View source for 87th Punjabis

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=87th Punjabis
|image=
|caption=
|dates=1798&ndash;1922
|country=[[British Raj|Indian Empire]]
|branch=Army
|type=Infantry
|size=
|command_structure=[[Madras Army]] (to 1895)<br>[[Madras Command]]
|garrison=
|ceremonial_chief=
|ceremonial_chief_label=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|nickname=
|motto=
|colors=Red; faced black, 1882 yellow, 1905 green, 1911 emerald green
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=[[Third Anglo-Maratha War]]<br>[[Indian Rebellion of 1857]]<br>[[Second Burmese War]]<br>[[World War I]]
|notable_commanders=
|anniversaries=
}}
The '''87th Punjabis''' were an infantry regiment of the [[British Indian Army]]. They could trace their origins to 1798, when they were raised as the 1st Battalion, 14th Madras Native Infantry.

The regiments first action was in the [[Battle of Mahidpur]] during the [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]]. Their next battle were in the [[Siege of Lucknow]] and the [[Capture of Lucknow]] during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]]. They were next sent into Burma to take part in the [[Second Burmese War]] in 1885. In January 1900 the regiment was posted in [[Mauritius]].<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military Intelligence|date=8 January 1900 |page=5 |issue=365033}}</ref>

During [[World War I]] they spent much of the time guarding the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)|North West Frontier]] against incursions by Afghan tribesmen. They did send 1,400 men as reinforcements to other regiments and in 1917, were sent to take part in the [[Mesopotamia Campaign]],<ref>Sharma, p.23</ref>

After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments.<ref>Sumner p.15</ref> In 1922, the 87th Punjabis became the 5th Battalion, [[2nd Punjab Regiment]]. This regiment was allocated to the [[Indian Army]] after independence.<ref>Sharma, p.24</ref>

==Predecessor names==
*1st Battalion, 14th Madras Native Infantry - 1798
*27th Madras Native Infantry - 1824
*27th Madras Infantry - 1885
*87th Punjabis - 1903

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book|last=Barthorp|first=Michael|last2=Burn|first2=Jeffrey|year=1979|title=Indian infantry regiments 1860-1914|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=0-85045-307-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Rinaldi|first=Richard A|year=2008|title=Order of Battle British Army 1914|publisher=Ravi Rikhye|isbn=0-9776072-8-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Sharma|first=Gautam|year=1990|title=Valour and sacrifice: famous regiments of the Indian Army|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=81-7023-140-X}}
*{{cite book|last=Sumner|first=Ian|title=The Indian Army 1914-1947|year=2001|publisher=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}}

[[Category:British Indian Army infantry regiments]]
[[Category:Military history of the Madras Presidency]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1798]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1922]]
[[Category:Indian World War I regiments]]


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