Skinner's Horse

[Ratch]

After the Anglo-Maratha War of 1803, James Skinner was dismissed from service by Daulat Rao Sindhia and was recruited by Lord Lake, who asked him to raise a regiment of ‘Irregular Cavalry’. On February 23, 1803, the regiment was raised at Hansi, Hatyana in the service of the East India Company. The initial contingent consisted of 800 men of Perron’s Horse, all of whom were old Muslims comrades of James Skinner. Skinner was one of a certain group of officers who had become British leaders of irregular cavalry that preserved the traditions of cavalry of the Mughal empire, which had a political purpose because it absorbed pockets of cavalrymen who might otherwise become disaffected plunderers. A second regiment of Indian Cavalry was raised by Colonel James Skinner in 1814, which became the Third Skinner’s Horse. 

[Shaughan]

Really good model. Must admit, although “skinners horse” did spark something in the old grey cells, I knew nothing else. Thank you for the history lesson!