Sam Manekshaw
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, MC
"Sam Bahadur" (lit. Sam the Brave) (3 April 1914 – 27 June 2008) was a Field Marshal
of the Indian Army. His distinguished military career spanned four decades and five wars. Manekshaw rose to be the 8th chief of staff
of the Indian Army in 1969 and under his command, Indian forces "concluded" a victorious campaign, the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War
, that led to the liberation of Bangladesh
.
Sam Manekshaw was the first of only two Indian military officers to hold the highest rank of Field Marshal in the Indian Army
(the other being Field Marshal K M Cariappa).
, Punjab
to Parsi parents, Hormusji Manekshaw, a doctor, and his wife Heerabai, who moved to the Punjab from the small town of Valsad
on the Gujarat coast. After completing his schooling in Amritsar
and Sherwood College
(Nainital), with distinction in the School Certificate examination of the Cambridge Board, he asked his father to send him to London
to study medicine. When his father refused to send him till he was older, in an act of rebellion Manekshaw appeared for and qualified in the entrance examination for enrolment into the Indian Military Academy
(IMA), Dehradun
and as a result became part of the first intake of 40 cadets on 1 October 1932. He graduated from the IMA on 4 February 1934 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the Indian Army
.
Manekshaw recalled at a function on 8 June 1969 on the centenary of Sherwood College after taking over as COAS
, that his years at the College had prepared him for war in World War II
as he had learnt here to live alone and independently, to fight without relent, tolerate hunger for long periods and to hate his enemy.
and Pakistan
after India's independence in 1947. He held several regimental, staff and command assignments. Manekshaw went on to become the eighth Chief of the Army Staff
, led the Indian Army successfully in a war with Pakistan
and become India's Second Field Marshal.
On commissioning Manekshaw was first attached to the 2nd Bn The Royal Scots, a British battalion as per the practices of that time, and later to the 4th Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment
.
as a captain with the 4/12 Frontier Force Regiment, and had the rare distinction of being honoured for his bravery on the battle front itself. He was commanding his battalion's 'A' Company in a counter-attack against the invading Japanese Army
and despite suffering 50% casualties the company achieved its objective, Pagoda Hill, which was a key position on the left of the Sittang bridgehead. After capturing the hill, he was hit by a burst of LMG bullets
and was severely wounded in the stomach. Major General D.T. Cowan spotted Manekshaw holding on to life and was aware of his valour in face of stiff resistance from the Japanese. Fearing the worst, Major General Cowan quickly pinned his own Military Cross
ribbon to Manekshaw saying, "A dead person cannot be awarded a Military Cross." The official recommendation for the MC states that the success of the attack "was largely due to the excellent leadership and bearing of Captain Manekshaw". The award was made official with the publication of the notification in a supplement to the London Gazette
of 21 April 1942 (dated 23 April 1942).
Manekshaw was almost pronounced dead when brought to Rangoon hospital with nine bullets in the lung, liver and kidneys. The military surgeon was reluctant to operate, seeing his hopeless condition, though Manekshaw was conscious. When the surgeon asked what had happened to him, he replied that he was "kicked by a donkey".
Having recovered from those near-fatal wounds in Burma, Manekshaw attended the 8th Staff Course at Staff College, Quetta
from 23 August to 22 December 1943, and was posted as Brigade Major
of the Razmak brigade till 22 October 1944 before being sent to join the 9th Battalion, 12 Frontier Force Regiment in Burma under General (later Field Marshal) Slim
's 14th Army
. Towards the end of World War II, Manekshaw was sent as staff officer to General Daisy in Indo-China where, after the Japanese surrender, he helped rehabilitate over 10,000 POWs. He then went on a six-month lecture tour to Australia in 1946, and after his return was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and served as a first grade staff officer in the Military Operations Directorate.
Upon partition, his parent unit 4/12 FFR became part of the Pakistan Army
, so Manekshaw was first empanelled with the 16th Punjab Regiment
and later to the 3rd Battalion 5th Gorkha Rifles which he was detailed to command. The tumultous events of partition required Manekshaw's retention in Army Headquarters as a Lt Colonel in the Military Operations directorate because of which he missed his chance to command an infantry battalion, subsequently being promoted to Brigadier and becoming the first Indian Director of Military Operations.
of British India in 1947, and later put his battle skills to use during the 1947–48 Jammu & Kashmir Operations. After command of an Infantry Brigade, he was posted as the commandant of the Infantry School Mhow and also became the colonel of 8 Gurkha Rifles (which became his new regimental home, since his original parent regiment the 12th Frontier Force Regiment went on to join the new Pakistan Army at partition) and 61 Cavalry. He commanded a division in Jammu & Kashmir and a corps in the North East, with a tenure as commandant of Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in between. As GOC-in-C Eastern Command, he handled the tricky problem of insurgency in Nagaland
and the grateful nation honoured him with a Padma Bhushan
in 1968.
on 7 June 1969. His years of military experience were soon put to the test as thousands of Hindu refugees from the erstwhile East Pakistan
(Bangladesh) started crossing over to India as a result of its (East Pak's) conflict with West Pakistan
(Pakistan). This resulted in India's decision to go to war as the large scale movement of refugees imposed a great economic burden and necessitated interference on grounds of human rights.
