Writer: Major Aamir Cheema, retired

The taming of the horse signalled the first revolution in military affairs. Horses are categorised on a regional basis; there is the Arabian breed which is short but famous for speed, and it played a vital role in the early victories of Islam. Later, Mongols in the 12th Century conducted the very first blitzkrieg by virtue of their horsemanship. Tamerlane was perhaps the first military commander who introduced mounted infantry; where horses were used for mobility, but the battle was fought dismounted. Tamerlane had cavalry too. The fundamental difference between cavalry and mounted infantry lies in the fact that whereas cavalry carries out manoeuvre and fighting on horseback, mounted infantry utilises horses for movement and speed, but conducts fighting as infantry, dismounted. This article highlights the history and role of mounted infantry among the Frontier Militia (Frontier Corps).

Frontier Militia

The concept of frontier was stressed by Frederick Turner in his 1890s thesis of American Frontier, and by Lord Curzon, the viceroy of India. Frontiers are thus on the edges of civilisation, they are rugged, life is hard and one has to survive them, before they become part, absorbed and form the centre of a new culture. Militia is synonymous with frontier, a people’s army, an army comprised of local citizens. Machiavelli was a great proponent of the militia. In USA, the militia remained the backbone of the military from initial days till the beginning of the last century.

In the Subcontinent, the militia was raised on the North Western Frontier by the British East India Company, after annexation of the Punjab in 1849. They were initially in the form of border police based upon silladari system; the native malik was responsible for the provision of fighting men and horses, keeping the intruding tribes at bay. In return, payment was made to him, and not to the individuals. The present day Frontier Corps was raised in 1907 as liaison headquarters, to protect the Indian frontier. Prior to 1970, the Frontier Corps was responsible for the entire western border belt extending from Gilgit in the north to Makran in the south. It comprised 19 corps; the first being the Khyber Jezailchis in 1878, followed by Zhob Levy 1889, Gilgit Levies 1889, Turi Militia 1892, Chagai Levies 1896, Tochi Levies in 1894, South Waziristan Militia 1900, North Waziristan Militia 1900, Chitral Scouts 1903, Mekran Levy Corps 1924, 1st Mahsud Battalion 1938, 2nd Mahsud Battalion 1944, Pishin Scouts 1946, Thall Scouts 1947, Bajaur Scouts 1961, Karakorum Scouts 1965 and Kalat Scouts 1965. Dir Scouts, Mohmand Rifles, Shawal Rifles and Swat Scouts were all raised between 1970 and 1999, whereas Orakzai, Khattak and Bhittani Scouts were raised after 2001. In 1974 Frontier Corps Baluchistan (now Balochistan) was raised, and Zhob Militia, 2nd Mahsud Scouts, Pishin Scouts, Sibi Scouts, Chagai Militia and Kalat Scouts were placed under them. A year later in 1975, Gilgit Scouts was placed under the Force Commander Northern Areas.

In the North Western Frontier region of Punjab, the first native militia was raised in 1878, the Khyber Rifles, composed of tribesmen. Khyber Rifles initially had a strength of 400 men on foot and 48 mounted on horses. Later it increased to 550 in 1881, with Sardar Aslam Khan Saddozai in command. He in turn, was under command of the political officer of Khyber, who for almost eighteen years was Colonel Warburton.

In 1892-93 Captain Roos-Keppel formed the Kurram Militia composed entirely of the local Turi tribe. On raising, Turi Militia had a strength of 880 men in infantry role, 52 as mounted infantry; with two British officers. On raising in 1902, Kurram Militia had thirteen companies having a strength of 1332 infantry soldiers, 53 men in the role of mounted infantry with four British officers in command. It was divided into two wings - right and left. In the same period, the Gilgit Scouts were raised by Colonel Algernon Durand, for Gilgit Agency. Similarly in 1900, two militias were raised in Waziristan, one as North Waziristan Militia (NWM) and the other as South Waziristan Militia (SWM). Collectively they all were known as the Frontier Irregular Corps.

North Waziristan Militia and South Waziristan Militia were raised as a consequence of Lord Curzon’s frontier policy, in which regular units were intended to be pulled back from Waziristan into the settled districts, and responsibility for law and order was entrusted to the militia. In the same context, the North West Frontier Province was formed in 1901 from five districts under the Punjab Government, namely Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Hazara and Derajat (Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Dera Ghulam Khan). There were five agencies apart from these districts, namely North Waziristan also known as Tochi Agency, South Waziristan also known as Wana Agency, Kurram, Khyber and Chitral (Dir & Swat). Before the raising of the new province, the agencies were dependent upon the Punjab Government for finances, and also on the Frontier Office of the Foreign Department of the Government of India, which had its capital at Calcutta.

