Chennai :

If ever there was a ‘piece of action’ that charted the course of history’, Captain D P Ramachandran believes it was the Battle of Adyar. Which is why the battle forms the opening chapter of his book, the “Empire’s First Soldiers”, detailing how the Madras Soldier was the reason for both the rise and fall of the British empire in India.

“Several years ago, I was asked to research the military history of Madras city for the Association of British Scholars and that ultimately led to the book,” says Captain Ramachandran, now 68.

Although the book was released several years ago, Ramachandran is still called on for Madras Week celebrations to speak about the Madras troops.

“I have visited every battle-field mentioned in the book so I could visualize the possible strategies and blueprint how the battle might have taken place,” says Ramachandran. “In terms of the Battle of Adyar, if you stand overlooking the mouth of the river, even today, it is not difficult to visualize the two armies facing off. I believe that battle, led to the creation of the Indian army,” he says.

The Madras soldiers returned to the spotlight when the British began recruiting them for fighting overseas wars. “Troops from North India would refuse to cross the blackwater (sea) but the Madras soldiers were willing to travel,” says Ramachandran.

“The Madras Army was the first the British created in India. This was followed by the Bengal army and then the Bombay army. It was after the First War of Independence in 1857 that the military operation went northwards,” says Ramachandran.

After this year, he adds, British interest in soldiers from the south waned. “The south Indians too lost interest in the British army. The British later began recruiting them as sappers or engineers in the army.” To date, the Madras Sappers, which include men from all the four southern states, have distinguished themselves both in the armed forces as well as in the area of Indian sport.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai /  TNN / September 05th, 2014