The
Presidency armies had no cavalry of any kind in the 1760s and were composed of contingents of European troops already in service of the
East India Company as infantry. Two troops of
dragoons and one troop of
hussars were raised - the latter becoming the personal bodyguard of the
Governor-General of India. However, these units were disbanded during the reorganisation of the army by
Robert Clive after his return to India in 1765. By 1772, the East India Company would not have a single cavalry-man in service. The first bodyguard regiment was raised in 1773 for
Warren Hastings, the first
Governor-General of India, as the '''Governor's Troop of
Moghuls'''. across India. In 1811, the regiment earned its first Battle Honour 'Java' in 1811, during the
invasion of Java. The successor President's Bodyguard unit has the unique distinction of being the only surviving unit to carry this honour. Java was not returned to the
Kingdom of the Netherlands until 1816, after the conclusion of the
Napoleonic Wars. In 1824, a detachment volunteered to sail over the
kaala paani ("black water", or open ocean, which Hindu soldiers once refrained from crossing, for fear of losing their caste) to take part in the
First Anglo-Burmese War and earned their second Battle Honour "Ava". The Bodyguard received their third Battle Honour "Maharajpore" for the Battle of Maharajpore (29 December 1843) during
Gwalior campaign, when the British intervened against the
Maratha Empire during the battle for the succession that erupted in
Gwalior after the death of Maharaja
Jankoji Rao Scindia II. The regiment would be renamed the
President's Bodyguard when India became a republic on 26 January 1950. In Pakistan, the
successor regiment kept the title of Governor-General's Bodyguard until 1956 when Pakistan became a republic.
Strength and ethnic composition The strength of this regiment has varied throughout its history. The minimum strength of the unit was 50 when it was raised in 1773, but the precise maximum strength of the unit is not known. The President of India's website claims a number of 1,929, just before the
First Anglo-Sikh War but some historians believe the number to have been 469. According to the book "Historical Records of the Governor General's Body Guards", published in 1910, the maximum strength of the unit was 529 all ranks on 12 February 1844, just before the first Sikh War. In addition to 529 soldiers of all ranks, orders were also issued to attach two
Rissalahs of Irregular Cavalry, taking the strength of the unit to 730 all ranks. The ethnic composition of the unit varied equally. Recruitment started when the unit was raised in 1773 by Governor
Warren Hastings, with a strength of 50 handpicked troopers. This nucleus of the Bodyguard was later augmented by another 50 horsemen, provided by
Maharaja Chait Singh, thus bringing the overall strength of the regiment up to 100 horses and men by the end of that year. By 1800, Hindus (Brahmins and Rajputs) were allowed to join the regiment along with Muslims, but the area of the recruitment remained the same
Awadh and Bihar. In 1800, the recruitment pool was changed from the
Bengal Presidency to the
Madras Presidency and the regiment was reconstituted with troopers from the Madras cavalry for the next 60 years. During this period, South Indian castes comprised the bulk of this unit. After the
Indian Rebellion of 1857, the center of recruitment of the Indian Army was shifted from Awadh and southern India to northern India. Sikhs were allowed to enlist for the first time in Aug 1883 and Punjabi Muslims in October 1887. The recruitment of Brahmins ceased in 1895. After that, the proportions of recruits was fixed at 50% Sikhs (Malwa and Majha) and 50% Muslims (Hindustani and Punjabi).
Names The name of the regiment has changed throughout its history:
Uniform Clothing regulations of 1913 were as below:
Uniform: red; facings blue.
Badges and Device: On buttons — • British officers.— burnished, with the Royal and Imperial Cypher in a Garter, bearing the motto of the Order of tho Garter, and a Tudor crown above. • Indian officers.— Brass, with crossed lances ; Tudor crown in upper angle, and "G. G. B. G." across the lower angle.
On field cap, — A Tudor crown in gold embroidery.
On forage cap. — Tudor crown surmounted by a lion, passant, regardant, in gold ombvoidery.
On pouch. — In gold embroidery the monogram "G. G. B. G." surmounted by a Tudor crown.
On pouch belt. — Gilt burnished, side prickers and chains.
Battle honours The Governor-General's Bodyguard has the following
battle honours: • Java • Ava • Maharajpoor • Moodkee • Ferozeshah • Aliwal • Sobraon all of which, except for "Java", are considered to be
repugnant for the successor President's Bodyguard regiment and cannot be carried on
regimental colours.
Standards, guidons & banners The
East India Company started issuing
standards to Indian cavalry regiments in 1779. In 1800, the regiment was presented with its first standard by
Governor-General Wellesley at the conclusion of his Review of the Body Guard. In 1815, the Governor-General
Francis Rawdon-Hastings and his wife
Flora presented a standard to the newly raised squadron. Two more Standards were presented to the newly raised squadrons of the Body Guards in 1844, when the strength of the regiment was highest. Standards were abolished in regiments of Indian Cavalry in 1864 and in 1931, a Guidon was presented to the Body Guards, which was last carried on escorts in 1936. Two Silver state trumpets with banners were presented to the Bodyguard by the Viceroy and Governor-General
Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading in 1923, on the 150th anniversary of the raising of the unit. One banner represented the
Star of India with the battle honours of the regiment, and the other banner carried the
coat-of-arms of the Governor-General of India. Each successive viceroy presented a banner to the Bodyguard upon assuming office; the banners of previous viceroys being kept in the custody of the regiment. ==Other bodyguard units==