Home > Indian History > History of India > Madras Regiment
Madras Regiment
Madras Regiment was one of the earliest regiments that were raised by the Honourable British East India Company, which served from the year 1758 to 1946.

Share this Article:

Madras Regiment, Madras ArmyThe Madras Regiment was one of the earliest regiments that were raised by the Honourable British East India Company during the 1750s. The regiment remained in service from the year 1758 to 1946 as a part of the Army of the Madras province, before the beginning of the Sepoy Mutiny, also known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After the Indian independence it was included in the modern Indian Army. The Madras Army was the armed forces of Madras Presidency and was established with the purpose of protecting the commercial interests of the British East India Company. It was amongst the 3 main Presidency Armies in British India. Subsequently 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.

The Madras Regiment was a line infantry regiment that has took part in several campaigns. The army unit included around 19 battalions and the regimental centre was established at Wellington, Tamil Nadu.

History of Madras Regiment
The Madras Regiment was originally developed during the 1660s as the Madras European Regiment by the British East India Company as the 2nd company in British India. Later in 1748, the unit was developed as a battalion and Major Stringer Lawrence acted as the commanding officer. It actively participated in the battles against the armed forces of the French administration in India. Major Lawrence integrated the military unit to incorporate 2 battalions, one Sepoy (Indian) and one European. Both the battalions had almost the same structure and each comprised of 7 companies, with each company consisting of 3 officials in command and 70 common soldiers. The companies also included 3 drummers, 4 sergeants and corporals.

The 9th Battalion, also known as Nair Brigade, was the earliest unit in the Madras Regiment. The battalion was formed as guards for the Maharajah of Travancore state at Padmanabhapuram in the year 1704. The regiment took part in the Battle of Colachel and defeated the Dutch armed forces. The troop comprised of soldiers from Nair warrior tribe, but later non-Nair soldiers were also recruited after the 1940s. On April 1951, the Nair Brigade or the Nayar Army was included into the modern Indian Army. In the year 1748, Major Stringer Lawrence was appointed by the English East India Company to supervise the defence of Cuddalore. He also trained civilians as soldiers but not as part of the regular British Indian Army. The Madras Levies were developed into companies and were later trained to rise as a disciplined fighting force. Lawrence formed the Madras Regiment in the year 1758 and merged the various companies of Madras Levies into 2 battalions. The regiment of 2 Madras was formed as 15 Carnatic Infantry at Thanjavur in 1776.

The army unit served in a number of military campaigns under the British Indian Army as well as the modern army of independent India. The regiment also fought in the Carnatic wars in southern India. The elephant crest represented its courage in the Battle of Assaye under Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington. Eventually the British administration annexed the Indian sub-continent with the support of the troops of the Madras Regiment.

After the Government of India Act 1858 was authorized following the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, the authority of the 3 Presidency Armies was transferred to the British Empire in India from the British East India Company. Consequently the British Empire took charge over the British East India Company and the 3 British Presidency Armies, namely the Madras Army, the Bengal Army and the Bombay Army. The British Government of India restructured the regiments of the British Indian army. Later the recruitment of troops was oriented to the north Indians of Punjab. Thus, the military strength of the Madras Regiment was reduced as the southern regions became comparatively passive.

Later during the Second World War, the regiment was re-established with new recruits and a draft of military personnel from the Madras Sappers. The newly formed Madras Regiment provided significant service during the battle in the campaign of Burma.

Development of Madras Regiment
When the nation achieved independence from the rule of the British Empire in India in the year 1947, the country was divided into the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan with the Partition of India. The British Indian Army was divided among the 2 newly formed countries. The infantry regiments of the Cochin and Mysore State forces and the Travancore Nair Brigade were merged to form the Madras Regiment, which was allocated to the modern Indian Army.

The units of the Madras Regiment took part in the Jammu and Kashmir Operations from 1947 to 1948, the Sino Indian Battle in 1962 and the Indo Pakistan Wars in the years 1965 and 1971. Moreover, almost 7 battalions of the regiment were deployed during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka from 1987 to 1989. The Madras Regiment also participated in a number of humanitarian aid operations and several UN Peacekeeping missions.

At present, the Madras Regiment includes 20 battalions and the 1st Battalion was renewed into the Mechanised Infantry Regiment. The regiment currently comprises of the following battalions-
* 2nd Battalion (formerly 75th Carnatic Infantry)
* 3rd Battalion (formerly 79th Carnatic Infantry)
* 4th Battalion (formerly 83rd Wallajahabad Light Infantry)
* 5th Battalion
* 6th Battalion
* 7th Battalion (Shandaar Saat Chamkte Rahe)
* 8th Battalion
* 9th Battalion Madras Regiment (formerly State Forces Unit)
* 10th Battalion
* 11th Battalion (formerly Territorial Battalion) - Double First
* 12th Battalion (formerly Territorial Battalion)
* 16th Battalion (formerly State Forces Unit)
* 17th Battalion (formerly State Forces Unit)
* 18th Battalion (formerly Mysore Infantry)
* 19th Battalion
* 20th Battalion
* 25th Battalion (formerly Garrison Battalion)
* 26th Battalion (formerly Garrison Battalion)
* 27th Battalion (formerly Garrison Battalion)
* 28th Battalion (formerly Coastal Defence Battalion)


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.