Nair Brigade
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The Nair Brigade was the army of the erstwhile kingdom of Travancore in India. Nair is a community in the region, who were responsible for the security of Travancore. King Marthanda Varma's(1706 - 1758) personal bodyguard was called as '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 in to this brigade. Later, the unit was expanded and several sub units were formed. The name - Nair Brigade, remained unchanged, even though Non Nairs were also admitted in to this brigade. 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 in 1741 - Battle of Colachel and captured the Dutch commander Captain Eustachius De Lannoy. 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 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.[1] The Travancore Army was considered as 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.[2] With the integration of the State with 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 as 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.[3]
- 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, with the integration of Travancore Army with the Indian Forces.
- The first batch of State Forces of Cochin Kingdom was 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 in his army.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Army of Travancore. REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS COMMITTEE 1958. Government of Kerala. Retrieved on February 19, 2007.
- ^ Army Units of Travancore. REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS COMMITTEE 1958. Government of Kerala. Retrieved on February 19, 2007.
- ^ "Vattiyoorkavu chronicle", About Vattiyoorkavu, The Hindu, 2004-09-27. Retrieved on February 19, 2007.
