Nair Brigade
Encyclopedia
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
s were a warrior community in the region which was responsible for the security of Travancore and other local kingdoms. King Marthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma , was the founder of the Indian Hindu feudal kingdom of Travancore from Venad SwaroopamHe ruled from 1729 till his death in 1758, having succeeded his maternal uncle Dharma Raja.King Marthanda Varma is usually credited as the "founder of Kingdom of Travancore" from...
's (1706–1758) personal bodyguard was called 'Thiruvithamkoor Nair Pattalam' (Travancore Nair Army). The Travancore army was officially referred as the Travancore Nair Brigade in 1818. In the early days, only Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
s were admitted into this brigade. Later, the unit was expanded and several sub units were formed. The name Nair Brigade remained unchanged, even following the admittance of non-Nairs. The army was involved in many services during peace time. The Headquarters of the brigade was in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
(Trivandrum).
History
The army of Travancore was modernised by Marthanda VarmaMarthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma , was the founder of the Indian Hindu feudal kingdom of Travancore from Venad SwaroopamHe ruled from 1729 till his death in 1758, having succeeded his maternal uncle Dharma Raja.King Marthanda Varma is usually credited as the "founder of Kingdom of Travancore" from...
, who is known as "the maker of modern Travancore". He defeated the Dutch Army with the Nair Brigade in 1741 at the Battle of Colachel
Battle of Colachel
The Battle of Colachel was fought on between forces of the Indian kingdom of Travancore and the Dutch East India Company, during the Travancore-Dutch War...
and captured the Dutch commander Captain Eustachius De Lannoy
Eustachius De Lannoy
Eustachius Benedictus de Lannoy was a Flemish naval commander of the Dutch East India Company, who was sent by the company to help establish a trading post at Colachel, Southern India, but was defeated at the Battle of Colachel by...
.
Marthanda Varma agreed to spare the Dutch captain's life on condition that he joined his army and trained his soldiers on modern lines. Marthanda Varma continued his expansion with this army and annexed all the princely states right up to Kochi in 1746. The Nair Brigade succeeded in defending against the invading army of Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
of Mysore in A.D. 1791 near the Nedumkotta
Nedumkotta
Nedumkotta or Travancore lines was a wall built as a protection against consistent invasion and threats from northern kingdoms mainly Zamorins of Kozhikode...
. Tippu Sultan had lost his sword in a war with the Nairs of Travancore. The Nair army under the leadership of Raja Kesavadas defeated the Mysore army near Aluva. The Maharaja, Dharma Raja, gifted the famous sword to the Nawab of Arcot, from where the sword went to London. The sword was on display at the Wallace Collection, No. 1 Manchester Square, London.
The Travancore army was reorganised as the Travancore Nair Brigade in 1818. The Travancore Army was considered a part of the Indian State Forces from 1935. The units were known as the First, Second and Third Travancore infantry. The State Forces consisted of infantry units, the State Forces Artillery, the Travancore Training Centre, the Sudarsan Guards and the State Forces Band. With the integration of the State into the Indian Union, the Nair Brigade was integrated into the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
as the 9th Battalion Madras Regiment
9th Battalion Madras Regiment
The 9th battalion of the Madras Regiment has completed 300 years in Indian service. The battalion was raised in 1704 at Padmanabhapuram in Kalkulam taluk of Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. Padmanabhapuram was the erstwhile capital of Travancore State...
(1st travancore) and the 16th Battalion of the Madras Regiment(2nd travancore) in 1954.
Other Interesting Facts
- The area where the Travancore Brigade was settled came to be called Palayam, which means army settlement. The area is still called so, even though it has changed to a market.
- The Muslim Cavalry soldiers of the Nair Brigade of Travancore, who had settled in SasthamangalamSasthamangalamSasthamangalam is a place in the city of Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala, India. It is just 6 km from the Central Railway Station, and is a popular residential area in Thiruvananthapuram city....
and VattiyoorkavuVattiyoorkavuVattiyoorkavu is located in the north-eastern side of Thiruvananthapuram city, Kerala, India. River Killi flows through this area....
, built an impressive mosque in VattiyoorkavuVattiyoorkavuVattiyoorkavu is located in the north-eastern side of Thiruvananthapuram city, Kerala, India. River Killi flows through this area....
.
- The famous Pazhavangadi Ganapathi Temple in Thiruvananthapuram was owned and maintained by the Travancore Brigade. This temple is now owned and maintained by the Indian Army, after the integration of Travancore Army with the Indian Forces.
- The first group of State Forces of Cochin Kingdom was also called as the Nair Brigade in 1940. The Brigade's name was changed in 1945 to Cochin State Forces by Kerala Varma and allowed non-Nairs also to be admitted into his army.
Strength
The Nair Army of Travancore was very strong during 1700s and 1800s. They defeated Dutch Army in Battle of Colechal and was the strong force in the region. Later, with the strengthening of English East India Company, and with Travancore signing the treaty with British government for handing over the defence to British Army, Nair Brigade count was reduced. British Army was responsible for the country defense since this treaty.The total strength of Travancore Nair Army as of 1945 was 4,082 men, of which 84 were officers and 132 were JCOs. A part of this force (those within medical categorization 'A') were absorbed in to the Indian Army (Travancore - Cochin unified forces), while the remaining forces were disbanded. After the unification of Travancore and Cochin forces, Trivandrum was declared as the headquarters of the unified command. Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
V.N. Parameswaran Pillai
V.N. Parameswaran Pillai
Maj Gen V.N. Parameswaran Pillai OBE was the last GOC of the Travancore Nair Army. He took command in 1945 and oversaw the partial absorption of the Travancore Army in to the Indian Army. He was allowed to retire in 1949, when the unified Travancore-Cochin forces were disbanded...
, the GOC of the Travancore Nair army became the commandant of the unified forces. The unified force was divided in to five infantry battalions (Travancore - I, II, III and IV, Cochin I). The unification took place under Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
V.N. Parameswaran Pillai
V.N. Parameswaran Pillai
Maj Gen V.N. Parameswaran Pillai OBE was the last GOC of the Travancore Nair Army. He took command in 1945 and oversaw the partial absorption of the Travancore Army in to the Indian Army. He was allowed to retire in 1949, when the unified Travancore-Cochin forces were disbanded...
of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
and Lt Col G.S. Subbiah of Cochin on 20 May 1949. Finally the forces unified Travancore-Cochin forces were either disbanded or absorbed in to the Indian Army and Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
V.N. Parameswaran Pillai
V.N. Parameswaran Pillai
Maj Gen V.N. Parameswaran Pillai OBE was the last GOC of the Travancore Nair Army. He took command in 1945 and oversaw the partial absorption of the Travancore Army in to the Indian Army. He was allowed to retire in 1949, when the unified Travancore-Cochin forces were disbanded...
was allowed to retire.
See also
- History of ThiruvananthapuramHistory of ThiruvananthapuramThiruvananthapuram city and several other places in the district occupy an important place in ancient tradition, folklores and literature of the State...
- Battle of ColachelBattle of ColachelThe Battle of Colachel was fought on between forces of the Indian kingdom of Travancore and the Dutch East India Company, during the Travancore-Dutch War...
- 9th Battalion Madrass regiment