A walk down the battlefields of history

Re-enactment of the Battle of Adyar gives insights into how events unfolded

Blast from the past: NCC cadets take part in the re-enactment of the historic battle near the Besant Nagar Beach. R. Ragu

The banks of the Adyar estuary near the Broken Bridge saw much more than the usual sporadic visitors catching a view of the sea early on Sunday morning.

Even as a group of curious people stood watching, NCC cadets charged towards the river in perfect formation. The cadets were re-enacting the Battle of Adyar, which took place on the banks of the Adyar Estuary in October 1746.

The enactment and heritage walk was organised by the Colours of Glory Foundation in association with the directorate of NCC (Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andaman & Nicobar).

In the battle, the forces of the Nawab of Arcot took on the French Army, which consisted of 700 sepoys or Indian soldiers trained in modern warfare by the French and 300 Europeans.

The French force of 1,000 men landed in Tiruvanmiyur beach from Puducherry and was commanded by a Swiss engineer officer Captain Louis Pardis and had to face off against the strong force of nearly 10,000 men of the Nawab of Arcot which was camping on the banks of the Adyar estuary.

“Historians have described it as a milestone as organised warfare made an entry here. The battle was the first of its kind here and this form of warfare laid a lot of emphasis on discipline and training which is what enabled the French side to win,” said Captain D.P. Ramachandran, a war veteran and military history enthusiast.

Leading the walk, Mr. Ramachandran said that the forces of the Nawab had most probably set up a camp at the location which presently houses the Quibble island cemetery and that the French forces crossed the water in the estuary, braving the firing and confronting them with bayonets. “The sepoy levy system, which the French used in this battle, was emulated much later by the British and led to the creation of the Indian Army as it stands today,” he said.

“More than learning about this event of historical importance which happened in a neighbourhood not very far from where we live, seeing the enactment gave us a better insight into how the events would have unfolded,” said a participant of the walk.

Members of the foundation said they had chosen to organise the walk on the Battle of Adyar to highlight the military history of the country which is often relegated to the sidelines.