Before the British Raj era The Mazhabis were recruited to the army of
Ranjit Singh but as separate companies attached to regular
battalions rather than as part of an integrated force. This situation was forced upon him because high-caste Sikhs refused any closer connection. They served as
pioneers, operating mainly as a labour corps that worked on construction of roads, bridges and canals. They were not, however, mere labourers because it was expected that their infantry skills would enable them to defend themselves in the event of attack. In 1857, the British turned to them for help during the
Indian Rebellion, apparently to counteract the rebellious
sepoys of the
Bengal Army. The First Pioneer Sikh Regiment soon found itself helping to break the
Siege of Delhi, a second regiment was raised in 1858 and a third followed soon after. It was calculated in 1898 that there were 2,452 Mazhabis in the army, along with 28,146 Jat Sikhs and 9,000 other Sikhs. During
World War I the single-battalion regiments of the Mazhabi Sikh Pioneers – the
23rd,
32nd and
34th Pioneer Regiments – were expanded to comprise three battalions each. These units served in Egypt, Europe,
Mesopotamia and
Palestine and performed well. The 1/34th Sikh Pioneers were awarded the title of "Royal". The Sikh Pioneer regiments, which were practically the only military employer of the Mazhabis, were disbanded in December 1932. The cause was mainly advances in road-building techniques and the need to economise. Most of their recruits were released from the army, the only means by which they had been able to advance themselves in society. A Mazhabi Sikh
platoon did replace
Rajputs as the Indian Platoon of the
Welch Regiment in 1933. The Mazhabi Sikhs, together with the
Ramdasia, were recruited to the
Sikh Light Infantry regiment (SLI) after its formation in 1941. Despite unwillingness among some policy makers, the British had to abandon their traditional distinction between martial and non-martial races during the Second World War. This was necessitated by the need for more recruits than could be supplied by those communities upon which they usually relied, such as the Jat Sikhs,
Dogras and
Punjabi Musalmans. In addition, indiscipline among Jat Sikhs caused by their concerns regarding a post-war division of India was another reason to prefer recruitment of new classes. While recruitment from the pre-war martial classes was still pre-eminent, that from newly recognised classes such as the Mazhabis and Ramdasias became significant. Mazhabis were even recruited into units such as the
13th Frontier Force Rifles, which previously would not have contemplated them.
After independence of India march past during the Republic day parade in New Delhi, IndiaWhen India became independent in 1947, the British Indian Army became the Indian Army. This, like its predecessor, relies on the martial race theory for much of its recruitment and thus there is a grossly disproportionate number of Sikhs within its ranks. The Mazhabi Sikhs and Ramdasias continued their service with the SLI in the new army. The Mazhabi Sikh soldiers have a reputation for their loyalty and reliability. During
Operation Blue Star in 1984, when the Indian Army entered the
Golden Temple, Jat Sikh soldiers broke out in mutiny against their officers in the
Sikh Regiment and Punjab regiments A total of 2,000 Sikh personnel took part in the mutinies. In the most sensational case 1,400 mainly Jat Sikhs deserted after killing their commanding officer and armed themselves. A significant number of those were also new recruits who were incited easily into mutiny and some were forced at gun point to take part in the mutinies. Despite that, the Indian Army officers were correct when they expressed confidence to journalists that the Mazhabi Sikhs of the Sikh Light Infantry would not mutiny. In Punjab,
Sikh militants had stepped up their attacks on law enforcement as well as civilians, including minority groups. The Punjab had now reached a state of emergency and
Director General of Police,
Kanwar Pal Singh Gill, responded by raising Mazhabi Sikhs as "Special Police Officers". This tactic was designed both for community protection and to dull any incentive for Mazhabis to join with the militants, although in fact Mazhabis had often been victims of attacks by those people. Their loyalty was to the government and was never questioned. Mostly unemployed people, they were provided with guns by the state and were literally given a licence to kill. Gill received heavy criticism for the brutality and ruthlessness of his tactics but the Sikh militants were neutralised. A large number of these special police officers were said to have been used during the February 1992 elections. An open season was declared on Sikh terrorists and the police were able to use whatever means deemed necessary to achieve victory. Major Sikh militant leaders were targeted, and many did not survive. ==Social status==