History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
Bharat Rakshak is planning on creating a series of profiles of distinguished commanders of the Indian Army since 1947. These profiles will celebrate the lives and contributions of those officers. Hopefully they will also inspire our readers to seek to learn more about these men and women who have shaped the history and culture of leadership in the Indian Army. Ramana and I were originally seeking to learn about Lt. Gen I.S. Gill, when Ramana hit upon the idea of creating profiles and Mandeep suggested other distinguished commanders as well. To this end we are seeking member contributions in form of biographical content and sources on selected Indian Army commanders - not including those who attained the post of COAS - which will be provided shortly.
Roughly speaking, I think it should be organized on the following outline form which will expand as members contribute:
I. History
A. British Indian Army
1. Indianization of the British Indian Army starting circa 1920s
2. Issues with Indianization (KICO and ICO)
B. Second World War Rapid Expansion
1. Industrial War Breaks Old Paradigms
...
C. Partition.
...
II. Profiles in Leadership: An overview of the major illuminaries and their contributions.
...
(Just on basis of my familiarity, in no particular order)
III. Lt. Gen PVS Bhagat
...
IV. Maj. Gen. Sparrow
...
V. Lt. Gen. Thorat
...
VI. Brig. Usman
...
So on and so forth (A first-draft list of notables we are interested in will be provided shortly).
If you are interested in this project, but don't have much exposure to it, I would suggest starting with Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers by Major Gen. V.K Singh, as the basic primer. It is available at Google Books for a brief preview. NOTE: Please note that we will require sources for all content, as we don't want to run into copyright or plagarization issues. So if you come across something interesting, please also remember to note down its source. Thank you.
Roughly speaking, I think it should be organized on the following outline form which will expand as members contribute:
I. History
A. British Indian Army
1. Indianization of the British Indian Army starting circa 1920s
2. Issues with Indianization (KICO and ICO)
B. Second World War Rapid Expansion
1. Industrial War Breaks Old Paradigms
...
C. Partition.
...
II. Profiles in Leadership: An overview of the major illuminaries and their contributions.
...
(Just on basis of my familiarity, in no particular order)
III. Lt. Gen PVS Bhagat
...
IV. Maj. Gen. Sparrow
...
V. Lt. Gen. Thorat
...
VI. Brig. Usman
...
So on and so forth (A first-draft list of notables we are interested in will be provided shortly).
If you are interested in this project, but don't have much exposure to it, I would suggest starting with Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers by Major Gen. V.K Singh, as the basic primer. It is available at Google Books for a brief preview. NOTE: Please note that we will require sources for all content, as we don't want to run into copyright or plagarization issues. So if you come across something interesting, please also remember to note down its source. Thank you.
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
Personally think it would be more useful to pursue it like the IAF veteran project.
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
It may eventually expand out to that. Right now we are focusing on a smaller aspect of the IAF project - profiling some of the more famous and visionary commanders who haven't been covered under the Army COAS profiles. We are looking for officers who have made enduring mark on the Indian Army either as operational commanders and/or as visionaries of special and new units/formations.Surya wrote:Personally think it would be more useful to pursue it like the IAF veteran project.
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
ParGha,
This is a great initiative. All power to you for taking it up.
You are right - you can start off with the profiles and slowly grow it as people write in. Thats how the IAF site started off as well.
Now we have to see how we can arm-twist mandeep to join you in this effort.
-Jagan
This is a great initiative. All power to you for taking it up.
You are right - you can start off with the profiles and slowly grow it as people write in. Thats how the IAF site started off as well.
Now we have to see how we can arm-twist mandeep to join you in this effort.
-Jagan
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
Also, you can take it a step further and write about all the generals - famous or infamous. Quite a career went down hill after the 62 war, but undeniably they are part of the Army's History and they should have a place in the collection of stories.
For my part you can straight away use Sagat Singh writeup from BRM. This article now looks particularly outdated and skimpy in the light of what has been written on Sagat Singh in VK Singhs book . But it did spread the word on Sagat till that book came out.
