The 15th Madras Native Infantry was chiefly an infantry battalion of the British East India Company, which existed from the year 1776 to 1922. It was a part of the Madras Native Infantry under the Army of the Madras province, before the beginning of the Sepoy Mutiny, also known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The Madras Army was the armed forces of Madras Presidency and was established with the purpose of protecting the commercial interests of the British East India Company. It was amongst the 3 main Presidency Armies in British India. The military regiment was also included as a part of the Madras Command. The Government of India Act 1858, which was authorized after the Sepoy Mutiny in the year 1857, transferred the authority of the 3 Presidency Armies from the British East India Company to the British Empire in India.
Subsequently the British Empire took control over the British East India Company and the three Presidency Armies, namely the Bengal Army, the Madras Army and the Bombay Army. The 15th Madras Native Infantry was also known as the 75th Carnatic Infantry.
History of 15th Madras Native Infantry
The military regiment was founded as the 15th Carnatic Battalion by the British East India Company in the year 1776. The unit was raised by recruiting army personnel from the 2nd Carnatic Battalion, 6th Carnatic Battalion and 12th Carnatic Battalion. The military battalion first fought in the Carnatic Wars and later took part in the Battle of Sholinghur in the Second Anglo Mysore War. The 15th Madras Native Infantry also fought in the Third Burmese War and the Third Mysore War.
Development of 15th Madras Native Infantry
After the end of the First World War, the British Empire in India renumbered and regrouped the army of British India. The various single battalion regiments were united in order to raise multi battalion infantry regiments. After Indian received from the administrative control of the British Government of India on 15th August 1947, the country was divided into the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. The British Indian Army was also divided among the 2 new nations. The 15th Madras Native Infantry regiment was assigned to the modern Indian Army.
Designations of 15th Madras Native Infantry
The 15th Madras Native Infantry regiment comprised a number of designations through out its service in the British Indian Army. These are mentioned below -
* 15th Carnatic Battalion (1776)
* 15th Madras Battalion (1784)
* 2nd Battalion, 4th Madras Native Infantry (1796)
* 15th Madras Native Infantry (1824)
* 15th Madras Infantry (1885)
* 79th Carnatic Infantry (1903)
* 2nd Battalion, 3rd Madras Regiment (1922)
* 2nd Battalion, The Madras Regiment, as a part of independent Indian Army (1947)
