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|caption= | |caption= | ||
|country= | |country= | ||
|branch= | |branch=[[Presidency armies]] | ||
|type=[[Formation (military)|Command]] | |type=[[Formation (military)|Command]] | ||
|dates= 1756–1895 (as the Bengal Army)<br>1895–1908 (as the Bengal Command of the Indian Army) | |dates= 1756–1895 (as the Bengal Army)<br>1895–1908 (as the Bengal Command of the Indian Army) | ||
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The [[Presidency armies]], like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the [[East India Company]] (EIC) until the [[Government of India Act 1858]] (passed in the aftermath of the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]]) transferred all three presidencies to the direct authority of the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|British Crown]]. | The [[Presidency armies]], like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the [[East India Company]] (EIC) until the [[Government of India Act 1858]] (passed in the aftermath of the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]]) transferred all three presidencies to the direct authority of the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|British Crown]]. | ||
In 1895 all three presidency armies were merged into the [[British | In 1895 all three presidency armies were merged into the [[British Indian Army]]. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
===Origins=== | ===Origins=== | ||
The Bengal Army originated with the establishment of a European Regiment in 1756.<ref>Raugh, p. 46</ref> While the East India Company had previously maintained a small force of Dutch and Eurasian mercenaries in Bengal, this was destroyed when [[Siege of Calcutta|Calcutta was captured]] by the Nawab of Bengal on 30 June that year.<ref>{{cite book|first=Stuart|last=Reid|page=5|title=Armies of the East India Company 1750–1850|isbn=978-1-84603-460-2}}</ref> | The Bengal Army originated with the establishment of a European Regiment in 1756.<ref>Raugh, p. 46</ref> While the East India Company had previously maintained a small force of Dutch and Eurasian mercenaries in Bengal, this was destroyed when [[Siege of Calcutta|Calcutta was captured]] by the Nawab of Bengal on 30 June that year.<ref>{{cite book|first=Stuart|last=Reid|page=5|title=Armies of the East India Company 1750–1850|date=18 August 2009|isbn=978-1-84603-460-2}}</ref> | ||
===Under East India Company=== | ===Under East India Company=== | ||
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[[File:Bengal Troops on the Line of March (6124600077).jpg|thumb|250px|Bengal infantry on the line of march]] | [[File:Bengal Troops on the Line of March (6124600077).jpg|thumb|250px|Bengal infantry on the line of march]] | ||
In 1757 the first locally recruited unit of Bengal [[sepoys]] was created in the form of the ''Lal Paltan'' battalion. It was recruited from | In 1757 the first locally recruited unit of Bengal [[sepoys]] was created in the form of the ''Lal Paltan'' battalion. It was recruited from soldiers that had served in the Nawab's Army from Bihar and the Awadh ([[Oudh]]) who were collectively called [[Purbiya]]s. Drilled and armed along British army lines this force served well at the [[Battle of Plassey]] in 1757 and 20 more Indian battalions were raised by 1764. In 1766 the [[Monghyr Mutiny]], quelled by [[Robert Clive]], affected many of the white officers of the Bengal Army.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Martin |first1=Robert Montgomery |title=Our Indian Empire and the Adjacent Countries of Afghanistan, Beloochistan, Persia, Etc., Depicted and Described by Pen and Pencil |year=1879 |publisher=London Print. and Publishing Company |page=305 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IlABAAAAQAAJ |language=en}}</ref> | ||
The EIC steadily expanded its Bengal Army and by 1796 the establishment was set at three battalions of European artillery, three regiments of European infantry, ten regiments of Indian cavalry and twelve regiments (each of two battalions) of Indian infantry.<ref>Mollo, pp. 13–14</ref> | The EIC steadily expanded its Bengal Army and by 1796 the establishment was set at three battalions of European artillery, three regiments of European infantry, ten regiments of Indian cavalry and twelve regiments (each of two battalions) of Indian infantry.<ref>Mollo, pp. 13–14</ref> | ||