In end April 1971, Indira Gandhi, the strong and assertive Prime Minister of India at that time, asked Manekshaw if he was ready to go to war with East Pakistan. Manekshaw refused citing the dispersal of his formations, on-road state of his armour, pending harvest which would vie for rail carriage at that point of time the open Himalayan passes and the forthcoming monsoon. When she asked the cabinet to leave the room and the Chief to stay, he offered to resign on whatever grounds the Prime Minister chose. When she declined his resignation but asked for his advice, he asked permission to prepare for the conflict, make his preparations, set the date and he would guarantee victory. These were agreed to by Prime Minister Gandhi and Manekshaw was permitted to prepare the Indian Army for the forthcoming conflict in his own way.
The war ended with Pakistan's unconditional surrender, the end and victory of the Bangladesh liberation struggle. More than 45,000 Pakistani soldiers and 45,000 civilian personnel were taken as POWs. He masterminded the rout of the Pakistan Army
in one of the easiest and quickest surrenders in recent military history.
(then V. V. Giri
) awarded him a Padma Vibhushan
in 1972 and conferred upon him the rank of Field Marshal on 1 January 1973. Manekshaw became the first of the only two Indian Army Generals to be awarded this prestigious rank; the other being the late Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa. Manekshaw moved out of active service a fortnight later on 15 January 1973 after completing nearly four decades of military service, and settled down with his wife Silloo in Coonoor, the civilian town next to Wellington Military Cantonment
where he had served as Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College.
In May 2007, Gohar Ayub, son of Field Marshal Ayub Khan claimed that the retired Indian Army Chief Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw had sold some of Indian Army secrets to Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 for 20,000 rupees, but his accusations were dismissed by the Indian defence establishment.
Following his time in active service in the Indian Army, Manekshaw successfully served on the board of directors for numerous companies, and was Chairman of several of them as well
on 0030 hours, 27 June 2008 at the age of 94.
He was laid to rest in Ootacamund
, Tamil Nadu, with military honours, adjacent to his wife's grave. He is survived by two daughters and three grandchildren. The absence of top leaders at his funeral drew adverse comments from Indian citizens especially Non-resident Indians
.
Reportedly, his last words were "I'm okay!"
That year on 16 December, celebrated each year as "Vijay Diwas" in memory of the victory achieved under Manekshaw's leadership in 1971, a postage stamp depicting Manekshaw in his field marshal's uniform was released by President Pratibha Patil.
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...
Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
"Sam Bahadur" (lit. Sam the Brave) (3 April 1914 – 27 June 2008) was a 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...
of the Indian Army. His distinguished military career spanned four decades and five wars. Manekshaw rose to be the 8th chief of 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 in 1969 and under his command, Indian forces "concluded" a victorious campaign, the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War
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...
, that led to the liberation of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
.
Sam Manekshaw was the first of only two Indian military officers to hold the highest rank of Field Marshal in the Indian Army
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 K M Cariappa).
Early life and education
Manekshaw was born in AmritsarAmritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
to Parsi parents, Hormusji Manekshaw, a doctor, and his wife Heerabai, who moved to the Punjab from the small town of Valsad
Valsad
Valsad , formerly known as Bulsar, is a city and a municipality in the Valsad district of the Indian state of Gujarat. The city has a collectorate, a district court, and a police headquarters with a historic prison...
on the Gujarat coast. After completing his schooling in Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
and Sherwood College
Sherwood College
Sherwood College is a co-educational residential school in Nainital, Uttarakhand, India, serving grades 3 - 12.-History:Sherwood was founded in July, 1867. This project was the brain-child of a Dr. Condon, Mr. H.S. Reid and others and under the patronage of the Rt. Rev. Robert Milman, DD, the...
(Nainital), with distinction in the School Certificate examination of the Cambridge Board, he asked his father to send him to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to study medicine. When his father refused to send him till he was older, in an act of rebellion Manekshaw appeared for and qualified in the entrance examination for enrolment into the Indian Military Academy
Indian Military Academy
The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun is the officer training school of the Indian Army. IMA was established in 1932.-Demands for an Indian military training academy:...
(IMA), Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
and as a result became part of the first intake of 40 cadets on 1 October 1932. He graduated from the IMA on 4 February 1934 and was commissioned 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...
in 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...
