The Madras Army was the armed forces of Madras Presidency and one of the 3 major Presidency Armies in British India. The British Presidency Armies belonged to the British East India Company until the Great Revolt of 1857, also known as Sepoy Mutiny. Later the British Empire took control over the British East India Company and the three Presidency Armies, namely the Bengal Army, the Madras Army and the Bombay Army. In the year 1895, the 3 separate presidency armies were united to form the combined British Indian Army. The Government of India Act 1858, which was authorized after the Sepoy Mutiny in the year 1857, transferred the direct authority of the 3 Presidency Armies to the British Empire in India. Later in the year 1903, the 3 Presidency Armies in British India were amalgamated in order to form the unified British Indian Army.

History of Madras Army
The Army of Madras Presidency was established with the purpose of protecting the commercial interests of the British East India Company. After the attack of the French and the seizure of Madras (now Chennai) in the year 1746, the British administration became determined to form trained military units in 1757. The armed force conducted various operations, captured territory and coerced allegiance from the native rulers. Later the separate military units were merged to form battalions and Indian officers commanded the local troops. In 1760, the troops participated in the battle of Wandiwash.

During the 1830s, the Madras Army evolved into a professional armed military force. The Government of the province of Madras primarily used the battalion for internal security campaigns and other administrative operations. The army was developed for the defence of the state against internal and external enemies.

Development of Madras Army
The Madras Army remained nearly unchanged even after the Great Revolt of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857. Unlike the participation of the cavalry and infantry regiments of the Bengal Army in the rebellion, all of the 52 regiments of Madras Native Infantry maintained loyalty to the British East India Company. The regiments were later reassigned to the new British Indian Army after the East India Company was replaced by the British Empire in India. However, the Madras Artillery batteries and few regiments of the Madras Light Cavalry were disbanded during the restructuring of the 3 British Presidency Armies.

The Madras Fusiliers regiment, which was founded by the British East India Company for service in British India, was reassigned to the regular British Army. Later the Madras Army served in the 2nd China War during 1857 and 1860, the 3rd Burma War from 1885 to 1887, conquest in Egypt in 1882 and the 1st Sudan War from the year 1884 to 1885.

Dissolution of Madras Army
The 3 major Presidency Armies in British India were removed in the year 1895 and the British Indian Army was segregated into 4 commands, which were led by a Lieutenant General. These contained Madras with Burma, Punjab with the North West Frontier, Bombay and Bengal including Aden. Although the Army of Madras Province existed as a distinctive unit till 1895, 12 regiments of the Madras Native Infantry were dissolved during 1862 and 1864. Moreover, 8 regiments were disbanded in the year 1882, 3 more regiments were dismissed between 1902 and 1904, 2 regiments in the year 1907 and another 4 regiments in 1922. The rest of the regiments of the Madras Native Infantry were disbanded between 1923 and 1933.

As a result, only the Madras Sappers and Miners were left in the British Indian Army, until the new Madras Regiment was established in the year 1942 for service in the Second World War. Both of the units exist in the present Indian Army.

Units of Madras Army
The Madras Army of British India consisted of several types of units including Cavalry, Artillery, Engineering, Infantry and others. These are discussed as follows-

Madras Native Infantry
* 1st Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 2nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 3rd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry Palamcottah Light Infantry
* 4th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 5th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 6th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 7th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 8th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 9th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 10th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 11th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 12th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 13th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 14th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 16th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 17th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 18th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 19th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 20th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 21st Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 22nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 23rd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry Wallajahbad Light infantry
* 24th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 25th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 26th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 27th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 28th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 29th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 30th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 31st Regiment of Madras Native Infantry Trichinopoly Light Infantry
* 32nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 33rd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 34th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry Chicacole Light Infantry
* 35th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 36th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 37th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 38th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 39th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 40th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 41st Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 42nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 43rd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 44th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 45th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 46th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 47th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 48th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 49th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* 50th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
* Madras Rifle Corps

Madras European Infantry
* 1st Madras (European) Fusiliers
* 2nd Madras (European) Light Infantry
* 3rd Madras (European) Infantry

Madras Light Cavalry
* 1st Madras Light Cavalry
* 2nd Madras Light Cavalry
* 3rd Madras Light Cavalry
* 4th Madras Light Cavalry
* 5th Madras Light Cavalry
* 6th Madras Light Cavalry
* 7th Madras Light Cavalry
* 8th Madras Light Cavalry

Artillery of Madras Army
* Madras Native Foot Artillery Golundauze Battalion
* Madras European Foot Artillery
* Madras Horse Artillery

Engineers of Madras Army
* Corps of Madras Sappers and Miners

Commanders of Madras Army
The Commanders of the Fort St George Garrison of the Army of Madras Presidency are listed as follows-
* Lieutenant Jermin (1640 to 1649)
* Lieutenant Richard Minors (1649 to 1651)
* Captain James Martin (1651 to 1654)
* Lieutenant Richard Minors (1654 to 1655)
* Sergeant Thomas Sutton (1655 to 1658)
* Captain Roger Middleton (1658 to 1660)
* Lieutenant William Hull (1660)
* Captain Thomas Axtell (1661 to 1664)
* Lieutenant Francis Chuseman (1664 to 1668)
* Lieutenant Timothy Sutton (1668 to 1673)
* Captain Philip O` Neale (1673 to 1680)
* Captain James Bett (1680 to 1692)
* Captain Francis Seaton (1692 to 1707)
* Captain Gabriel Poirier (1707 to 1716)
* Major John Roach (1716 to 1719)
* Captain Alexander Fullerton (1719 to 1723)
* Captain Alexander Sutherland (1723 to 1724)
* Major John Roach (1724 to 1729)
* Major David Wilson (1729 to 1738)
* Captain Peter Eckman (1738 to 1743)
* Major Charles Knipe (1743)
* Captain Peter Eckman (1743 to 1746)