-Jagan
For my part you can straight away use Sagat Singh writeup from BRM. This article now looks particularly outdated and skimpy in the light of what has been written on Sagat Singh in VK Singhs book . But it did spread the word on Sagat till that book came out.
-Jagan
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
up
(Mahdi-e-Thread-Deleti does have a heart, u know....)
Contributions, please...
(Mahdi-e-Thread-Deleti does have a heart, u know....)
Contributions, please...
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
Besides the information that is already available on the Field Marshalls (on BR), what else are you looking for?
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
To jumpstart such a list - the following is a list of Army Commanders of the IA (Lt Gen with GOC-in-C command experience) frm 1947 till 1994 . (Was reading too many army books then ). Dates are not accurate but only indicative.ParGha wrote:[ profiling some of the more famous and visionary commanders who haven't been covered under the Army COAS profiles. We are looking for officers who have made enduring mark on the Indian Army either as operational commanders and/or as visionaries of special and new units/formations.
Code: Select all
No. Army Commanders Regiment Date Commands Held
1 K M Cariappa Rajput Nov-47 EC WC COAS
2 Rajendra Sinhji Armd 20-Jan-48 EC SC COAS
3 T Nathu Singh Rajput May-48 EC
4 S M Shri Nagesh Kumaon 15-Jan-49 WC SC COAS
5 K S Thimmayya Kumaon 15-Jan-53 WC SC EC
6 Sant Singh Bihar 63 EC
7 Kalwant Singh Dogra 15-May-55 WC
8 P N Thapar Raj Rif May-57 SC WC COAS
9 S P P Thorat Mahar May-57 EC
10 J N Chaudhuri Armd 15-May-59 EC SC COAS
11 L P Sen 1 GR May-61 EC
12 Daulet Singh Armd May-61 WC
13 P P Kumaramangalam Arty 01-May-63 EC
14 K Bahadur Singh Kumaon 01-May-63 CC
15 Sam Manekshaw 8 GR 28-Nov-63 WC EC
16 Harbaksh Singh Sikh 10-Nov-64 WC
17 Moti Sagar 4 GR 07-May-65 SC
18 J S Dhillon Eng 01-Jun-66 CC
19 J S Arora Punjab Jun-69 EC
20 K P Candeth Arty Jun-69 WC
21 G G Bewoor 11 GR 04-Jul-69 SC COAS
22 P S Bhagat Eng 04-Aug-70 CC NC
23 H K Sibal 5 GR Jun-72 CC
24 M L Thapan Jat Oct-72 WC
25 Sartaj Singh Arty Oct-72 SC
26 N C Rawlley Guards 07-Feb-73 EC
27 K K Singh Armd 11-Nov-73 CC
28 O P Malhotra Armd May-74 SC WC COAS
29 J F R Jacob Arty 01-Aug-74 EC
30 H C Rai Raj Rif 01-Aug-74 NC
31 J S Nakai Arty 01-Apr-75 CC
32 I S Gill Para 01-Jun-75 WC
33 T N Raina Kumaon 26-Oct-75 WC
34 A M Vohra 3 GR 20-Jan-77 SC
35 E A Vas 9 GR 01-Aug-78 EC
36 Gurbachan Singh Armd 01-Aug-78 NC SC
37 R D Hira 11 GR 01-Apr-79 CC SC
38 A N Mathur Signals 01-Jun-79 SC
39 K V Krishna Rao Mahar 01-Jun-79 WC
40 S P Malhotra Guards 01-Jan-80 NC
41 W A G Pinto Rajput 01-Jan-80 CC
42 A S Vaidya Armd 01-Jun-81 EC
43 S K Sinha 5 GR 01-Jun-81 WC
44 T S Oberoi Punjab 01-Sep-81 SC
45 H C Dutta 8 GR 01-Jul-82 CC
46 M L Chibber 01-Nov-82 NC
47 K Sundarji Mech 01-Dec-82 WC
48 Bhupinder Singh ARty 83 CC
49 K Chiman Singh Raj Rif 01-Aug-83 EC
50 K K Hazari Arty - CC
51 A K Handoo 01-Sep-85 NC
52 H Kaul Armd 01-Feb-85 WC
53 R S Dayal Para 01-Feb-85 SC
54 K B Mehta 01-Feb-85 CC
55 J K Puri Arty 01-Feb-86 EC
56 V N Sharma Armd 01-Feb-86 EC
57 B C Nanda Mahar 01-Jun-87 NC
58 Depinder Singh 8 GR 01-Dec-86 SC
59 V K Nayar Para 01-Nov-87 WC
