The Madras Rifle Corps was a light infantry

Light infantry

Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...

 battalion

Battalion

A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

 in the service of the Honourable East India Company.

History

The battalion was established in the Madras Presidency

Madras Presidency

The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...

 of the HEIC on 10 February 1810 as the Madras Volunteer Battalion. Captain W. Munro, formerly of the 15th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry, was appointed to command of the battalion.

The authorised strength of the battalion at establishment was:

Europeans: 1 Captain Commandant, 3 Captains

Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)

Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...

, 10 Lieutenants, 5 Ensigns, 1 Adjutant

Adjutant

Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...

, 1 Surgeon, 1 Assistant Surgeon, 1 Sergeant Major, 1 Quartermaster Sergeant

Natives: 10 Subedar

Subedar

Subedar is a historical rank in the Indian Army, ranking below British commissioned officers and above non-commissioned officers. The rank was otherwise equivalent to a British lieutenant and was introduced in the East India Company's presidency armies, to make it easier for British officers to...

s, 10 Jemadar

Jemadar

Jemadar was a rank used in the British Indian Army, where it was the lowest rank for a Viceroy's Commissioned Officer . Jemadars either commanded platoons or troops themselves or assisted their British commander...

s, 50 Havildar

Havildar

Havildar ) was the Military 'In Charge' of a Fort during the times of Maratha Empire. In the British Indian Army it was equivalent rank to Sergeant, next above Naik, and is still used in the modern Indian Army and Pakistan Army. The cavalry equivalent is Daffadar...

s, 50 Naiks

Naik (military rank)

Naik is the equivalent rank to Corporal in the Indian Army and Pakistan Army, and previously in the British Indian Army and the Camel Corps, ranking between Lance Naik and Havildar. In cavalry units the equivalent is Lance Daffadar. Like a British Corporal, a Naik wears two rank chevrons....

, 900 Sepoy

Sepoy

A sepoy was formerly the designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power. In the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army it remains in use for the rank of private soldier.-Etymology and Historical usage:...

s, 20 Drummers and Fifers, 12 Puckallies.

The battalion was renamed the Madras Rifle Corps in March 1814 and equipped with the Baker rifle

Baker rifle

The Baker rifle was a flintlock rifle used by the Rifle regiments of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. It was the first standard-issue, British-made rifle accepted by the British armed forces....

. The battalion was highly distinguished in the Mahratta War of 1817-18.

In 1830, the battalion was broken up and individual rifle companies were attached to 1st, 5th, 16th, 24th, 26th, 36th, 38th and 49th regiments of Madras infantry. The separate rifle companies survived until 1869 when there were abolished.