Maratha Light Infantry

Maratha Light Infantry
The Regimental Insignia of the Maratha Light Infantry
Active	1768-Present
Country	India
Branch	Indian Army
Type	Line Infantry
Role	Light Infantry
Nickname	Jangi Paltan (The fighting force)
Motto	Duty, Honour, Courage
March	SINHGARH
Decorations	2 Victoria Cross, 2 Ashok Chakra, 10 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 4 Maha Vir Chakra, 4 Kirti Chakra, 1 ACCL II, 14 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 34 Vir Chakra, 18 Shaurya Chakra, 4 ACCL III, 4 Yudh Seva Medals, 107 Sena Medals, 1 Shaurya Chakra & Bar, 23 Vishisht Seva Medals, 1 Padma Bushan, 1 Arjun Award and 3 Unit Citations.
Battle honours	Naushera, Jhangar, Burki, Hussainiwala, Jamalpur, Burj and Suadih.
Commanders
Current commander	Brigadier Sanjay Holey
Colonel of the Regiment	General J J Singh
Insignia
Identification symbol	A bugle and cords with a pair of crossed swords and a shield.

The Maratha Light Infantry (MLI; also the Ganpats) is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was formed as the 103rd Maharattas in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment of the Army.

The regiment recruits from the Indian state of Maharashtra. Their regimental center is in Belgaum, Karnataka.

The battle cry of Maratha Light Infantry is, Bol Shri Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai! ("Cry Victory to Emperor Shivaji!") in tribute to the Maratha Emperor Shri Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj .

History

The history of MLI spans over 240 years.

Pre-independence

The Marathas were a potent force in 16th, 17th, and 18th century India. Their military qualities were brilliantly optimised in their historic campaigns against the Mughals and the English, under the leadership of King Shivaji and succeeding Maratha rulers.Maratha armies, comprising both infantry and light cavalry, with the Maratha naval power had dominated the military scene in India for three centuries. The 1st Battalion of the Regiment, otherwise known as Jangi Paltan (The fighting unit), was raised in August 1768 as the 2nd Battalion Bombay Sepoys, to protect the British East India Company’s possessions on the islands of Bombay.

The second battalion known as Kali Panchwin followed the next year as the 3rd Battalion Bombay Sepoys. From then on the regiment grew from strength to strength. These two battalions were at the forefront of virtually every major engagement fought on the west coast from Surat to Cannanore during the last quarter of the 18th century. Prominent amongst these were the historic battles of Seedaseer and Seringapatam where in the words of Lord Wellesley their conduct and success were seldom equaled and never surpassed^{[citation needed]}.

The turn of the 19th century was witness to the expansion of the Regimental group with the raising of 3rd Battalion as 2nd Battalion the 5th (Travancore) Regiment of the Bombay Native Infantry in 1797. The Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre was raised in March 1800 as the 2nd Battalion the 7th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry; the 4th Battalion in April 1800 as the 2nd Battalion the 8th Regiment Bombay Infantry and the 5th battalion from the Bombay Fencibles as the 1st Battalion the 9th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry in December 1800.

In the second half of the 19th century, the battalions fought in various campaigns from the Middle East to China. In recognition of the gallant conduct of its detachments at the siege of Kahun and the defence of Dadar, in Baluch territory during the first Afghan War in 1841, the Kali Panchwin was created Light Infantry. Later, this honour was also bestowed on the 3rd and 10th Regiments of the Bombay Infantry (present 1 MARATHA LI and 2 PARA respectively) for their gallantry in Sir Robert Napier’s Abyssinian Campaign of 1867-1868. The Regiment assumed the title 5th Mahratta Light Infantry in 1922.

During the Peninsular war of the British against the Napoleonic armies in the 18th century, special lightly armed troops noted for their courage were used for swift encircling movements to outflank the enemy. Each battalion had a light company and later, the title Light Infantry came to be bestowed as a mark of honour.

It was not without reason that only a few Regiments were given the unique distinction of becoming Light Infantry. There was historic symbolism in recognising a fact which has been the hallmark of Maratha soldiers since the days of Shivaji. Was it not the lightly equipped and fast moving Maratha soldiery which scaled lofty mountains and impregnable forts to batter the mammoth and unwieldy Mughal armies that were trying to overrun their country? No one knew this better than the British, at times to their discomfiture.

The true fighting qualities of the Marathas were discovered during the First World War (1914–1918) when, in the long drawn out Mesopotamia campaign, three Marhatta battalions the 103rd, 114th and 117th covered themselves with glory. In the ferocious battles that took place, the battalions at times lost 50 percent of their strength in casualties but never lost an inch of ground nor left their objectives uncaptured.^{[citation needed]}

The gallantry and heroism of the 117th Marhattas (present 5 Maratha LI) was of an exceptionally high order. It was made into a Royal battalion for its conspicuously distinctive service during its campaign in Mesopotamia and particularly in the events leading to the capitulation after the bitter 146 day siege at Kut-el-Amara. No less distinguished was the conduct of the 114th Marhattas (present Regimental Centre) in the battle of Sharquat where it was awarded 28 gallantry awards, the highest earned by any unit in a single action. The other Maratha battalions the 105th Mahratta Light Infantry , 110th Maratha Light Infantry, 116th Mahrattas (present 2 Maratha LI, 2 PARA and 4 Maratha LI) also acquitted themselves in Palestine and Mesopotamia. After their return to India, these six battalions of the Bombay Army were merged to form a single group and designated as the 5th Mahratta Light Infantry in 1922. The redesignation also saw 114th Mahratta become the training battalion for the group and subsequently the Regimental Centre.