.
Manekshaw recalled at a function on 8 June 1969 on the centenary of Sherwood College after taking over as COAS
Coas
Coaş is a commune in Maramureş County, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Coaş and Întrerâuri. These were part of Săcălăşeni Commune from 1968 to 2004, when they were split off to recreate a separate commune....
, that his years at the College had prepared him for war in 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...
as he had learnt here to live alone and independently, to fight without relent, tolerate hunger for long periods and to hate his enemy.
Military career
Manekshaw's military career spanned four decades, from the British era and World War II, to the three wars against ChinaChina
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...
and 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...
after India's independence in 1947. He held several regimental, staff and command assignments. Manekshaw went on to become the eighth Chief of the 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....
, led the Indian Army successfully in a war with 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 become India's Second Field Marshal.
On commissioning Manekshaw was first attached to the 2nd Bn The Royal Scots, a British battalion as per the practices of that time, and later to the 4th Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment
12th Frontier Force Regiment
The 12th Frontier Force Regiment was part of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922. It consisted of five regular battalions; numbered 1 to 5 and the 10th Battalion. During the Second World War a further ten battalions were raised. In 1945 the prenomial "12th" was dropped when the British...
.
World War II
During World War II, Manekshaw saw action in Burma in the 1942 campaign on the Sittang RiverSittang River
The Sittaung is a river in south central Myanmar in Bago Division. The Pegu Range separates its basin from that of the Irrawaddy. The river originates at the edge of the Shan Plateau southeast of Mandalay, and flows southward to the Gulf of Martaban...
as a captain with the 4/12 Frontier Force Regiment, and had the rare distinction of being honoured for his bravery on the battle front itself. He was commanding his battalion's 'A' Company in a counter-attack against the invading Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
and despite suffering 50% casualties the company achieved its objective, Pagoda Hill, which was a key position on the left of the Sittang bridgehead. After capturing the hill, he was hit by a burst of LMG bullets
Light machine gun
A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...
and was severely wounded in the stomach. Major General D.T. Cowan spotted Manekshaw holding on to life and was aware of his valour in face of stiff resistance from the Japanese. Fearing the worst, Major General Cowan quickly pinned his own Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
ribbon to Manekshaw saying, "A dead person cannot be awarded a Military Cross." The official recommendation for the MC states that the success of the attack "was largely due to the excellent leadership and bearing of Captain Manekshaw". The award was made official with the publication of the notification in a supplement to the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
of 21 April 1942 (dated 23 April 1942).
Manekshaw was almost pronounced dead when brought to Rangoon hospital with nine bullets in the lung, liver and kidneys. The military surgeon was reluctant to operate, seeing his hopeless condition, though Manekshaw was conscious. When the surgeon asked what had happened to him, he replied that he was "kicked by a donkey".
Having recovered from those near-fatal wounds in Burma, Manekshaw attended the 8th Staff 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...
from 23 August to 22 December 1943, and was posted as Brigade Major
Brigade Major
In the British Army, a Brigade Major was the Chief of Staff of a brigade. He held the rank of Major and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section directly and oversaw the two other branches, "A - Administration" and "Q - Quartermaster"...
of the Razmak brigade till 22 October 1944 before being sent to join the 9th Battalion, 12 Frontier Force Regiment in Burma under 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 14th Army
British Fourteenth Army
The British Fourteenth Army was a multinational force comprising units from Commonwealth countries during World War II. Many of its units were from the Indian Army as well as British units and there were also significant contributions from West and East African divisions within the British Army.It...
. Towards the end of World War II, Manekshaw was sent as staff officer to General Daisy in Indo-China where, after the Japanese surrender, he helped rehabilitate over 10,000 POWs. He then went on a six-month lecture tour to Australia in 1946, and after his return was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and served as a first grade staff officer in the Military Operations Directorate.
Upon partition, his parent unit 4/12 FFR became part 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...
, so Manekshaw was first empanelled with the 16th Punjab Regiment
16th Punjab Regiment
The 16th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 15th Punjab Regiments in 1956 to form the Punjab Regiment....
and later to the 3rd Battalion 5th Gorkha Rifles which he was detailed to command. The tumultous events of partition required Manekshaw's retention in Army Headquarters as a Lt Colonel in the Military Operations directorate because of which he missed his chance to command an infantry battalion, subsequently being promoted to Brigadier and becoming the first Indian Director of Military Operations.
