Kodandera Madappa Cariappa
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
Kodandera "Kipper" Madappa Cariappa OBE
(Kodava
Kannada: ಕೊಡಂದೇರ ಮಾದಪ್ಪ ಕಾರಿಯಪ್ಪ ) (28 January 1899 – 15 May 1993) was the first Indian Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
and led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947
.
He is among only two Indian Army
officers to hold the highest rank of Field Marshal
(the other being Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw
). His distinguished military career spanned almost three decades, at the highest point of which, he was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Military in 1949.
(Coorg) in the erstwhile State of Coorg, which was at that time a self-governing princely state
of India.
Cariappa was known as "Chimma" to his relatives, he had his formal education in the Central High School at Madikeri, after which he pursued his college education at Presidency College, Chennai
. Here he grew up equally attached to books and plays under the guidance of renowned academicians. He was an active sportsman who played games such as hockey and tennis with vigour and brilliance. In addition to this, he loved music - and had a fondness for a sleight of hand tricks, too.
concluded in 1918, Indian politicians at that time raised a demand to sanction Indians to the King's Commission
. After strict screening, Cariappa was selected as one among the privileged few, who were selected for the first batch that underwent rigorous pre-commission training. In 1919, he joined the first batch of KCIOs (King's Commissioned Indian Officer
s) at The Daly College
at Indore
and was commissioned into the Carnatic Infantry at Bombay
as a Temporary Second Lieutenant. He was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant in 1921 (retroactive to 1920). In 1922, he received his permanent commission as a Second Lieutenant
(retroactive to 1919). The future Major General Muhammad Akbar Khan of the Pakistan Army
(seniormost officer of Pakistan Army at the partition, and commissioned as PA-1) was also commissioned at the same time, but was outranked by Cariappa, who had seniority. Muhammad Ayub Khan, who graduated with him in the same batch is sometimes confused with the future ruler who ruled frrom 1958-69 but was really a minor officer from Scinde Horse. Cariappa was promoted to Lieutenant
in 1923.
In 1927, Cariappa was promoted to Captain., but the appointment was not officially gazetted until 1931. He saw active service with the 37 (Prince of Wales
) Dogra
in Mesopotamia
(present-day Iraq
) and was later posted to the 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry
which became his permanent regimental home. He was the first Indian officer to undergo the course at Staff College, Quetta
in 1933. He was promoted to Major
in 1938. The following year, he was appointed a Staff Captain.
Cariappa served in Iraq
, Syria
and Iran
from 1941–1942 and then in Burma in 1943-1944. He spent many of his soldiering years in Waziristan
. He earned his 'Mentioned in Despatches' as DAA and QMG
of General (later Field Marshal) Slim
's 10th Division. He was the first Indian Officer to be given command of a unit in 1942. By 1944, Cariappa was a Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel. After command he volunteered to serve in 26 Division engaged in clearing the Japanese
from Burma, where he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
.
In 1946, he was promoted as the Brigadier
of the Frontier Brigade Group. It was during this time that Colonel Ayub Khan - later Field Marshal
and President of Pakistan
, 1962-1969 - served under him. In 1947, Cariappa was the first Indian who was selected to undergo a training course at Imperial Defence College, Camberly, UK
on the higher directions of war. During the traumatic period of partition
, he handled the division of the Indian Army
and sharing of its assets between Pakistan
and India
, in a most amicable, just and orderly manner. He was then the Indian officer in charge of overseeing the transition.
Post-Independence, Cariappa was appointed as the Deputy
Chief of the General Staff
with the rank of Major General
. On promotion to Lieutenant General
he became the Eastern Army Commander. On outbreak of war with Pakistan in 1947
, he was moved as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief
, Western Command and directed operations for the recapture of Zojila, Drass and Kargil
and re-established a linkup with Leh. In all this, he showed tremendous energy in moving troops, against considerable odds and finally ensuring success. This ensured his elevation to the supreme post of commander in chief. He had two officers senior to him ---King Commissioned Officers(from Sandhurst) of the 1918 batch, KS Mahadeo Singh and MS Himmat Singh ji; but KS Mahadeo Singh ji had not enough combat experience and was superseded by Cariappa during the Second World War and finally retired in 1948. He is better remembered now as first Indian commandant of IMA, Dehradun. MS Himmat Singh ji remained as prisoner of war in Japan for 4 years (1939–43) which made him lose on war experience. When he returned, he remained with psy war/ propaganda section at army HQ and later became in charge of integration of princely state forces in Indian army after independence. In 1950, he headed committee on northern frontiers.(ref. memoirs of A A Rudra by maj gen D K Palit)
On being appointed as the first Commander-in-Chief
of an independent Indian Army
on 15 January 1949, he was instrumental in the integration of troops and turning an imperial army into a national army.It was god sent opportunity as Lt Gen Roy Bucher had to go owing to differences with indian government on hyderabad and kashmir operations.
