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Jat Regiment

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Jat Regiment
Regimental Insignia of the Jat Regiment
Active1795 – present[1]
Country British India (1795–1947)
 India (1947–present)
Allegiance India
Branch British Indian Army (1795–1947)
 Indian Army (1947–present)
TypeLine Infantry
RoleInfantry
Size27 Battalions [21 Regular, 4 RR & 2 TA Bns]
Regimental CentreBareilly, Uttar Pradesh
Motto(s)Sangathan Va Veerta (Unity And Valour)
War CryJat Balwan, Jai Bhagwan (The Jat is powerful, Victory to god!)
Anniversaries20 Nov
Decorations1 Victoria cross
2 George Cross
24 Battle honour
8 Maha Vir Chakra
3 Ashoka Chakra
13 Kirti Chakra
52 Shaurya Chakra
39 Vir Chakra
343Sena Medal
Commanders
Colonel of
the Regiment		Major General Rajesh Sethi, SM, VSM
Insignia
Regimental InsigniaThe insignia has a bugle indicating the Light Infantry antecedents of two of its battalions.

The Jat Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, of which it is one of the longest-serving and most decorated regiments.[2] The regiment has won 19 battle honours between 1839 and 1947,[3] and post-independence it has won five battle honours, including 2 Victoria Cross, 2 George Cross, 8 Mahavir Chakra, 13 Kirti Chakra, 52 Shaurya Chakras, 39 Vir Chakras and 343Sena Medals.[2][4] During its 200-year service history, the regiment has participated in various actions and operations in India and abroad, including the First and the Second World Wars. Numerous battalions of the Jat Regiment, including the 14th Murray's Jat Lancers, fought in the First World War.[5]

History

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The Jat Regiment Insignia during British India (Pre-1947)

The Regiment claims its origins from the Calcutta Native Militia that was raised in 1795,[6] which later became an infantry battalion of the Bengal Army. The 14th Murray's Jat Lancers was formed in 1857.[6] After 1860, there was a substantial increase in the recruitment of Jats into the British Indian Army. The Class Regiment(The Jats) was initially created in 1897 as infantry units from old battalions of the Bengal Army. In January 1922, at the time of the grouping of the Class Regiments of the Indian Army, the 9th Jat Regiment was formed by merging four active battalions and one training battalion into a single regiment.[citation needed]

The 1st Battalion was raised as the 22nd Bengal Native Infantry in 1803.[citation needed] The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were raised in 1817 and 1823 respectively. All three battalions had distinguished records of service, including the winning of many honours during World War I.[citation needed]

A World War I (1914–1918) Jat Army Officer's Brass Button
14th Murray's Jat Lancers (Risaldar Major) by AC Lovett (1862–1919)

Battle cry

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The battle cry, adopted in 1955, in Hindi, is जाट बलवान, जय भगवान (IAST: Jāt Balwān, Jai Bhagwān) (The Jat is Powerful, Victory Be to God!).[7]

Composition and recruitment

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Soldiers of the Jat Regiment are recruited 89% from the Jat community and rest from other castes of North India.[8][9][10]

Regimental battalions

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Commemorative stamp celebrating the Jat Regiment in uniforms of the regiment, past and present

The Jat regiment has 21 regular battalions, 4 Rastriya Rifles battalions and 2 territorial army battalions, as of August 2020.[11][12]