Post-independence
Manekshaw showed acumen for planning and administration while handling the issues relating to PartitionPartition 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...
of British India in 1947, and later put his battle skills to use during the 1947–48 Jammu & Kashmir Operations. After command of an Infantry Brigade, he was posted as the commandant of the Infantry School Mhow and also became the colonel of 8 Gurkha Rifles (which became his new regimental home, since his original parent regiment the 12th Frontier Force Regiment went on to join the new Pakistan Army at partition) and 61 Cavalry. He commanded a division in Jammu & Kashmir and a corps in the North East, with a tenure as commandant of Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in between. As GOC-in-C Eastern Command, he handled the tricky problem of insurgency in Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
and the grateful nation honoured him with a Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 1968.
Army Chief: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Manekshaw became the 8th chief of army staff when he succeeded General KumaramangalamParamasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam
General Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam, PV, DSO, MBE was the 7th Chief of Staff of the Indian Army in the period . He was the last of the King's Commissioned Indian Officers trained at Sandhurst in the Indian Army.-Early life and education:P.P. Kumaramangalam was born to the Former Chief...
on 7 June 1969. His years of military experience were soon put to the test as thousands of Hindu refugees from the erstwhile East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
(Bangladesh) started crossing over to India as a result of its (East Pak's) conflict with West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
(Pakistan). This resulted in India's decision to go to war as the large scale movement of refugees imposed a great economic burden and necessitated interference on grounds of human rights.
In end April 1971, Indira Gandhi, the strong and assertive Prime Minister of India at that time, asked Manekshaw if he was ready to go to war with East Pakistan. Manekshaw refused citing the dispersal of his formations, on-road state of his armour, pending harvest which would vie for rail carriage at that point of time the open Himalayan passes and the forthcoming monsoon. When she asked the cabinet to leave the room and the Chief to stay, he offered to resign on whatever grounds the Prime Minister chose. When she declined his resignation but asked for his advice, he asked permission to prepare for the conflict, make his preparations, set the date and he would guarantee victory. These were agreed to by Prime Minister Gandhi and Manekshaw was permitted to prepare the Indian Army for the forthcoming conflict in his own way.
The war ended with Pakistan's unconditional surrender, the end and victory of the Bangladesh liberation struggle. More than 45,000 Pakistani soldiers and 45,000 civilian personnel were taken as POWs. He masterminded the rout 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...
in one of the easiest and quickest surrenders in recent military history.
Rank Promotions
- 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...
, British Indian Army-1934 - Lieutenant-1935
- Captain-1940
- Major-1943
- Lieutenant-Colonel-1945
- ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
-1946 - BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier 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....
-1947 - Brigadier, Indian Army-1950
- Major-General-December 1957
- Lieutenant-General-November 1962
- General (COAS)-8 June 1969
- Field MarshalField MarshalField 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...
-3 January 1973 to death
Honour and retirement
For his distinguished service to the country, the President of IndiaPresident of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
(then V. V. Giri
V. V. Giri
Varahagiri Venkata Giri , commonly known as V. V. Giri, was the fourth President of the Republic of India from 24 August 1969 to 23 August 1974.-Early life:...
) awarded him a Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
in 1972 and conferred upon him the rank of Field Marshal on 1 January 1973. Manekshaw became the first of the only two Indian Army Generals to be awarded this prestigious rank; the other being the late Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa. Manekshaw moved out of active service a fortnight later on 15 January 1973 after completing nearly four decades of military service, and settled down with his wife Silloo in Coonoor, the civilian town next to Wellington Military Cantonment
Wellington Cantonment
Wellington is a cantonment town in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu. It is the Regimental Centre for the Madras Regiment of the Indian Army. One of its most famous residents was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who died in the town on June 27, 2008....
where he had served as Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College.
In May 2007, Gohar Ayub, son of Field Marshal Ayub Khan claimed that the retired Indian Army Chief Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw had sold some of Indian Army secrets to Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 for 20,000 rupees, but his accusations were dismissed by the Indian defence establishment.
Following his time in active service in the Indian Army, Manekshaw successfully served on the board of directors for numerous companies, and was Chairman of several of them as well
Death
He died of complications from pneumonia at the Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
on 0030 hours, 27 June 2008 at the age of 94.
He was laid to rest in Ootacamund
Ootacamund
Ootacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
, Tamil Nadu, with military honours, adjacent to his wife's grave. He is survived by two daughters and three grandchildren. The absence of top leaders at his funeral drew adverse comments from Indian citizens especially Non-resident Indians
Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin
A Non-Resident Indian is an Indian citizen who has migrated to another country, a person of Indian origin who is born outside India, or a person of Indian origin who resides permanently outside India. Other terms with the same meaning are overseas Indian and expatriate Indian...
.
Reportedly, his last words were "I'm okay!"
That year on 16 December, celebrated each year as "Vijay Diwas" in memory of the victory achieved under Manekshaw's leadership in 1971, a postage stamp depicting Manekshaw in his field marshal's uniform was released by President Pratibha Patil.