is spread over an unbroken period of more than 29 years, during which he had wide experience of staff and command work. After his retirement from Indian Army
in 1953, he served as the High Commissioner
to Australia
and New Zealand
till 1956.
Cariappa took active part in the reorganization of armed forces in many foreign countries. He was a much traveled man and visited parts of China
, Japan
, United States
, Great Britain
, Canada
and most of the European countries. He was conferred with 'Order of the Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit
' by US President, Harry S. Truman
. As a token of gratitude of the nation for the exemplary service rendered by him, the Government of India
conferred Cariappa with the rank of Field Marshal
in 1983.
and 1971
wars, he visited the front lines to talk to the troops and keep their morale up.
Apart from being a military man, Cariappa had insight about the status of the country. He is quoted as saying, "In modern warfare, a large army is not sufficient, it needs industrial potential behind it. If the army is the first line of defence, the industry is the second." Cariappa had even said that "soldiers know the facility of wars to solve the internal problems. We ought to be ashamed that today they had more peace in war than peace in peace." Such insight has placed him above many in this field. "Army is there to serve the Government of the day, and we should make sure that it does not get mixed up with party politics. A soldier is above politics and should not believe in caste or creed," was another insight of this soldier.
He lived and remained, as he said, "an India
n and to the last breath would remain an India
n. To me there is only two Stans - Hindustan
(India
) and Foujistan (the Army
)."
During the 1965 war, his son, an Indian Air Force pilot, was shot down over Pakistan. He was captured and imprisoned as a POW. When Ayub Khan learned about this, he informed Cariappa he would not be kept in a POW Camp like other Indian POWs, since they had worked together before independence. But Cariappa politely declined the offer, saying every soldier in the Indian Army was his son, so he could not request special privileges for only one.
, after his retirement from public service. He loved the environment and the flora and fauna around him. He spent a lot of his leisure time educating people about cleanliness, pollution control and other essential issues.
On 15 May 1993, Field Marshal Cariappa died in Bangalore, aged 94.
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Kodandera "Kipper" Madappa Cariappa OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(Kodava
Kodava
The Kodavas are a patrilineal ethno-lingual group from the region of Kodagu, in Karnataka state of southern India who traditionally were land-owning agriculturists with martial traditions and natively speak Kodava takk...
Kannada: ಕೊಡಂದೇರ ಮಾದಪ್ಪ ಕಾರಿಯಪ್ಪ ) (28 January 1899 – 15 May 1993) was the first Indian Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
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....
and led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistan 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...
.
He is among only two Indian Army
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...
officers to hold the highest rank of Field Marshal
Field Marshal (India)
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...
(the other being Field Marshal 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...
). His distinguished military career spanned almost three decades, at the highest point of which, he was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Military in 1949.
Early life and education
Cariappa was born at Shanivarsante in KodaguKodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
(Coorg) in the erstwhile State of Coorg, which was at that time a self-governing princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of India.
Cariappa was known as "Chimma" to his relatives, he had his formal education in the Central High School at Madikeri, after which he pursued his college education at Presidency College, Chennai
Presidency College, Chennai
Presidency College is an arts, law and science college in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. Established as the Madras Preparatory School on October 15, 1840 and later, upgraded to a high school and then, graduate college, the Presidency College is one of the oldest government arts colleges...
. Here he grew up equally attached to books and plays under the guidance of renowned academicians. He was an active sportsman who played games such as hockey and tennis with vigour and brilliance. In addition to this, he loved music - and had a fondness for a sleight of hand tricks, too.
