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Indian Navy Module - IV
Armed Forces Today
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Note
INDIAN NAVY
The Indian Navy is the maritime arm of the Indian armed forces; it protects and secures
the Indian maritime borders. It also protects Indian shipping in the Indian Ocean region.
It is one of the world's largest Navies in terms of both personnel and naval vessels.
India has a rich maritime heritage that dates back thousands of years. The beginning of
India's maritime history dates back to 3000 BC. During this time, the inhabitants of
Indus Valley Civilisation had maritime trade link with Mesopotamia.
The discovery of a tidal dock at Lothal in Gujarat is proof of India's ancient maritime
tradition. The mention of the Department of Navadhyaksha or Superindent of Ships in
Kautilya's treatise Arthasastra highlights the development of maritime commerce. The
ancient Tamil empire of the Cholas in the south, and the Marathas and the Zamorins of
th
th
Kerala during the 16 and 17 centuries maintained naval fleets. You have read about
all this in the previous lesson on 'Ancient Armies'.
Objectives
After studying this lesson, you will be able to:
explain the origin and evolution of the Indian Navy;
outline the role and responsibilities of the Indian Navy;
indicate the organisational structure of the Indian Navy and
identify the different branches of Indian Navy.
14.1 Origin and Evolution of Indian Navy
(a) The history of the Indian Navy can be traced back to 1612 when Captain Best
encountered and defeated the Portuguese. It was responsible for the protection
of the East India Company's trade in the Gulf of Cambay and the river mouths of
the Tapti and Narmada. The East India Company came under the British Crown
on 01 May 1830 and acquired combatant status. It was named as Her Majesty's
Indian Navy in 1858. In 1863, it was reorganised into two branches; one at
Bombay and the other at Calcutta, as the Bombay Marine and the Bengal Marine.
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MILITARY HISTORY 13
