Madras Native Infantry

From FIBIwiki
Revision as of 17:57, 15 March 2010 by Symorsebrown (talk | contribs) (Amend chronology)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

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.

External Links

Historical Books Online

Other