The President's Bodyguard (PBG) is an elite household cavalry regiment of the Indian Army. It is the senior-most regiment in the order of precedence of the units of the Indian Army. The primary role of the President's Bodyguard is to escort and protect the President of India which is why the regiment is based in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, India. It is equipped as a mounted unit, with horses for ceremonies at the presidential palace and BTR-80 vehicles for use in combat. The personnel of the regiment are also trained as paratroopers and nominally are expected to lead in airborne assaults in the role of pathfinders. The regiment is the successor of the Governor General's Bodyguard of the British Raj. History The first bodyguard to be raised in India was in 1773 when European troops, already recruited into the East India Company's service as infantry, were earmarked for the role. Since the army of the East India Company had no cavalry of any kind at that point of time, two troops of dragoons and one troop of hussars were raised - the latter becoming the personal bodyguard of the Governor-General. These were however disbanded in the reorganisation of the army by Robert Clive after his return to India in 1765. By 1772, the Company did not have a single cavalryman in service. President's Bodyguard (PBG) is the oldest surviving mounted unit and the senior most regiment of the Indian Army. It was raised by Governor-General Warren Hastings in September 1773. Hastings handpicked 50 troopers from the Moghal Horse, a unit which was raised in 1760 by local sirdars. In the same year, the Raja, Cheyt Singh of Benares (now Varanasi) provided another 50 troopers, that took the strength of the unit to 100. The first commander of the unit was Captain Sweeny Toone, an officer of the East India Company, who had Lieutenant Samuel Black as his subaltern. The establishment of the unit was as follows: 1 Captain 1 Lieutenant 4 Sergeants 6 Daffadars 100 troopers 2 Trumpeters 1 Farrier The Bodyguard was the only corps of cavalry in the Bengal Presidency until 1777 when two regiments of cavalry were transferred to the Company by the Nawab of Oudh. Both the regiments were raised in 1776. Name The name of the regiment has changed throughout its history: Strength and ethnic composition The strength of this regiment has varied