Raised at Sialkot on January 21, 1901 as 47th Sikh Regiment of Bengal Infantry, it was re-designated as 47th Sikh in 1903 within four years of its raising. It saw the first action during the Boxer Devolution in North China where it served from 1905-1906. When World War I broke out, the battalion was among the first Indian Army units that were sent to France. On October 28, 1914, five days after its arrival in France, 280 men of the battalion charged across 800 yards of open fields in broad daylight and captured the German-held village of Neuve Chapelle.Out of these 280 braves, only 68 survived. For this action, the battalion earned its first battle honour, La Bassee, and was specially mentioned in the British Parliament also. During this war, the battalion earned 16 battle honours while fighting in France, Mesopotamia and Palestine. It also earned one Companion of Bath, two Crosses of St. Michael and St. George, 12 Military Crosses, two OBIs, 24 IOMs, 38 IDSMs, 31 MSMs and 48 Mentioned-in-Despatches, besides being honured with the title Duke of Connaught’s Own.

At the start of World War II, the battalion distinguished itself in Waziristan earning one DSO, two Military Crosses, two IOMs, four IDSMs and seven Mentioned-in-Despatches. In May 1941, the battalion moved to Malaya. Throughout this short campaign the battalion fought a magnificent rearguard action against the Japanese till a surrender by the Allied Forces at Singapore in February 1942. The battalion earned two more battle honours in this war besides one Victoria Cross, one Bar to DSO, one DSO, three IOMs and three IDSMs. With a view to continue the fine traditions of Sikhs, it was redesignated as 5th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment in March 1960 during its tenure at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

During the 1965 Indo-Pak war, the battalion was deployed in counter-insurgency role in Nagaland where it earned one Ashoka Chakra. In 1971, the battalion fought the battle at Chhamb where it beat back five successive enemy attacks over three days. The battalion earned threatre honours besides two Maha Vir Chakra, two Vir Chakra and three Mentioned-in-Despatches.

In the last decade, the battalion has achieved success in counter-insurgency operation Rakshak earning one Shaurya Chakra, two Sena Medals, two Mentioned-in-Despatches, four Chief of Army Staff and eight GOC-in-C Commendation Cards.