Military career
After World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
concluded in 1918, Indian politicians at that time raised a demand to sanction Indians to the King's Commission
King's Commissioned Indian Officer
A king's commissioned Indian officer was an Indian officer of the British Indian Army who held a full king's commission after training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, as opposed to the Indian commissioned officers , who were trained at the Indian Military Academy at Dehra Dun, and the...
. After strict screening, Cariappa was selected as one among the privileged few, who were selected for the first batch that underwent rigorous pre-commission training. In 1919, he joined the first batch of KCIOs (King's Commissioned Indian Officer
King's Commissioned Indian Officer
A king's commissioned Indian officer was an Indian officer of the British Indian Army who held a full king's commission after training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, as opposed to the Indian commissioned officers , who were trained at the Indian Military Academy at Dehra Dun, and the...
s) at The Daly College
Daly College
The Daly College, located in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was founded by Sir Henry Daly of the British Indian Army during India's colonial British Raj. It was established in 1881, and is one of the oldest co-educational boarding school in the world....
at Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
and was commissioned into the Carnatic Infantry at Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
as a Temporary Second Lieutenant. He was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant in 1921 (retroactive to 1920). In 1922, he received his permanent commission as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
(retroactive to 1919). The future Major General Muhammad Akbar Khan of the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
(seniormost officer of Pakistan Army at the partition, and commissioned as PA-1) was also commissioned at the same time, but was outranked by Cariappa, who had seniority. Muhammad Ayub Khan, who graduated with him in the same batch is sometimes confused with the future ruler who ruled frrom 1958-69 but was really a minor officer from Scinde Horse. Cariappa was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1923.
In 1927, Cariappa was promoted to Captain., but the appointment was not officially gazetted until 1931. He saw active service with the 37 (Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
) Dogra
Dogra
The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. Being a diversified group, the Dogras include both Savarnas such as Brahmins, Rajputs and Non-savarnas. The Dogras also incluide merchant castes such as Mahajans...
in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
(present-day Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
) and was later posted to the 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry
2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry
The 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry, commonly shortened to 2nd Rajputs, was a regiment of the British Indian Army, with an origin in 1798 and amalgamated with five other Rajput regiments in 1922.-History:...
which became his permanent regimental home. He was the first Indian officer to undergo the course at Staff College, Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
in 1933. He was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1938. The following year, he was appointed a Staff Captain.
Cariappa served in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
from 1941–1942 and then in Burma in 1943-1944. He spent many of his soldiering years in Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
. He earned his 'Mentioned in Despatches' as DAA and QMG
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
of General (later Field Marshal) Slim
William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim
Field Marshal William Joseph "Bill"'Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC, KStJ was a British military commander and the 13th Governor-General of Australia....
's 10th Division. He was the first Indian Officer to be given command of a unit in 1942. By 1944, Cariappa was a Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel. After command he volunteered to serve in 26 Division engaged in clearing the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
from Burma, where he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
In 1946, he was promoted as the Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
of the Frontier Brigade Group. It was during this time that Colonel Ayub Khan - later Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
and President of Pakistan
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
, 1962-1969 - served under him. In 1947, Cariappa was the first Indian who was selected to undergo a training course at Imperial Defence College, Camberly, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on the higher directions of war. During the traumatic period of partition
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...
, he handled the division of the Indian Army
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...
and sharing of its assets between 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 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...
, in a most amicable, just and orderly manner. He was then the Indian officer in charge of overseeing the transition.
Post-Independence, Cariappa was appointed as the Deputy
Second-in-command
The Second-in-Command is the deputy commander of any British Army or Royal Marines unit, from battalion or regiment downwards. He or she is thus the equivalent of an Executive Officer in the United States Army...
Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff
The Chief of the General Staff is a post in many armed forces , the head of the military staff.See also:*Chief of the General Staff *Chief of General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces...
with the rank of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
. On promotion to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
he became the Eastern Army Commander. On outbreak of war with Pakistan in 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...
