Madras Regiment

The Madras Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, and one of its oldest, tracing its origins to units formed in the 1750s. The regiment has been through many campaigns with both the British Indian Army and the post-independence Indian Army.

The town of Madras was founded in 1639 and the first Fort Saint George in 1644, but the military history of the Presidency does not commence until more than a century later. In August 1758 they were formed into regular companies of 100 men each with a due proportion of Indian officers, havildars, naiks  etc. and in December of that year the first two battalions were formed with a European subaltern to each company and a captain the command the whole. (These officers were mostly seconded from the King’s service with a step in rank. They were of a better class, better educated and above all had far more military experience than the company’s officers).

The Madras Regiment was initially formed as the Madras European Regiment in the 1660s by the East India Company as the second company established in India. However, it was formed as a battalion in 1748 under the command of Major Stringer Lawrence. The battalion was involved in all the battles against the French forces in India. Lawrence structured the regiment to include two battalions, one European and one Sepoy (Indian). Both battalions were similar in structure and included seven companies each, with each company including three officers in command and seventy privates. Also part of the companies were four sergeants and corporals and three drummers.

The oldest Battalion in the Madras Regiment (and the Indian Army) was the 9th Battalion, formerly known as the Nair Brigade (Nayar Pattalam, “Nair Army”). This militia was raised in 1704 at Padmanabhapuram as body guards for the Maharajah of Travancore, and were active in the Battle of Colachel in defeating the Dutch forces. The army was made up of soldiers from Nair warrior clans, however after the 1940s, non-Nairs were permitted to join. The “Nayar Army” became incorporated into the Indian Army on April 1951.