Madras Native Infantry

The Madras Regiment was the first unit raised by the East India Company.

Chronology

1748 Madras Levies raised by Major Stringer Lawrence for the defence of Cuddalore
1758 two Madras Battalions under British officers formed by Robert Clive to reorganise the 3,000 men with Indian officers in the Madras Presidency Army
1759 four more battalions formed
1767 total strength 19 battalions known as Coast Sepoys. Each battalion consisted of 10 companies with 15 non-commissioned officers and 100 rank and file each - about 22,000 fighting men.
1769 the battalions became 13 Carnatic Battalions in the north and 6 Circar Battalions in the south of the Presidency
1784 all became Madras Battalions with the Carnatic having precedence.
1796 Madras Infantry established consisting of 11 regiments of two battalions each.
1824 reversion to 50 single battalion regiments rising to 52 in 1826.
1857 no Madras regiments mutinied.
1882 downsizing in preceding years brought the number of regiments down to 32 each with 8 companies of 90 other ranks.
1890 from this year until 1903 17 Madras regiments were converted to Punjab or Gorkha regiments
1895 the Presidency armies were abolished and the official British Indian Army created.