The Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It traces its lineage to the Bombay Sepoys, raised in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment in the Indian Army.

Recruitment

The class composition of the regiment was and is primarily formed by Maratha recruits from the former Maratha Empire. The men were mostly drawn from all over the state of Maharashtra, with some percentage from Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka including Coorg. As of 2000, the recruitment pattern is as follows– Tradesmen (clerk, sweeper, barber etc.) are recruited from all Indian classes.

History

Pre-independence

The Maratha Confederacy was a potent force in India from the 17th to 19th centuries. Their military qualities were brilliantly optimised in their historical campaigns against the Mughal Empire under the leadership of the Chhatrapati Shivaji and succeeding Maratha rulers. Maratha armies, comprising both infantry and light cavalry, and the Maratha Navy had dominated the military scene in India for three centuries. The 1st battalion of the regiment, 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. 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 Richard Wellesley their conduct and success were seldom equalled and never surpassed. The turn of the 19th century was witness to the expansion of the regimental group with the raising of the 3rd battalion as the 2nd battalion, 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, 7th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry; the 4th battalion in April 1800 as the 2nd battalion, 8th Regiment Bombay Infantry and the 5th battalion from the Bombay Fencibles as the 1st battalion, 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 Anglo-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 1st battalion, Maratha Light Infantry and 2nd battalion, Parachute Regiment respectively) for their gallantry in Sir Robert Napier’s Abyssinian Campaign of 1867–1868. The regiment assumed the title 5th Mahratta Light Infantry 1922. Three Maratha battalions distinguished themselves during the First World War (1914–1918) in the long drawn-out Mesopotamia campaign. The 117th Mahrattas (present 5th battalion, Maratha Light Infantry) was made into a Royal battalion for its conspicuously distinctive service during its campaign in Mesopotamia, particularly in the events leading to enemy capitulation after the bitter 146-day siege at Kut-el-Amara. The battalion was mostly composed of Marathas from the Khandesh region and Nashik district. For some unclear reasons even after winning, the regiment did not return to India. The 114th Mahrattas (present Regimental Centre) was awarded 28 gallantry awards for their performance in the battle of Sharquat, the highest earned by any unit in a single action. The other Maratha battalions, namely the 105th Mahratta Light Infantry, 110th Mahratta Light Infantry and 116th Mahrattas also acquitted themselves in Palestine and Mesopotamia. The 105th lost its commanding officer in action (Lieutenant-Colonel Ernest Richard Inglis Chitty at the battle of Jebel Hamrin, 1917). The Second World War saw the Marathas at the forefront in almost every theatre of operations from the jungles of Southeast 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 Naik Yeshwant Ghadge and Sepoy Namdeo Jadhav were decorated with the Victoria Cross in the Italian campaign, while 130 other decorations were awarded to the regiment. The following battalions saw action during the war -

Post-independence

Indian independence saw the regiment reverted to the original five battalions, with the 3rd Maratha Light Infantry converting to the airborne role and becoming the 2nd battalion, 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 Satara, 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 strength of 18 regular battalions and two Territorial Army battalions whilst the period also saw the conversion of the 21st battalion into the 21st battalion, Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and the 115 Infantry Battalion (TA) being transferred to the Mahar Regiment. Since independence, battalions of the Maratha Light Infantry have taken part in every Indian armed conflict — the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the Annexation of Junagadh, the Annexation of Hyderabad, the Annexation of Goa, the Sino-Indian War, the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971, against the Chinese on the Sikkim watershed in 1956, Operation Pawan, the ongoing operations on the Siachen Glacier and in numerous counter insurgency operations.

Units

The Maratha Light Infantry consists of the following battalions -

Affiliated units

The following units are affiliated to the regiment -

Regimental Centre

The regimental centre has been in Belgaum, Karnataka, since 1922, which was part of the Bombay Presidency at that time. The centre’s history comes from the conversion of the 114th Mahrattas to the 10th (Training) Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry. This unit itself traces its origins to 1800 when it was raised as the 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry.

Battle slogan

The battle cry of Maratha Light Infantry is बोला श्री छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज की जय ("Bola Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai (Say Victory to King Chhatrapati Shivaji)"). It replaced the battle cry – Har Har Mahadev (Victory To Lord Shiva) during the Second World War.

Marching style

The soldiers of Maratha Light Infantry have a quick march speed of 140 steps in a minute, while a standard pace for a quick march is 120 beats per minute with a 30-inch step. The regiment has won the best marching contingent twice at the Republic Day parade. On the occasion of the 221st Bastille day celebrations, a unit from the Maratha Light Infantry led the parade on the Parisian boulevard of Champs-Élysées on 14 July 2009, when the then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the guest of honour of the ceremony.

Regimental insignia

The regimental insignia consists of a bugle and cords with a pair of crossed swords and a shield, mounted by the Lion Capital of Ashoka. The bugle represents the light infantry mode of combat by skirmishers, controlled by orders issued on the bugles.

Uniform

The uniform consists of a green beret (common to all infantry units in India), which has the regimental crest and a red and green hackle. The two-coloured hackle has a history. During 1788, the Bombay Army was reorganised into the 1st and 2nd Brigades. Red plumes adorned the headgear of the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Brigade. The Marathas and the 1st Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry fought alongside each other in the Mesopotamia war as part of the same brigade. The British Army Light Infantry regiments wore green hackles during this time. As a symbol of this association, the green portion was added to the red, thus forming the present red and green hackle. The working dress does not have the hackle. The Regiment initially had a unique lanyard around the neck with ends in both front pockets. This was changed to the standard lanyard in 2002. This green lanyard is worn on the left shoulder. The exception is the 5th Battalion of the regiment, which wears a blue lanyard on the right shoulder, as an honour for the title “Royal”, for its outstanding operations in Mesopotamia in World War I. The rank epaulettes consist of the words MARATHI LI in capitals. In ceremonial dress, the regimental crest is present in addition to the regimental title.

Regimental colours

Till the First World War, each unit had its own colours. In 1922, with the creation of the Maratha Group, the Red, Black, and Grey colours of the 114 Marathas (which became the Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre) were adopted as the regimental colours.

Battle honours

The regiment has 56 battle honours to its credit, 14 predating the World War I and spanning wars in Afghanistan, China, Burma and British East Africa. The list of battle honours is evidence to the long history and valour of the regiment. Some of these honours have been declared repugnant after the independence of the country. Pre-independence Post-independence

Gallantry awards

Pre-independence

1914–1921 1922–1938 1939–1947

Post-independence

Notable officers

Sporting achievements

Gallery