Nair Army

A militia that was raised in 1704 at Padmanabhapuram as body guards for the Maharajah of Travancore, and saw action in the Battle of Colachel by defeating the Dutch forces. The army was made up of soldiers from Nair warrior clans. However, after the 1940s, non-Nairs were permitted to join. The Nair Army was incorporated into the Indian Army in April 1951. For more details, see Madras Regiment in Vol 5: Units, Formations and Establishments.