North Waziristan Militia was raised at Idak on 1st June 1900 with 487 foot soldiers and thirty mounted infantry. There were three British officers, Lieutenant Finnis, Lieutenant Godwin and the Commandant, Captain Ferguson Davie. By end of the year, the strength rose to 679 all ranks. The militia was organized on the pattern of a regular native infantry regiment. NWM establishment had a similar authorisation of manpower and horses. The NWM had 800 foot sepoys and 50 mounted infantry sowars as part of the establishment, but it took almost a year before this strength was achieved.

Mounted Infantry

Mounted Infantry strength varied, but sowars were usually ten less than the horses. One veterinary assistant surgeon and one compounder were part of the outfit. It had four sections, for example in case of Kurram Militia, three sections of Turi and one section comprising Sunnis. Sowars were armed with rifles and fifty rounds of ammunition, but these soldiers were not allowed to carry bayonets. The viceroy commissioned officer (VCO) had a pistol with 24 rounds of ammunition. The ferrier was also authorised a rifle with fifty rounds, but signallers were ordered not to carry any rifle or bayonet. Enlistment in the mounted infantry was voluntary, and open to all classes. The commandant himself used to select the men. All interested men were required to have completed their basic infantry training before being considered for the mounted infantry, to be a first class shot, physically fit, and above all not to have more than five years of service at the time of induction in this elite category of militia. Training was spread over three months of equitation and horsemanship; leave was not granted other than on emergency grounds to the riders during training. Promotion within MI was on the basis of tribe, and a junior could cross over a senior of his tribe if the senior were not good enough. Their pay was better than the regular infantry and so were the leave privileges. The militia was working on silladari system.

Mounted infantry would fight like any other infantry, by getting dismounted and firing under cover. They were an ideal outfit. In NWM, it was the idea of Captain Dave Fergusson, who insisted on having them because of their inherent speed. The trooper had to be an excellent rider, be able to fire while galloping, and be able to ride the horse between Miran Shah and Idak. Horses were hardy and mountain-bred, normally of 14.1 hands, and provided by the government, in the sense that the commandant paid for them. Thus the best ones were bought from the fairs of Dera Ismail Khan. Occasionally, Afghan or Central Asian horse traders also brought in the heavenly horses from Ferghana. Almost every officer had his own horse, rather two, and officers playing polo had several. The horse was the property of the sowar. A deduction in pay was done against the price of the horse, but in return the soldier would take it to his home on leave, and the militia paid an extra amount to the soldier for the horse’s maintenance. If the horse died of negligence, the soldier has to replace it. On completion of service it was the soldier’s to take home. Thus mounted infantry was the most elite among the militia. To survive in the mounted infantry required something extra, even within the militia.

The MI never charged an enemy, which in any case was rare because tribal lashkars seldom fought on a plain area, never presenting a concentrated target. It was shooting at long ranges, and closing the gap, which finally ended up in hand to hand combat. In modern terms, MI were a quick reaction force.

The induction of the ferrier also has a background. In the initial days he was not part of the establishment, the practice in militia being to enrol a ferrier as a soldier, who would perform the duty of ferrier rather than that of a soldier. Captain Fergusson of NWM highlighted that whereas the pay of a soldier with all his allowances was Rupees 20, if a ferrier were enrolled he would be paid rupees 16 only, thus it reduced government expenditure. On the other hand, a soldier employed as ferrier was a loss to the state and militia.

MI was directly under the command of the commandant. They had the same dress as the infantry element, except that they were allowed to wear Jodhpur breeches on ceremonial, and in riding school. In MI, the risaldar was the commander with a jemadar as troop commander.

1948 – The End of Mounted Infantry

On independence, Kurram Militia had a strength of 1632 men in infantry role, 64 as mounted infantry and six officers. In MI there was one platoon of Turi and others, it had four sections. Companies were commanded by subedars (1st grade) with another subedar (2nd grade) as second in command. Platoons were commanded by jemadars. From 1948 onwards, the MI was disbanded in Tochi Scouts, and a squadron of armoured cars was placed under command, stationed at Mir Ali.

At present only Chitral Scouts has mounted infantry9, their stables are at Drosh Qila. During a visit and stay at Chitral Scouts, the scribe found two old leather bags and assorted equipment relating to MI.

‘‘Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance’’ (Confucius)