The Gallant Dogras
Edition: First
Series: Military History
Publisher: Lancers
Published: 2004
Place of publication: New Delhi
Language: eng
Number of pages: 250
Work titles: Illustrated Military History
Description: The Dogra Regiment traces its ancestry primarily to three Regiments of the East India Company's Bengal Army. These three Regiments were the 37th, the 38th and the 41st Regiment of Bengal Infantry. Over the years, these Regiments were to undergo many vicissitudes but the bloodlines of today's proud Dogra Regiment are clearly traceable to those early days.

Interestingly, there were Dogra companies in many other North Indian regiments of the John Company. The Dogra kings of Jammu and Kashmir and other Princely States also maintained a sizeable force of Dogra soldiers as State Forces, which have, upon Independence, been absorbed into the Indian Army, as were the forces of some of the lesser Princely States.

Although the Dogras are an agricultural people, their martial traditions run deep and they carry with them the habits and attitudes of a martial clan. The Dogras are well known for their courtly manners, great courage and strong powers of physical endurance. The military commanders, over the years, have had nothing but unstinted praise for the Dogra soldiers, making them highly desirable recruits for the Armed Forces.

From the mud and mire of Givenchy to the dreary desert sands of Mesopotamia during World War I, from the plantations of Malaya to the leech infested jungles of Burma during World War II, the brave Dogra soldier won the admiration and respect of one and all. The dawn of Independence saw this veteran Regiment grow from strength to strength, giving an unrivalled account of itself in every skirmish and encounter, whether on the borders of the Motherland or in counter-terrorism operations. The intrepid Dogra went on to win international acclaim on many an occasion while wearing the coveted blue berets of the United Nations.

This illustrated history presents an insight into the ethos of the Dogras and traces the growth of the Dogra Regiment over the last 117 years and more. Numerous rare and historic photographs and maps, that have been painstakingly restored, embellish this book, which shall be of great interest to the military historian and indeed to all those connected with the Indian Armed Forces.
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