Repugnant battle honours of the Indian Army
Encyclopedia
Some battle honour
s earned by Indian Army
units, which are descended from erstwhile units of the British East India Company, and later the British Raj
, have been declared as repugnant by the Government of India
. Indian Army units do not inscribe these battle honours on their colours and do not celebrate commemoration days associated with these battles. This decision was taken post-independence regarding those battle honours concerned with the subjugation of India and in some cases, neighbouring countries.
. Battle honours prior to this period have either been lost due to disbandment, are now held only by units transferred to Pakistan during Partition or are repugnant.
Other pre-World War I battle honours NOT considered repugnant are as follows :
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s earned by Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
units, which are descended from erstwhile units of the British East India Company, and later the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, have been declared as repugnant by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. Indian Army units do not inscribe these battle honours on their colours and do not celebrate commemoration days associated with these battles. This decision was taken post-independence regarding those battle honours concerned with the subjugation of India and in some cases, neighbouring countries.
List of repugnant battle honours
Repugnant Battle Honours include :- Carnatic
- Assaye (1803)Assaye (battle honour).The Assaye battle honour was awarded by the Governor General of British India to all East India Company battalions and British Army regiments that took part of the Battle of Assaye...
- Mysore (1789-91)Third Anglo-Mysore WarThe Third Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company and its allies, including the Mahratta Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad...
- Punjaub (1849-53)Second Anglo-Sikh WarThe Second Anglo-Sikh War took place in 1848 and 1849, between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company. It resulted in the subjugation of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab and what subsequently became the North-West Frontier Province by the East India Company.-Background...
Non-repugnant battle honours
The earliest battle honour held by the modern Indian Army which is not repugnant and can be emblazoned on colours is "Bourbon" (dated 8 July 1810) which is held by the 3rd Battalion, the Brigade of the GuardsBrigade of the Guards
Brigade of The Guards is a regiment of the Indian Army. It is the first "All India" mixed "All Class" Composition Infantry Regiment of the Army where troops from all parts of India serve together in various battalions of the Regiment...
. Battle honours prior to this period have either been lost due to disbandment, are now held only by units transferred to Pakistan during Partition or are repugnant.
Other pre-World War I battle honours NOT considered repugnant are as follows :
- AbyssiniaAbyssinia (battle honour)Abyssinia is a battle honour awarded to units of the British Indian Army and the British Army which participated in the 1868 campaign to free Europeans held hostage in Abyssinia by Emperor Tewodros II...
- Afghanistan 1839
- Afghanistan 1878-80Second Anglo-Afghan WarThe Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner...
- Ahmed Khel
- Ali Masjid
- Beni Boo Alli
- Bourbon
- Bushire
- Cabool 1852
- Candahar 1842
- Charasiah
- China (1858-59, 1860-62, 1900)
- Cutchee
- Ghuznee 1839
- Ghuznee 1842
- Java
- Kabul 1879
- Kahun
- Kandahar 1880
- Khelat
- Koosh-ab
- Malakand
- Peiwar Kotal
- Pekin 1860
- Pekin 1900
- Persia 1856-57
- Reshire
- Samana
- Somaliland 1901-04
- Taku Forts
- Tel-el-Kebir
- Tirah
- Tofrek