300 Hundred Years of 9 Madras Regiment (Travancore) - Battle of Clachal 1.4.2004

Three hundred years of the existence of the 9^th Battalion of the Madras Regiment(Travancore) have witnessed a vast and glittering panorama of gallantry and selfless service to the nation. The Department of Posts is proud to commemorate the tercentenary of this glorious Battalion through the release of this commemorative postage stamp that depicts a scene after the historic Battle of Colachal.

The Battle of Colachel (or Battle of Kulachal) was fought on 10 August 1741 [O.S. 31 July 1741] between the military, called the Nair Brigade, of the Indian kingdom of Travancore and the Dutch East India Company, during the Travancore-Dutch War. The Dutch never recovered from the defeat and no longer posed a large colonial threat to India, assisting the British East India Company's eventual rise to dominance on the Indian subcontinent.

The trade expedition to Travancore in 1741 was led by a young Flemish OfficerCaptain Eustace de Lenoy. Taking advantage of the then prevailing chaotic situation in Travancore, he assembled his forces at Colachal, a small but important sea port town, to invade Travancore. The invading army was met by Marthanda Verma, theMaharaja of Travancore and his forces (the present 9^th Battalion of the Madras Regiment) raised as his Personal Body Guards in 1704 at Padmanabhapuram. In the fierce battle that ensued, Marthanda Verma completely annihilated the superiorDutch Forces and the battle of Colachal was thus a turning point in the military history of Travancore. Captain De Lenoy who was captured, later helped the Maharaja in the training of the Travancore Army on modern lines and was involved in the annexation of numerous small principalities.

On 1 April, 1951, the Unit was integrated with the Indian Army and on 1 April, 1954, it merged with the Madras Regiment and was renamed as the 9^th Battalion of theMadras Regiment (Travancore). After integration with the Indian Army, the State Forces Colours were laid down at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun in 1956 and Shri V. V. Giri, the then President of India, presented new Colours to the Battalion at Wellington on 23 May, 1970.