17 Facts About Indian Army’s 240-Year-Old Rajputana Rifles Will Make You Proud
1. Raised in its current form in 1921, the Rajputana Rifles is the senior-most rifle regiment of the Indian Army.
2. Before 1945, it was known as the 6th Rajputana Rifles because it was formed by merging six previously existing British Indian Army regiments.
3. The Rajputana Rifles has been primarily involved in conflicts against Pakistan.
4. It was also a part of the UN Custodian Force in Korea in 1953-54 and UN’s Congo Mission in 1962.
5. The regiment was actually raised in 1775, when the then East India Company realised the valour of Rajput warriors and recruited them to protect its operations.6. The first local unit thus raised was named 5th Bombay Sepoys.
It was later re-designated as 9th Bombay Sepoys in 1778. The regiment was re-designated a further five times before its final shape in 1921.
7. 2 Rajputana Rifles was the first of seven Indian Army units to receive an official citation for their bravery during the Kargil War in 1999.
8. Its motto is Veer Bhogya Vasundhara which means “The brave shall inherit the Earth”.
9. The battle cry of the Rajputana Rifles is Raja Ramchandra ki Jai.
10. Other than Rajputs, Rajputana Rifles has a a high concentration of Jats, Ahirs, Gujjars and Muslims.
11. About 30,000 soldiers of Rajputana Rifles died in the First and Second World War.
12. Their insignia is composed of a medieval Rajput weapon, Katar, and a bugle.13. The Rajput Regiment and Rajputana Rifles are two different army units.
14. The Rajputana Museum in Delhi showcases the rich history of this unit.
It is also rated as the finest military museum in India.
15. Company Havaldar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat of the 6th Battalion Rajputana Rifles was posthumously honoured with the Param Vir Chakra in Indo-Pak war of 1948.
16. The Rajputana Rifles also have the distinction of being a recipient of six Victoria Crosses earned in pre-independence era.
17. Members of the Rajputana Rifles often sport this unique moustache.