Pran Nath Thapar
Encyclopedia
General Pran Nath Thapar (Punjabi
: ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਨਾਥ ਥਾਪਰ; May 23, 1906 - June 23, 1975) was the fifth Chief of Army Staff
of the Indian army
.
. After graduating from Government College, Lahore, he trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. His wife Bimla Thapar (née Bashiram), whom he married in March 1936, was the eldest daughter of Rai Bahadur Sahgal Bashiram and granddaughter of Rai Bahadur Ramsaran Das. General Thapar had four children, including the veteran journalist Karan Thapar
. The historian, Romila Thapar
is his niece and the conservationalist and tiger expert, Valmik Thapar
is his great nephew. The writer, Nayantara Sahgal
was his sister-in-law, the second of the three daughters born to Jawaharlal Nehru
's sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
.
in 1926. He did his regimental duties with the 1st Punjab Regiment for ten years and later attended the staff courses at Quetta
and Minley Manor
in England.He served in Burma during the second World War in 1941 and later in the Middle East and Italy. He was appointed as Assistant Military Secretary in 1945. He commanded 1st Battalion of the 1st Punjab Regiment in Indonesia in 1946 and later went on to serve as the Commander of the 161 Indian Infantry Brigade in East Bengal. During the Partition of India, Thapar officiated as the Director of Military Operations and Intelligence. In November 1947, he was promoted to the rank of Major General
. He served as the Chief of the General Staff for a few months and later as Military Secretary until August 1949. He was appointed Master General of Ordnance on August 1949. He commanded an Infantry Division for four years till 1954 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General
in 1954 as Commander of a Corps
. He was selected to attend the Imperial Defence College, London in 1955. After successful completion of the course, he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command. He became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Command in 1959. Thapar took over as Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
on 8 May 1961 and served until 19 November 1962. He was also Colonel of the Rajputana Rifles
. He was head of Indian army during Chinese aggression against India and the Indian army suffered it's worse humiliation during his leadership in the ensuing war. He resigned from his post in disgrace.
from August 1964 to January 1969. He died on his farm in Chhattarpur, New Delhi on 23 June 1975 at the age of 69.
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
: ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਨਾਥ ਥਾਪਰ; May 23, 1906 - June 23, 1975) was the fifth 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....
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...
.
Personal life
General Pran Nath Thapar was born on May 23, 1906 into a prominent Punjabi family. He was the youngest son of Diwan Bahadur Kunj Behari Thapar of LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. After graduating from Government College, Lahore, he trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. His wife Bimla Thapar (née Bashiram), whom he married in March 1936, was the eldest daughter of Rai Bahadur Sahgal Bashiram and granddaughter of Rai Bahadur Ramsaran Das. General Thapar had four children, including the veteran journalist Karan Thapar
Karan Thapar
Karan Thapar is one of India's noted television commentators and interviewers. He is the youngest child of General P. N. Thapar and Mrs. Bimla Thapar.-Education:...
. The historian, Romila Thapar
Romila Thapar
Romila Thapar is an Indian historian whose principal area of study is ancient India.-Work:After graduating from Panjab University, Thapar earned her doctorate under A. L. Basham at the School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London in 1958...
is his niece and the conservationalist and tiger expert, Valmik Thapar
Valmik Thapar
Valmik Thapar is an Indian natural historian and foremost among Tiger conservationists. He is the author of 14 books and several articles, and has produced a range of programmes for television...
is his great nephew. The writer, Nayantara Sahgal
Nayantara Sahgal
Nayantara Sahgal is an Indian writer in English. Her fiction deals with India's elite responding to the crises engendered by political change; she was one of the first female Indo-Anglian writers to receive wide recognition...
was his sister-in-law, the second of the three daughters born to Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
's sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit was an Indian diplomat and politician, the sister of Jawaharlal Nehru, the aunt of Indira Gandhi and the great-aunt of Rajiv Gandhi, all of whom served as Prime Minister of India.In 1921 she married Ranjit Sitaram Pandit, who died on 14 January 1944...
.
Career
He was commissioned into the 1st Punjab Regiment1st Punjab Regiment
The 1st Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 14th, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956, to form the Punjab Regiment....
in 1926. He did his regimental duties with the 1st Punjab Regiment for ten years and later attended the staff courses at 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...
and Minley Manor
Minley Manor
Minley Manor is a Grade 2 listed country manor house, built in the French style by Henry Clutton in the 1860s with further additions in the 1880s. The Manor is situated 2 miles north of junction 4A of the M3 between Farnborough and Yateley in Hampshire, England and is situated in 38 hectares of...
in England.He served in Burma during the second World War in 1941 and later in the Middle East and Italy. He was appointed as Assistant Military Secretary in 1945. He commanded 1st Battalion of the 1st Punjab Regiment in Indonesia in 1946 and later went on to serve as the Commander of the 161 Indian Infantry Brigade in East Bengal. During the Partition of India, Thapar officiated as the Director of Military Operations and Intelligence. In November 1947, he was promoted to 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...
. He served as the Chief of the General Staff for a few months and later as Military Secretary until August 1949. He was appointed Master General of Ordnance on August 1949. He commanded an Infantry Division for four years till 1954 and was promoted to the rank of 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....
in 1954 as Commander of a Corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
. He was selected to attend the Imperial Defence College, London in 1955. After successful completion of the course, he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command. He became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Command in 1959. Thapar took over as 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....
on 8 May 1961 and served until 19 November 1962. He was also Colonel of the Rajputana Rifles
Rajputana Rifles
The Rajputana Rifles is the most senior rifle regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1921 as part of the British Indian Army, when six previously existing regiments were amalgamated together to form six battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles...
. He was head of Indian army during Chinese aggression against India and the Indian army suffered it's worse humiliation during his leadership in the ensuing war. He resigned from his post in disgrace.
Later life
After retirement, he was appointed as Indian Ambassador to AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
from August 1964 to January 1969. He died on his farm in Chhattarpur, New Delhi on 23 June 1975 at the age of 69.