13th Madras Native Infantry

The 13th Madras Native Infantry was an infantry battalion under the British East India Company, which existed from the year 1759 to 1922. It was under the Madras Native Infantry of the Madras Army, before the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. The army regiment was also included as a part of the Madras Command. The Madras Army was the armed forces of Madras Presidency and was founded with the intention of protecting the commercial interests of the British East India Company. It was one of the 3 main Presidency Armies in British India. The British Empire took charge of the British East India Company and the 3 British Presidency Armies, including the Bombay Army, the Madras Army and the Bengal Army, when the Government of India Act 1858 was authorized after the Indian Mutiny in the year 1857. Later the 13th Madras Native Infantry was renamed as the 73rd Carnatic Infantry regiment.

History of 13th Madras Native Infantry
The British Indian regiment was formed in the year 1776 as the 13th Carnatic Battalion by the Honourable British East India Company. The battalion consisted of army personnel from the 4th Carnatic Battalion, 7th Carnatic Battalion and the 11th Carnatic Battalion.

Military Operations of 13th Madras Native Infantry
The 13th Madras Native Infantry first fought in the Battle of Seringapatam and the Battle of Sholinghur in the Second Mysore War in the year 1781. The regiment did not participate in any battles or campaigns for the next 100 years. Eventually the troops took part in the Third Anglo Burmese War in the year 1885. The army battalion served during the First World War and primarily remained in British India. It was merged with the 9th (Secunderabad) Division and performed duties of training and internal security.

Development of 13th Madras Native Infantry
After the culmination of the First World War, the British Government of India re-grouped and re-organised the British army in India. The separate single battalion infantry regiments were united together to create multi battalion regiments. In 1922, the 13th Madras Native Infantry was renamed as the 1st Battalion, 3rd Madras Regiment. The new army unit was eventually dissolved in the year 1947. After India acquired independence from the rule of the British Empire in India on 15th August 1947, the nation was divided by the Partition of India into 2 newly independent countries. As a result, the various regiments of the British Indian Army were divided amongst the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan.

The 13th Madras Native Infantry regiment was re-assigned to the modern Indian Army and was not disbanded. At present, the unit is renamed as the 1st Battalion, Mechanised Infantry Regiment of the Indian Army.

Designations of 13th Madras Native Infantry
The regiment, initially known as the 13th Carnatic Battalion regiment of the British Indian Army, held a number of designations through out its service during the restructuring of the army, like all the other regiments. These are listed as follows -
* 13th Carnatic Battalion (1776)
* 13th Madras Battalion (1784)
* 2nd Battalion, 3rd Madras Native Infantry (1796)
* 13th Madras Native Infantry (1824)
* 13th Madras Infantry (1885)
* 73rd Carnatic Infantry (1903)
* 1st Battalion, 3rd Madras Regiment (1922)
* 1st Battalion, The Madras Regiment (1947)
* 1st Battalion, The Mechanised Infantry Regiment (1979)