Pugri badge, 2nd Regiment of Madras Lancers, 1886-1901

Silver badge with an open-work regimental numeral, '2', over crossed lances, within a garter inscribed with the regimental title, 'Madras Lancers', surmounted by an Imperial Crown, above a scroll inscribed with the battle honour, 'Seringapatam'.

The pugri or pagri is a form of headdress.

Many of the early native regiments could only be raised through the co-operation of local rulers, and the early history of the 2nd Madras Lancers is an example of that. The regiment was first added to the Madras Presidency Army in 1776 as the 3rd Regiment of Cavalry (Stevenson's), but was recruited from cavalrymen of the Army of the Nawab of Arcot, Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah. With the Nawab's permission, the Madras Army used the regiment to help defeat Hyder Ali during the 2nd Mysore War (1780-1784). The Mysore Wars earned the regiment the battle honours 'Sholinghur', 'Mysore', 'Carnatic' and 'Seringapatam' - the last stand of the mighty Tipu Sultan in 1799.

In 1784 it transferred to permanent British service as the 3rd Madras Native Cavalry but was confusingly re-numbered as the 1st Madras Native Cavalry in the same year, the 4th Madras Native Cavalry in 1786, and then the 2nd Madras Native Cavalry in 1788. This title remained in use until 1819 when they became the 2nd Madras Light Cavalry.

The 2nd Madras Light Cavalry saw little war service during the 19th century, and as with all of the Madras Army, remained loyal during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Its next conflict was the 3rd Burma War (1885-1887), for which it received the battle honour 'Burma 1885-87'. The following year it was re-titled as the 2nd Regiment of Madras Lancers. In 1901 it was re-titled as the 2nd Madras Lancers, and under the Kitchener Reforms implemented in 1903, it became the 27th Light Cavalry. The unit became the 16th Light Cavalry in 1922.

The battle honour, 'Seringapatam', acknowledges the regiment's service in the in the 4th Mysore War (1799).

From the Field Marshal Sir John Chapple Indian Army Collection.