GeorgeNobbs1 at 20:19, 27 August 2025

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{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=28th Punjabis
| image=Badge of 28th Punjabis.jpg
| image_size = 135
|caption=
|dates=1857 - 1922
|country=[[British Raj|British India]]
|branch=Army
|type=Infantry
|size=2 Battalions
|command_structure=
|garrison=
|ceremonial_chief=
|ceremonial_chief_label=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|nickname=
|motto=
|colors=Red; faced emerald green
|colors_label=Uniform
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=[[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Mutiny]] 1857-58 <br>[[Assam]] 1862-63<br> [[Second Afghan War]] 1878-80 <br> [[First World War]] 1914-18
|notable_commanders=
|anniversaries=
}}
The '''28th Punjabis''' were an infantry regiment in the [[British Indian Army]]. It was raised in 1857, as the 20th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 28th Punjabis in 1903 and became 4th Battalion [[15th Punjab Regiment]] in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the [[Pakistan Army]], where it continues to exist as '''12th Battalion The [[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|Punjab Regiment]]'''.<ref name="Rizvi 1984">Rizvi, Brig SHA. (1984). ''Veteran Campaigners – A History of the Punjab Regiment 1759-1981''. Lahore: Wajidalis.</ref>

==Early history==
The regiment was raised during the upheaval of the [[Indian Mutiny]], at [[Ferozepur]] on 1 July 1857, as the Ferozepore Punjab Battalion, composed entirely of Saraswat Brahmins and [[Jat Sikhs]]. In 1860, a company of Punjabi Muslim [[Awan (tribe)|Awan]]s and [[Gakhars]] from [[Sohawa Tehsil]] was added. In 1862, the regiment took part in operations in [[Assam]], while during the [[Second Afghan War]] of 1878-80, it fought at [[Battle of Peiwar Kotal|Peiwar Kotal]], Charasiah and [[Kabul]]. In 1887, two more companies of Punjabi Muslims, composed of [[Janjua]]s and [[Minhas]] Rajputs from [[Dina, Pakistan|Dina]], [[Gujar Khan]] and [[Kharian]] were added. In 1891, the regiment participated in the Black Mountain Expedition on the [[North-West Frontier (military history)|North West Frontier]] of India.<ref name="Rizvi 1984"/>

Subsequent to the [[Kitchener Reforms|reforms]] brought about in the Indian Army by [[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener|Lord Kitchener]] in 1903, the regiment's designation was changed to 28th Punjabis.<ref name="Gaylor 1991">{{cite book|last=Gaylor|first=John|title=Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–91|publisher=Stroud: Spellmount|year=1991}}</ref>
During the [[First World War]], they were stationed in [[Ceylon]] on garrison duty and was called out to suppress the [[1915 Ceylonese Riots|riots in 1915]] which they did brutally. Many atrocities were committed by the Punjabis during Martial Law that prevailed in the country.<ref>[http://archives.dailynews.lk/2008/07/08/fea01.asp Death anniversary of Edward Henry Pedris -July 7: ]</ref> Following the incidents of the riots, 28th Punjabis was transferred to [[Mesopotamia Campaign|Mesopotamia]], where they fought in the bloody battles on the [[Tigris]] Front, as the British made desperate efforts to relieve their besieged garrison at [[Kut al Amara]]. In 1917, the regiment took part in the Third Battle of Sannaiyat, the Capture of [[Baghdad]], and the actions at Istabulat and Tekrit. In 1918, the 28th Punjabis participated in the British campaign in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]]. During the war, the regiment suffered a total of 1423 casualties. It raised a second battalion in 1918, which was disbanded after the war. In 1921, Sepoy [[Ishar Singh]] of the 28th Punjabis was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] for exceptional valour during the [[Waziristan campaign 1919–1920|Waziristan Campaign]].<ref name="Rizvi 1984"/>

==Subsequent history==
In 1921-22, a major reorganization was undertaken in the British Indian Army leading to the formation of large infantry groups of four to six battalions. Among these was the 15th Punjab Regiment, formed by grouping the 28th Punjabis with the [[25th Punjabis|25th]], [[26th Punjabis|26th]], [[27th Punjabis|27th]] and [[29th Punjabis]]. The battalion's new designation was 4th Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment. During the Second World War, the Battalion comprised four companies of Punjabi Muslims and four companies of Sikhs. The Punjabi Muslims were [[Janjua]]s and [[Gakhars]] from [[Kahuta]], [[Gujar Khan]], [[Dina, Pakistan|Dina]] and [[Sohawa]] sprinkled with some Awans from [[Pindigheb]], and [[Talagang]]. The Sikhs were Jat Sikhs from Lyallpur, Majha and Doaba<ref name="Gaylor 1991"/> During the [[Second World War]], the battalion fought in the [[Burma Campaign]] with great distinction. The battalion suffered 921 casualties and was awarded numerous gallantry awards including two Victoria Crosses to Lieutenant [[Karamjeet Singh Judge]] and Naik [[Gian Singh (soldier)|Gian Singh]]. In 1947, the 15th Punjab Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was merged with the [[1st Punjab Regiment|1st]], [[14th Punjab Regiment|14th]] and [[16th Punjab Regiment]]s to form one large [[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|Punjab Regiment]], and 4/15th Punjab was redesignated as 12 Punjab. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, it fought on the [[Lahore]] Front, while in 1971, it served in [[East Pakistan]].<ref name="Rizvi 1984"/>

==Genealogy==
*1857 The Ferozepore Punjab Battalion[[File:Ishar Singh VC.jpg|thumb|right|Subedar Ishar Singh, VC, 28th Punjabis|230px]]
*1857 20th Regiment of Punjab Infantry
*1861 32nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
*1861 28th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
*1864 28th (Punjab) Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
*1885 28th (Punjab) Regiment of Bengal Infantry
*1901 28th Punjab Infantry
*1903 28th Punjabis
*1918 1st Battalion 28th Punjabis
*1922 4th Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment
*1956 12th Battalion The Punjab Regiment

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Rizvi, Brig SHA. (1984). ''Veteran Campaigners – A History of the Punjab Regiment 1759-1981''. Lahore: Wajidalis.
*Cardew, Lt FG. (1903). ''A Sketch of the Services of the Bengal Native Army to the Year 1895''. Calcutta: Military Department.
*{{cite book|last=Gaylor|first=John|title=Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–91|publisher=Stroud: Spellmount|year=1991|isbn=978-0-946771-98-1}}
*{{cite book|last=Barthorp|first=Michael|last2=Burn|first2=Jeffrey|year=1979|title=Indian Infantry Regiments 1860-1914|publisher=London: Osprey|isbn=0-85045-307-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Sumner|first=Ian|title=The Indian Army 1914-1947|year=2001|publisher=London: Osprey|isbn=1-84176-196-6}}

==See also==
*[[15th Punjab Regiment]]
*[[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|Punjab Regiment]]

[[Category:British Indian Army infantry regiments]]
[[Category:Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1857]]
[[Category:1857 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1922]]

28th Punjabis - Revision history

GeorgeNobbs1 at 20:19, 27 August 2025