, he was moved as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
, Western Command and directed operations for the recapture of Zojila, Drass and Kargil
Kargil District
Kargil is a district of Ladakh, Kashmir, India. Kargil lies near the Line of Control facing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Baltistan to the west, and Kashmir valley to the south. Zanskar is part of Kargil district along with Suru, Wakha and Dras valleys...
and re-established a linkup with Leh. In all this, he showed tremendous energy in moving troops, against considerable odds and finally ensuring success. This ensured his elevation to the supreme post of commander in chief. He had two officers senior to him ---King Commissioned Officers(from Sandhurst) of the 1918 batch, KS Mahadeo Singh and MS Himmat Singh ji; but KS Mahadeo Singh ji had not enough combat experience and was superseded by Cariappa during the Second World War and finally retired in 1948. He is better remembered now as first Indian commandant of IMA, Dehradun. MS Himmat Singh ji remained as prisoner of war in Japan for 4 years (1939–43) which made him lose on war experience. When he returned, he remained with psy war/ propaganda section at army HQ and later became in charge of integration of princely state forces in Indian army after independence. In 1950, he headed committee on northern frontiers.(ref. memoirs of A A Rudra by maj gen D K Palit)
On being appointed as the first Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of an independent Indian Army
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...
on 15 January 1949, he was instrumental in the integration of troops and turning an imperial army into a national army.It was god sent opportunity as Lt Gen Roy Bucher had to go owing to differences with indian government on hyderabad and kashmir operations.
Higher Commands and Offices
His association with the Indian ArmyIndian 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...
is spread over an unbroken period of more than 29 years, during which he had wide experience of staff and command work. After his retirement from Indian Army
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...
in 1953, he served as the High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
till 1956.
Cariappa took active part in the reorganization of armed forces in many foreign countries. He was a much traveled man and visited parts of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and most of the European countries. He was conferred with 'Order of the Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
' by US President, Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
. As a token of gratitude of the nation for the exemplary service rendered by him, the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
conferred Cariappa with the rank of Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
in 1983.
Personality
During the 1965Indo-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...
and 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...
wars, he visited the front lines to talk to the troops and keep their morale up.
Apart from being a military man, Cariappa had insight about the status of the country. He is quoted as saying, "In modern warfare, a large army is not sufficient, it needs industrial potential behind it. If the army is the first line of defence, the industry is the second." Cariappa had even said that "soldiers know the facility of wars to solve the internal problems. We ought to be ashamed that today they had more peace in war than peace in peace." Such insight has placed him above many in this field. "Army is there to serve the Government of the day, and we should make sure that it does not get mixed up with party politics. A soldier is above politics and should not believe in caste or creed," was another insight of this soldier.
He lived and remained, as he said, "an 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...
n and to the last breath would remain an 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...
n. To me there is only two Stans - Hindustan
Hindustan
Hindustan or Indostan, literal translation "Land of River Sindhu ", is one of the popular names of South Asia. It can also mean "the land of the Hindus"...
(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...
) and Foujistan (the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
)."
During the 1965 war, his son, an Indian Air Force pilot, was shot down over Pakistan. He was captured and imprisoned as a POW. When Ayub Khan learned about this, he informed Cariappa he would not be kept in a POW Camp like other Indian POWs, since they had worked together before independence. But Cariappa politely declined the offer, saying every soldier in the Indian Army was his son, so he could not request special privileges for only one.
Post-retirement
Cariappa settled down amidst greenery and nature, in his house 'Roshanara' at Madikeri in KodaguKodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
, after his retirement from public service. He loved the environment and the flora and fauna around him. He spent a lot of his leisure time educating people about cleanliness, pollution control and other essential issues.
On 15 May 1993, Field Marshal Cariappa died in Bangalore, aged 94.
Rank Promotions
- Temporary Second Lieutenant, British Indian ArmyBritish Indian ArmyThe 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...
-1919 - Temporary Lieutenant-1921
- Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
(with effect from 1920; retroactive seniority and date of permanent commission from 1919)-1922 - LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
-1923 - CaptainCaptain (British Army and Royal Marines)Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
-1927 - Major-1938
- Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel-1942
- Temporary Brigadier-1944
- Lieutenant-Colonel-1946
- BrigadierBrigadier (United Kingdom)Brigadier is a senior rank in the British Army and the Royal Marines.Brigadier is the superior rank to Colonel, but subordinate to Major-General....
-1946 - Major-General, Indian ArmyIndian ArmyThe 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...
-1947 - Lieutenant-General-1948
- GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
(as Commander-in-Chief, India)-1949 - Field MarshalField Marshal (India)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...
-1983