Field Marshal (India)
Encyclopedia
The rank of Field Marshal is the highest possible rank in the Indian Army
. Only two Army appointments have been made by the Government of India
since independence in 1947. An equivalent rank existed in the British Indian Army
before 1947. Field Marshal is the only position that one holds for life, with all other ranks retiring following 30 years of service.
The first officer to be appointed to this rank was then Chief of Army Staff
Gen. Sam Manekshaw
in 1973. A much decorated World War II
officer, he was conferred the rank by the Indira Gandhi
-led government, largely in recognition of his leadership during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
which caused the partition of Pakistan
and the formation of independent Bangladesh
. He is the only Field Marshal to have been appointed to this rank while still a serving officer.
Gen. K.M. Cariappa was appointed to this rank in 1986, more than thirty years after his retirement from the Indian Army. He was a member of the Army Sub Committee of the Forces Reconstitution Committee, which divided the British Indian Army
into the Indian and Pakistani Armies after the Partition of India
in 1947. He served as the Indian Army's first Commander-in-Chief, India's first Indian Chief of Staff, and led the Indian forces in Kashmir during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
.
The equivalent rank in the Indian Air Force
(IAF), Marshal of the Air Force
, was conferred on Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh
in 2002 in recognition of his service in building the Force, and for his leadership during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
. He was also the first officer promoted to Air Chief Marshal in the IAF. All previous Indian Chiefs of Air Staff had been Air Marshals.
The equivalent rank in the Indian Navy
is the Admiral of the Fleet
, but this has never been awarded.
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
. Only two Army appointments have been made by the Government of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
since independence in 1947. An equivalent rank existed in the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
before 1947. Field Marshal is the only position that one holds for life, with all other ranks retiring following 30 years of service.
The first officer to be appointed to this rank was then Chief of Army Staff
Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
The Chief of the Army Staff is the commander and usually the highest-ranking officer of the Indian Army. The position is abbreviated as COAS in Indian Army cables and communication....
Gen. Sam Manekshaw
Sam Manekshaw
Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, MC "Sam Bahadur" was a Field Marshal of the Indian Army. His distinguished military career spanned four decades and five wars...
in 1973. A much decorated World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
officer, he was conferred the rank by the Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
-led government, largely in recognition of his leadership during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
which caused the partition of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and the formation of independent Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. He is the only Field Marshal to have been appointed to this rank while still a serving officer.
Gen. K.M. Cariappa was appointed to this rank in 1986, more than thirty years after his retirement from the Indian Army. He was a member of the Army Sub Committee of the Forces Reconstitution Committee, which divided the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
into the Indian and Pakistani Armies after the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947. He served as the Indian Army's first Commander-in-Chief, India's first Indian Chief of Staff, and led the Indian forces in Kashmir during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
The India-Pakistan War of 1947-48, sometimes known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four wars fought between the two newly independent nations...
.
The equivalent rank in the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
(IAF), Marshal of the Air Force
Marshal of the Air Force
Marshal of the Air Force is the English term for the most senior rank in a number of air forces. The ranks described by this term can properly be considered marshal ranks....
, was conferred on Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh
Arjan Singh
Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC is the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be promoted to five-star rank, equal to a Field Marshal, to which he was promoted in 2002. He was born in the Punjab town of Lyallpur, British India, into a Aulakh family...
in 2002 in recognition of his service in building the Force, and for his leadership during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
. He was also the first officer promoted to Air Chief Marshal in the IAF. All previous Indian Chiefs of Air Staff had been Air Marshals.
The equivalent rank in the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
is the Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
, but this has never been awarded.