History of the Indian Navy

The Indian Navy has a history dating back to the British East India Company in 1612, through the division of the Indian Empire into India and Pakistan, who have fought several wars against each other.

Origins

In 1612 Captain Best encountered and defeated the Portuguese at the Battle of ? . This and piracy forced the British East India Company to establish a small navy based at Swally , near Surat, Gujarat. The Honourable East India Company's Marine was thus formed by the arrival of fighting ships on 5 September 1612.

This force protected merchant shipping off the Gulf of Cambay and the rivers Tapti and Narmada . The ships also helped map the coastlines of India, Persia and Arabia.

Expansion

In 1686 with British trade now concentrated off Bombay (Mumbai) the marine was renamed the Bombay Marine. The marine was involved in fighting against the Marathas and the Sidis and participated in the Burma War of 1824.

In 1830, the Bombay Marine was renamed Her Majesty's Indian Navy. The capture of Aden increased its commitments and fought in the China War 1840.

Her Majesty's Indian Navy was renamed back to the Bombay Marine from 1863 to 1877, then becoming Her Majesty's Indian Marine. The Marine had two divisions; the Eastern Division of Calcutta and the Western Division at Bombay.

Her Majesty's Indian Marine was renamed the Royal Indian Marine in 1892.

Engineer Sub Lieutenant D.N. Mukerji became the first Indian to be commissioned into the Royal Indian Marines (RIM), 6 January 1928.

Division

On 15 August 1947 the Indian Navy was split between India and Pakistan, the division being thus: