Capt De Lanoy of Dutch Forces surrendering before HH Maharaja Marthanda Varma, 1741 AD

The Travancore State Forces have a long and glorious past. The present 9th (Travancore) Battalion traces its lineage to the personal bodyguard of the Maharaja of Travancore raised in 1704. Travancore forces decisively defeated the Dutch when they landed at Colachel in 1741, capturing their commander Captain De Lanoy who subsequently entered the Maharaja's service and re-organised the state's forces on the European model. By 1780 these forces consisted of nearly 50,000 of which five battalions of infantry and one of artillery were organised as the Carnatic Brigade. In 1809 this was disbanded except for 700 men of the 1st Nayar Battalion, the forerunners of the modern 9th (Travancore) Battalion. They formed the nucleus of the Nayar Brigade to which a 2nd and then a 3rd (Training) Battalion were added. In 1934, when the State joined the Indian State Forces Scheme, the Nayar Brigade was merged with the Travancore State Forces and trained under selected Indian Officers and NCOs. On merger of the state with the Indian Union, the 1st Battalion, as aforesaid, was amalgamated with The Madras Regiment as its 9th Battalion and the 2nd as the 16th Battalion.

Cochin State Forces

Lord Louis Mount Batten, Supreme Commander South East Asia, addressing the Travancore Forces after the Second World War in February 1946 at Hongkong

The story of the Cochin State Forces is similar, as were the men, mostly Nayars (Nairs). In 1934, on the State joining the State Forces Scheme, it was re-designated as 1st Cochin Infantry, eventually becoming the 17th (Cochin) Battalion.

Mysore State Forces

Officers and JCOs of 4 Madras Infantry Mysore State Troops

The credit for the organisation and equipping of Mysore's forces is attributed to Haidar Ali. After the fall of Tipu Sultan, most of his forces were disbanded. A few retained alongwith the infantry component were re-organised and were eventually called the Mysore Infantry. The present 18th (Mysore) Battalion traces its lineage to these forces.