60 Sami Khan Madras 01-Jan-88 CC
61 A K Chatterjee Sikh LI 02-Mar-88 SC
62 R M Vohra Armd 28-Mar-00 EC
63 S F Rodrigues Arty 01-Apr-89 CC
64 Gurinder Singh Armd NC
65 F N Bilmoriya 5 GR 01-Oct-89 CC
66 B C Joshi Armd 01-Jun-90 SC WC COAS
67 G S Grewal Armd 01-Jun-90 WC
68 K S Brar MLI 01-Jun-90 EC
69 D S R Sahni Eng 01-Mar-92 NC
70 Y N Sharma Gren 01-Jan-92 CC
71 J Mahmood Arty 01-Jan-92 EC
72 A S Kalkat 8 GR 01-Oct-92 SC
73 R N Batra Arty 07-May-93 EC
74 R K Gulati Armd 01-Jul-93 WC
75 Surinder Singh Armd 01-Sep-93 NC
76 M L Dhar Armd 01-Jan-94 SC
77 Arun Gautam Armd 01-Apr-94 CC
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
It will be great if someone can also add the details of British Chiefs of our army in the pre independence era. There were a few notable ones like FM Philip Chetwood.There may be some more Generals whose contribution towards building strong foundation for Indian Army needs to be documented.
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
Has any one heard of Gen Hanut Singh?
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
^^^^^^^^^^^^
clickyLt. Col. Hanut Singh Rathore (Maha Veer Chakra) of 17 Poona Horse with his Centurion tank, Kooshab. The regiment is one of the most decorated in the Armoured Corps and in 1965 it had already been awarded with one PVC, only to win another in 1971 at the Battle of Basantar in which 66 Pakistani tanks were claimed to have been destroyed. Hanut Singh is the elder brother of former Finance minister of India Jaswant Singh Jasol ( Jasol is the name of the village in Barmer district of Rajasthan).
He retired as Lt. General. He is highly religious and was named to be the army general but when Mrs. Indira Gandhi (then Prime Minister) phoned him twice, he refused to talk as he was in prayer room. Mrs. Gandhi herself wrote on his file that "he is too religious to be an army general".
Re: History and Culture of Leadership in the Indian Army
And IG was too egoistic to be a PM ,not fit to direct the IA,.Rupesh wrote:^^^^^^^^^^^^
Lt. Col. Hanut Singh Rathore (Maha Veer Chakra) of 17 Poona Horse with his Centurion tank, Kooshab. The regiment is one of the most decorated in the Armoured Corps and in 1965 it had already been awarded with one PVC, only to win another in 1971 at the Battle of Basantar in which 66 Pakistani tanks were claimed to have been destroyed. Hanut Singh is the elder brother of former Finance minister of India Jaswant Singh Jasol ( Jasol is the name of the village in Barmer district of Rajasthan).
He retired as Lt. General. He is highly religious and was named to be the army general but when Mrs. Indira Gandhi (then Prime Minister) phoned him twice, he refused to talk as he was in prayer room. Mrs. Gandhi herself wrote on his file that "he is too religious to be an army general".
clicky
but she remained ,until being removed by the same army's men.
One more example of IG's Gandhi-nehru family dictraitor ego, no wonder half of kashmir in still out of reach.
Here Gen. Hanut's being religious could be associated with his disciplined religious life that he neglected other bullies for his duty(religious here) , it should have been taken in positive way by any PM . i.e. it was a good trait to be a general .