Bombay Army

The Bombay Army was the army of the Bombay Presidency, one of the three presidencies of the British India within the British Empire.

The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company 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 British Crown.

In 1895 all three presidency armies were merged into the Indian Army.

History
The Bombay Army originates from its European Regiment which was formed from independent companies in 1662. The Bombay Army was heavily involved in the defeat of Tipu Sultan of Mysore in 1799 and also took part in later campaigns such as the First Anglo-Afghan War between 1839 and 1842. Only two Bombay Army battalions rebelled during the Indian Mutiny.

In 1895 the three separate Presidency Armies were abolished and the Army of India was divided into four commands, each commanded by a lieutenant-general. These comprised Madras (including Burma), Punjab (including the North West Frontier), Bengal and Bombay (including Aden).

Composition
Prestigious units of the Bombay Army include the Bombay Grenadiers (now called the Grenadiers) raised in 1784 from grenadier companies of existing regiments, and the Maratha Light Infantry.

Commanders in Chief
Commanders-in-Chief included: Commander-in-Chief, Bombay Army Commander-in-Chief, Bombay Command
 * Brigadier-General Lawrence Nilson (1785-1788)
 * Major-General William Medows (1788-1790)
 * Major-General Robert Abercromby (1790-1793)
 * Major-General James Balfour Commanding (1794-1797)
 * Major-General James Stuart (1797-1800)
 * Major-General Robert Nicholson Commanding (1800-1801)
 * Major-General Oliver Nicolls (1801-1808)
 * Major-General J. Belasis Commanding
 * Major-General R. Jones Commanding
 * Lieutenant-General John Abercromby (1809-1813)
 * Major-General W. Wilkinson Commanding (1813-1815)
 * Major-General C. Boye Commanding (1815-1816)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Nightingall (1816-1819)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Colville (1819-1826)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Bradford (1826-1829)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Beckwith (1829-1832)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Colin Halkett (1832-1834)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir John Keane (1834-1840)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas McMahon (1840-1847)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Willoughby Cotton (1847-1850)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir John Grey (1850-1852)
 * Lieutenant-General Lord Frederick FitzClarence (1852-1854)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Somerset (1855-1860)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Hugh Rose (1860)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir William Mansfield (1860-1865)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Napier (1865-1869)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Augustus Spencer (1869-1874)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Staveley (1874-1878)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Warre (1878-1881)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Hardinge (1881-1886)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Arbuthnot (1886)
 * Lieutenant-General The Duke of Connaught (1886-1890)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir George Greaves (1890-1893)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir John Hudson (1893)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Nairne (1893-1895)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Nairne (1895-1898)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Low (1898-1903)
 * Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Hunter (1903-1907)