bara ...

, the First Sikh War and

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After World War I the Indian Government reformed the Indian Army again, moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The 8th Rajputs now became the 4th Battalion,

7th Rajput Regiment Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season ep ...

. After Indian gained independence in 1947, this was one of the regiments allocated to the new

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

References

* British Indian Army infantry regiments Honourable East India Company regiments Military units and formations established in 1798 Military units and formations disestablished in 1922 Bengal Presidency {{India-mil-unit-stub