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{{refimprove|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry
|image=IndianArmyMGCrewFlanders1914-15.jpg
|caption=A [[Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun|Benet-Mercier]] [[machine gun]] section of 2nd Rajput Light Infantry in action in [[Flanders]], during the winter of 1914-15
|dates=1798-1922
|country=[[British Raj|Indian Empire]]
|branch=Army
|type=Infantry
|size=
|command_structure=[[Bengal Army]] (to 1895), [[Bengal Command]]
|garrison=
|ceremonial_chief=[[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]] (1904)
|ceremonial_chief_label=Colonel-in-Chief
|colonel_of_the_regiment=Brigadier-General F. A. Smith (1921)
|nickname=
|motto=
|colors=Red; faced buff, 1879 blue.
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=Delhi Laswaree Deig 1825 - 26 Bhurtpore Khelet 1838 - 42 Afghanistan Maharajpore 1849 Punjab Chillianwallah Goojerat Central India 1879 - 80 Afghanistan 
1885 - 87 Burma 1900 China
|notable_commanders=
|anniversaries=
}}
The '''2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry''', commonly shortened to 2nd Rajputs, was a [[regiment]] of the [[British Indian Army]]. Raised in 1798, it was amalgamated with five other [[Rajput]] regiments in 1922.

==History==
The [[British East India Company]] raised a 2nd [[Battalion]] for the 15th Regiment of [[Bengal Native Infantry]] (BNI) in 1798. As such, it fought at [[Delhi]], [[Laswari]], [[Deeg]], and [[Bharatpur, India|Bharatpur]]. For its service under [[Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake|General Lake]] during the [[Second Anglo-Maratha War]], the battalion was granted an [[Colours, standards and guidons|honorary colour]]; an additional [[jemadar]] was employed on its strength to carry it.

The battalion was separated from the 15th in 1828, to form the 31st Bengal Native Infantry. Its first campaign as a regiment was in 1839, in the [[First Anglo-Afghan War]]. The regiment fought at [[Kalat (Pakistan)|Kalat]], a [[fortress]] captured on 13 November. Three [[battle honour]]s were awarded during the [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]], two for the battles of [[Battle of Chillianwala|Chillianwala]] and [[Battle of Gujarat|Gujarat]].

In the [[Indian rebellion of 1857]], the regiment did not [[mutiny]] and fought in the [[Central India Campaign (1858)|Central India Campaign]], holding a Sangor fort under attack for six months. The Governor General described the regiment as showing unexampled fidelity during this period.<ref>{{cite book|first=John|last=Gaylor|page=153|title=Sons of John Company. The Indian & Pakistan Armies 1903-1991|ISBN=0-946771-98-7}}</ref> Almost the entire [[Bengal Army]] had mutinied and in the ensuing disbandment of its regiments, the 31st became the second most senior. When Queen Victoria became [[Empress of India]] in 1876, the regiment became the '''2nd (Queen's Own) Regiment of Bengal Native Light Infantry'''.<ref>[http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/indianinfantry/2ndrajputltinf.htm British Empire: Armed Forces: Units: Indian Infantry: 2nd Rajput Light Infantry]</ref> The regimental badge worn until 1923 comprised a brass bugle with the number 2 between the strings.<ref>John Gaylor,''Sons of John Company'', {{ISBN|0-946771-98-7}}; p. 326</ref>

The regiment later served in the [[Second Anglo-Afghan War|Second Afghan War]] and contributed to the international force that intervened in the [[Boxer Rebellion]] of 1900. Two additional battalions were raised during the [[World War I|First World War]], the 2nd in 1917 and the 3rd in 1918. The regiment served in [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign|Egypt]], [[Mesopotamia Campaign|Mesopotamia]], and [[Third Anglo-Afghan War|Afghanistan]].
<ref>{{cite book|first=John|last=Gaylor|page=154|title=Sons of John Company. The Indian & Pakistan Armies 1903-1991|ISBN=0-946771-98-7}}</ref>

Reorganisation of the Indian Army in 1922 resulted in its amalgamation with the 4th, 7th, 8th, 11th, and 16th Rajputs, to form the [[7th Rajput Regiment]]. The 2nd Rajputs, upon becoming the 1st Battalion, retained its title, albeit as a subtitle.<ref>{{cite book|first=John|last=Gaylor|page=154|title=Sons of John Company. The Indian & Pakistan Armies 1903-1991|ISBN=0-946771-98-7}}</ref> After [[Partition of India|India's independence]], the battalion was elevated to [[Foot Guards|"Guard"]] status and transferred to the [[Brigade of the Guards]] as its 4th Battalion.

==Notable members of the regiment==
*Field Marshal [[Kodandera Madappa Cariappa]]
*Field Marshal Sir [[Henry Wylie Norman]]
*Major-General [[Corrie Hudson]]

==Battle honours==
[[Battle of Delhi, 1803|Delhi 1803]], [[Laswari|Laswaree]], [[Deeg|Deig]], [[Bharatpur, India|Bhurtpore]], [[Kalat (Pakistan)|Khelat]]. [[First Anglo-Afghan War|Afghanistan]], [[Maharajpur, Madhya Pradesh|Maharajpore]], [[Punjab (British India)|Punjaub]], [[Battle of Chillianwala|Chillianwallah]], [[Battle of Gujarat|Goojerat]], [[Central India Campaign (1858)|Central India]], [[Second Anglo-Afghan War|Afghanistan 1879-80]], [[Third Burmese War|Burma 1885-87]], [[Boxer Rebellion|China 1900]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

*{{cite book|last=Sumner|first=Ian|title=The Indian Army 1914-1947|year=2001|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=1-84176-196-6}}
*[[Michael Barthorp|Barthorp, Michael]] (1979), ''Indian Infantry Regiments, 1860-1914'', Osprey {{ISBN|0-85045-307-0}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Regiments/Guards.html |title=Bharat Rakshak - Brigade of the Guards |publisher=bharat-rakshak.com |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411222921/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Regiments/Guards.html |archivedate=11 April 2009}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060707213922/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/MONITOR/ISSUE3-3/sandhu.html Bharat Rakshak - The Rajput Regiment]
*{{cite web |url=http://www.1914-1918.net/Peshawar_div.htm |title=The Long Long Trail (1914-18) - 1st (Peshawar) Division |publisher=1914-1918.net |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007094946/http://www.1914-1918.net/Peshawar_div.htm |archivedate=7 October 2008}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.1914-1918.net/Meerut_div.htm |title=The Long Long Trail (1914-18) - 7th (Meerut) Division |publisher=1914-1918.net |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724025904/http://www.1914-1918.net/Meerut_div.htm |archivedate=24 July 2008}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/southasia/inf/1903-002.htm |title=2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry |publisher=Regiments.org |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212051323/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/southasia/inf/1903-002.htm |archivedate=12 February 2007}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2nd Queen Victoria'S Own Rajput Light Infantry}}
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1798]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1922]]
[[Category:British Indian Army infantry regiments]]
[[Category:Rajput history]]
[[Category:Bombay Presidency]]

2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry - Revision history

Bot at 19:42, 7 November 2019