The Second World War saw the Marathas in the forefront in almost every theatre of operations from the jungles of South East Asia, to the deserts of North Africa, and the mountains and rivers of Italy. The war also saw the expansion of the regiment when thirteen new war service battalions were raised. Most of these were later demobilised after the war, whilst two were converted into artillery regiments. During the war the courage and determination of the Maratha soldier reached its pinnacle when Naik Yeshwant Ghadge and Sepoy Namdeo Jadhav^[1] were decorated with the Victoria Cross in the Italian campaign. The 130 other decorations awarded to the MLI was a tribute to the fighting qualities of its men. Apart from being the first light Infantry of the Indian Army,Kali Panchwin was the first Indian Battalion to participate in World War II,first to have lost its Commanding Officer in action,Col Chitty-battle of jebel Hamrin,1917,First Maratha Battalion to participate in UN Mission.Later,It earned the Indian Army's first Ashoka Chakra in the North-East.

Post-independence

14 MARATHA LI organizing firing for NCC Cadets of Gwalior Division

The Indian independence saw the Regiment reverting back to the original five battalions, with the 3rd Maratha Light Infantry converting to the airborne role and becoming 2nd Bn, the Parachute Regiment in April 1952. With the integration of the erstwhile princely states, the 19th, 20th, 22nd battalions were amalgamated, from the state forces of Kolhapur, Baroda, and Hyderabad, with the Regiment. The expansion of the Indian Army to meet the omnipresent threat to its borders has seen the Regiment grow to its present total of 18 battalions and two TA battalions whilst the period also saw the conversion of 21st Bn into 21 Para (Special Forces) and the 115 Infantry battalion (TA) being grouped under the Mahar Regiment.

Since Independence, battalions of the Maratha LI have taken part in every armed conflict – Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) operations in 1947-1948, entry into Junagarh, Hyderabad Campaign (1948), Invasion of Goa, Daman and Diu, the Sino-Indian War, conflicts with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 against the Chinese on the Sikkim watershed in 1956, the operations in Sri Lanka, the ongoing operations in the Siachen glacier and in counter insurgency operations.

The Ashoka Chakra awarded to Captain Eric Tucker(2 Maratha LI) and Colonel N. J. Nair(16 Maratha LI),Col Venugopal(9 Maratha LI), the five Mahavir Chakras and the numerous other war and peace time gallantry awards bear testimony to the front-line leadership and courage of the Regiment’s Officers, JCOs and NCOs. Over the past two and a quarter centuries the Regiment has won a number of honours and awards.

Gen J.J. Singh (9th and 5th) became the first Chief Of Army Staff from the Maratha Light Infantry in Feb 2005. Lt Col KS Gill, SM** from the 1st Battalion, Maratha Light Infantry (the Jangi Paltan) is holding the coveted appointment of Adjutant, National Defence Academy.

Battalions

• 1st Battalion (Jangi Paltan) (ex 103rd Mahratta LI)
• 2nd Battalion (Kali Panchwin) (ex 105th Mahratta LI)
• 3rd Battalion (ex 8th Maratha LI)
• 4th Battalion (ex 116th Mahrattas)
• 5th Battalion (ex 117th Mahrattas)
• 6th Battalion
• 7th Battalion
• 8th Battalion
• 9th Battalion
• 11th Battalion (Akramak Akra - The Attacking Eleven) (ex Territorial battalion)
• 12th Battalion (ex Territorial battalion)
• 14th Battalion
• 15th Battalion
• 16th Battalion (Ashoka Chakra Battalion)
• 17th Battalion
• 18th Battalion
• 19th Battalion (ex State Forces unit)
• 21st Battalion
• 22nd Battalion (HYDERABADIS) (ex State Forces unit)
• 23rd Battalion
• 24th Battalion (Raised at Kohlapur, it is the youngest battalion)
• 26th Battalion
• 42nd Battalion^[2]
• 101 Infantry Battalion (TA)
• 109 Infantry Battalion (TA)
• 17 RR Maratha LI
• 27 RR Maratha LI
• 41 RR Maratha LI
• 56 RR Maratha LI

Affiliations

Two special forces battalions of the Parachute Regiment (2 PARA (SF) & 21 PARA (SF), one mechanized battalion (10 Bn, Mechanised Infantry Regt), two Arty regiments (34 Medium Regiment & 36 Medium Regiment) one guided missile destroyer (INS Mumbai) and a fighter squadron (20 Sqn Air force) are also affiliated to the regiment.

Bastille day celebrations in Paris

On the occasion of 221st Storming of the Bastille day celebrations, the Maratha Light Infantry lead the parade at the Parisian boulevard of Champs Elysses on 14 July 2009. The military parade which was opened with a detachment of 400 soldiers from the three defence services of India, who were attired in ceremonial uniforms. The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the guest of honour of the ceremony, an invitee of the French President^[3]

Notes

1. ^ Kay, Robin (1967). Italy Volume II : From Cassino to Trieste. New Zealand: War History Branch, Department Of Internal Affairs, Wellington, New Zealand. 
2. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/rgt-maratha.htm
3. ^ ."L'Inde a défilé sur les Champs-Elysées" (in French). Le Parisien. 2009, 14 July. http://www.leparisien.fr/politique/l-inde-a-defile-sur-les-champs-elysees-14-07-2009-579912.php. Retrieved 2009, 16 July. 

References

• A brief history of the Mahratta Light Infantry(1945) by J. S. Barr

External links

• Maratha Light Infantry - DefenceIndia.com