Unit Raising location Raising date Remarks
Jat Regimental Centre Calcutta 1795 Erstwhile The Calcutta Native Militia
1 Jat (LI) Fatehgarh 1803 Now converted to 2 Mechanised Infantry Regiment
2 Jat Bombay 29 October 1817 former 119th Infantry (The Mooltan Regiment)
3 Jat Dinapur 23 June 1823 Former 10th Jats; Battle of Dograi
4 Jat Bareilly 15 January 1962 Re-raising; Saviours of Fazilka
5 Jat Varanasi 1 February 1941 Phillora Captors
6 Jat Bareilly 1 February 1941
7 Jat Bareilly 15 November 1962 Re-raising, former 11th Jat
8 Jat Jabalpur 14 December 1941
9 Jat Bareilly 1 January 1963 Re-raising
11 Jat Bareilly 1 April 1964
12 Jat Bareilly 6 February 1970
14 Jat Bareilly 1 October 1963
15 Jat Bareilly 15 May 1976 Re-raising
16 Jat Bareilly 1 October 1964
17 Jat Jabalpur 1 June 1966 Kargil
18 Jat Secunderabad 1 October 1966
19 Jat Bareilly 1 August 1980
20 Jat Bareilly 27 February 1985
21 Jat Bareilly 1 November 1987
22 Jat Bareilly 1 December 2013 Jaguars
23 Jat Bareilly 1 July 2016
24 Jat Bareilly 1 September 2020
5 Rashtriya Rifles Ranikhet 15 October 1990
34 Rashtriya Rifles Bareilly 1 September 1994 Bravest of the Brave
45 Rashtriya Rifles Bareilly 1 August 2001
61 Rashtriya Rifles Bareilly 30 June 2004
114 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Dehradun 1 October 1960
151 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Muzaffarpur 18 January 2002

Gallantry awards

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Battle honours

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Pre-1947

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Post-1947

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[13]

Unit citations

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When a unit is decorated for counter-insurgency operations, unit citations are given instead of battle or theatre honours.

  • 4th battalion, Nagaland 1995
  • 7th battalion, J&K 1997, J&K 2003 & Operation Rhino 2016
  • 11th battalion, Operation Rakshak 2011
  • 34th battalion Rashtriya Rifles, J&K 1997
  • 17th battalion, Operation Vijay 1999
  • 16th battalion, Operation Rakshak 2005 & 2011
  • 21st battalion, Operation Rhino 2009
  • 22nd Battalion (JAGUARS), Operation Rakshak 2018

Victoria Cross

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George Cross

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Maha Vir Chakra

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Vir Chakra

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  • Brig. Umesh Singh Bawa, 17 Jat, Kargil 1999
  • Lt. Col Raj Kumar Suri, 4 Jat, 1971 war[20]
  • Maj. Sukhpal Singh, 4 Jat, 1971 war [21]
  • Maj. Harish Chandra Sharma, 4 Jat 1971 war[22]
  • Maj. Narain Singh, 4 Jat 1971 war[23]
  • Maj. Deepak Rampal, 17 Jat, Kargil 1999
  • Havildar Kumar Singh Sogarwal, 17 Jat, Kargil 1999
  • Havildar Shish Ram Gill, 8 Jat, Kargil 1999
  • Lance Havildar Ganga Dhar, 4 JAT, 1971 [24]
  • Sep Dharajit Singh Chahar, 4 Jat, 1988
  • Sub (later Capt.) Pahlad Singh, 2 Jat, 1971 war

[25]

  • Sub Brijendra Singh, 4 Jat, 1971 war[26]

Ashok Chakra

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Others

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The Jat Regiment marching contingent passes through the Rajpath. The Ragiment contingent was adjudged as " Best Marching Contingent " in the year of 1974, 2007 & 2021 in New Delhi
  • The Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar – 2010 (Organisation Category) was awarded to 21st Battalion, the Jat Regiment.[29]
  • The launch of the 'Maujiram helpline' by the Jat Regiment Centre in June 2013.[30]

Battles fought

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After the Battle of Kabul (1842), Governor General Lord Ellenborough had ordered Major General William Nott, who was commanding British-Indian forces, to recover a set of ornate gates known as the Somnath Gates, which had been looted from India by the Afghans and hung at the tomb of Sultan Mahmud II.[31] A whole sepoy regiment, the 43rd Bengal Native Infantry—which later became the 6th Jat Light Infantry after the Indian Rebellion of 1857—was tasked with carrying the gates back to India.[citation needed]

In 1965 India-Pakistan War, 3 soldiers from Jat regiment under Lt Col (now Brig Retd) Desmond Hayde on 1 September and then again on 21–22 September, crossed the Ichhogil Canal and in the Battle of Dograi captured Dograi right up to Batapore-Attocke Awan, advancing towards Lahore.

