Assam Valley Light Horse
Encyclopedia
The Assam Valley Light Horse was raised in 1891 and formed part of the Cavalry Reserve in the British Indian Army
. The regimental headquarters was at Dibrugarh
in Assam
. The regiment was disbanded subsequent to India
's independence in 1947.
A light horse regiment
was roughly equivalent to a battalion
in strength (approximately 400 men) and its troops typically fought as mounted infantry
rather than traditional cavalry.
A few volunteers from the regiment joined the Indian Mounted Infantry Corps
in 1899.
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. The regimental headquarters was at Dibrugarh
Dibrugarh
Dibrugarh is the headquarters of Dibrugarh district, Assam, India, and is the second largest city in Assam after Guwahati. It is situated on the banks of the Brahmaputra River, about north-east of Guwahati. It is the gateway to the three tea-producing districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Sibsagar...
in Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
. The regiment was disbanded subsequent to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's independence in 1947.
A light horse regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
was roughly equivalent to a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
in strength (approximately 400 men) and its troops typically fought as mounted infantry
Mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot . The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry...
rather than traditional cavalry.
A few volunteers from the regiment joined the Indian Mounted Infantry Corps
Lumsden's Horse
Lumsden's Horse was the name given to the Indian Mounted Infantry Corps, which was formed in Calcutta in 1899 by Lt Colonel Dugald Mactavish Lumsden of the Assam Valley Light Horse. The new corps was raised from volunteers from various existing Indian regiments, including the Assam Valley Light...
in 1899.