Nair Brigade
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The Nair Brigade was the army of the erstwhile kingdom of Travancore in India. Nair is a Warrior Kshtriya community in the region which was responsible for the security of Travancore and other local kingdoms. King Marthanda Varma'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 Nairs 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 (Trivandrum).
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[edit] History
The army of Travancore was modernised by Marthanda Varma, who is known as the "the maker of modern Travancore". He defeated the Dutch Army with the Nair Brigade in 1741 at the Battle of Colachel and captured the Dutch commander Captain Eustachius De Lannoy.[1] Marthanda Varma agreed to spare the Dutch captain's life on condition that he joined his army and trained his soldiers on modern lines.[2] 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 of Mysore in A.D. 1791 near the Nedumkotta.
The Travancore army was reorganised as the Travancore Nair Brigade in 1818.[3] 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.[4] With the integration of the State into the Indian Union, the Nair Brigade was integrated into the Indian Army as the 9th Battalion of the Madras Regiment in 1954, and it recently celebrated its tercentenary.
[edit] 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 Sasthamangalam and Vattiyoorkavu, built an impressive mosque in Vattiyoorkavu.[5]
- 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 by Kerala Varma and allowed non-Nairs also to be admitted into his army.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ 9 Madras : A Tale of ‘Terrors’. Sainik Samachar. The journal of India's Armed Forces. Retrieved on 2007-04-20.
- ^ Battle of Colachal. Sainik Samachar. The journal of India's Armed Forces. Retrieved on 2007-04-20.
- ^ Army of Travancore. REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS COMMITTEE 1958. Government of Kerala. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
- ^ Army Units of Travancore. REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS COMMITTEE 1958. Government of Kerala. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
- ^ "Vattiyoorkavu chronicle", About Vattiyoorkavu, The Hindu, 2004-09-27. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