In the 1999 Kargil War, five of the regiment's battalions took part. The regiment has also contributed battalions to UN missions in Korea and Congo. It was also involved in counter-insurgency operations that have kept the Indian Army busy ever since independence.[citation needed][33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Army's Jat Regiment Best Marching Contingent in Republic Day 2007 and 2021 Parade | India Defence Archived 2 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b Army's Jat Regiment Best Marching Contingent in Republic Day 2007 Parade | India Defence http://www.dsalert.org/gallantry-awards/shaurya-chakra
  3. ^ "BHARAT RAKSHAK MONITOR: Volume 3(4)". Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011..
  4. ^ Cornwell, Richard (28 February 2012). "2 Anti-Tank Regiment, Saa -Tank and Anti-Tank in the Western Desert, 1940-1942 (Part Iv)". Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies. 6 (4). doi:10.5787/6-4-845. ISSN 2224-0020.
  5. ^ The Times History of the War: The Battlefield of Europe. Woodward & Van Slyke
  6. ^ a b "The valiant Jat soldier – The Tribute". Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  7. ^ Raghavan, V.R. (1997). Infantry in India. India: Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 8125904840.
  8. ^ "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army". www.indianarmy.nic.in. 1 January 1980. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  9. ^ Sachdeva, Sujata Dutta (6 November 2005). "SUNDAY DEBATE: Should there be reservation in the Indian Army?". Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. It recruits under two broad categories. The first comprises various regiments such as the Jat, Sikh, Garhwal and Kumaon Regiment. These are made up of soldiers with a similar background. For example, the Jat Regiment recruits only Jats, the Garhwal Regiment recruits only Garhwalis and so on.
  10. ^ Mohan, Vijay (6 July 2016). "Jat Regiment raises new battalion". The Tribune. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020. The Jat Regiment, which draws its manpower primarily from the state of Haryana and its adjoining areas, ...
  11. ^ "REGIMENTAL HISTORY". Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  12. ^ "24th battalion of Jat Regiment to be raised in Bareilly". The Times of India. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Official Website of Indian Army". Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  14. ^ a b "We Were There – Medals and Awards – Victoria Cross Winners". Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  15. ^ Risaldar Badlu Singh, VC Archived 11 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "No. 37294". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 October 1945. pp. 4889–1898.
  17. ^ "No. 37717". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 September 1946. p. 4507.
  18. ^ "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army".
  19. ^ {{Cite * web|url=https://www.honourpoint.in/profile/captain-kapil-singh-thapa-mvc%7Ctitle = Captain Kapil Singh Thapa MVC | Honourpoint| date=21 September 1965 }}
  20. ^ "RAJ KUMAR SURI | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019.
  21. ^ https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/awardee/2391 [bare URL]
  22. ^ "HARISH CHANDRA SHARMA | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019.
  23. ^ "NARAIN SINGH | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019.
  24. ^ https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/awardee/2835 [bare URL]
  25. ^ "DHARAJIT SINGH CHAHAR | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019.
  26. ^ "1971 war veteran felicitated".
  27. ^ "JOJAN THOMAS | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017.
  28. ^ "DINESH RAGHU RAMAN | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019.
  29. ^ Press Trust of India (19 February 2014). "Jat Regiment's battalion gets environment award". Business Standard India. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  30. ^ "National helpline for soldiers, Army widows | India News". The Times of India. 2 February 2014.
  31. ^ Dalrymple (2013), pp. 444–445
  32. ^ "New Pakistan army chief's brother died in 1971 Battle of Majors in Fazilka". Indian Express. 1 December 2013.
  33. ^ "India Military Guide".

Further reading

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  • War Services of the 9th Jat Regiment by Lieutenant Colonel W. L. Hailes details the military history of the Jat Regiment and of the Jat people between 1893 and 1937.
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