Veer Bhogya Vasundhara

(The Brave Shall Inherit The Earth)

The Rajputana Rifles

L. N.  Subramanian

The Rajputana Rifles is the senior most rifle regiment of the Indian Army. The origins of the Regiment date back to early 17^th century when Rajputs were recruited to protect the operations of the East India Company. In the 18th century the battle for supremacy with the French did not go well for the British. The French units were composed of locals recruits with French officers. The stellar performance of the French local units made the British realize the need to raise local infantry units. Accordingly in January 1775 the East India Company raised its first local infantry units; the 5th and 6th battalions of the Bombay sepoys. The 5^th battalion performed superbly and was redesignated the 4^th Regiment Native Infantry (Rifle Corps) in 1841. It thus became the first Rifle Regiment of the Indian Army. 

In early 19^th century the  4^th Regiment Native Infantry was renamed as the 104 Wellesley’s Rifles. In 1921 the restructuring of the battalions saw it finally take on its current title, the 1^st battalion of the Rajputana Rifles Regiment. As a result of this re-organization other outstanding units the 120^th and 122^nd Rajputana Infantry, 123 Outram’s Rifles and 125 Napiers Rifles became the 2^nd,3^rd,4^th and 5^th battalions of the Rajputana Rifles Regiment. This was a very busy time in the regiment's history, and throughout these times the regiment was involved in battles around the world.

In 1817 the 4^th Raj Rif (a diminutive of Rajputana Rifles commonly used in historical accounts) had its baptism by fire in the Battle of Kirkee with the Marathas. The unit was resolute in defence earning itself the battle honor "Kirkee". In 1856 – 57 the 1st,2nd and 4^th were together in the Persian theatre of operations. Captain J. C. Wood of 2 Raj Rif got the first Victoria Cross (VC) in the regiment for storming Reshire Fort. In the same battle Subedar Major Mohammed Sharief and Subedar Peer Bhatt were recommended for the Victoria Cross ( VC) but were turned down as at that time the medal category was not open to Indians. In 1878 – 1880, during the 2^nd Afghan war, 1 Raj Rif marched 145 miles in 5 days from Quetta to Kandahar and laid siege to the city. In 1900–1902, 3 Raj Rif was part of a force used to quell the Boxer rebellion in China.

The First World War saw the regiment draw blood in battlefields from France to Palestine. 5 Raj Rif was in all theatres of the war and participated in General Allenby’s march to recapture Jerusalem. In this march the units got the better of their German and Turkish opponents and for this loyal service the regiment was honored with the title " Prince of Wales’s own".  

The advent of World War II caused the regiment to expand by raising 10 new battalions. In World War II the Rajputana Rifles fought in three different continents.

1 Raj Rif (Wellesley's) fought in Sidi Barrani and Kerena and it was also a part of General Archibald Wavell’s force that advanced into Libya. In Libya, it withstood everything Rommel threw at it and later 1 Raj Rif fought as a part of General Montgomery's 8^th Army at Cassino in Italy. 

4 Raj Rif (Outram’s) reached Suez in Oct 1939. It was a part of the Battle of Keren in 1941 where Subedar Richpal Ram won a posthumous Victoria Cross (VC). Richpal Ram joined the Regiment on Aug 1920 and was granted a Viceroy’s commission in 1936. In Keren after his company commander was wounded, Richpal took over the attack and captured the position. He then held out against six enemy counter attacks before shortage of ammunition forced him to extricate his company. Five days later yet again he attacked and captured the position. Although in this process a mortar round severed his leg, he continued to exhort his men till the end. 

4 Raj Rif moved to Syria before returning to North Africa. In the Battle of Djebel Garcito – Company Havildar Chelu Ram was awarded a posthumous VC. The Germans held Djebel Garcito, a barren hill as a last ditch stand in Tunisia. The 4 Raj Rif attack started on the night of 19/20 April 1943 but medium machinegun fire caused the attack to stall. Armed with a Thompson submachine gun Chelu Ram charged the machinegun  post and gunned down all five Germans inside it. After his company commander was wounded, Chelu Ram took over the company. Though he was wounded himself, he continued to lead the unit. Under his command the unit held off many German counter attacks. In the process of rushing from position to position he was wounded repeatedly and died in the field.

In the east five Raj Rif battalions took part in Burma operations. 7 Raj Rif was involved in the Malayan operations. 8 Raj Rif was in the Arakans and won a victory in the Battle of Rathedaung. 5 Raj Rif was moved to Imphal and took part in the offensive along the Imphal–Tiddim road. 3 Raj Rif crossed the Chindwin and spearheaded the advance to Irrawadi. 6 Raj Rif arrived in Sumatra and was responsible for law and order in the war-torn region. After the war ended all battalions except 6 Raj Rif were demobilized. The 6 Raj Rif was retained to carry out law and order maintenance duties in SE Asia.

Conflicts since Independence

Barely had the realization of freedom sunk in, the Rajputana Rifles were thrust into action when Pakistan launched Operation Gulmarg to annex the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1948. As ex- servicemen of the Pakistan Army and marauders from the tribal belts of Pakistan ransacked their way across the state, the Maharaja of Kashmir with the approval of Sheikh Abdullah, the leader of the democratic opposition signed the accession document in favor of India. The very next day the Indian Government rushed in troops to Srinagar.

The first units of 6 Raj Rif were flown into Srinagar on November 5 1947. In fierce action in the next few months the Raj Rif pushed the raiders back past Uri. It was here that the unit earned its first Maha Vir Chakra (MVC). On 29 April 1948, 6 Raj Rif was tasked with attacking a commanding hill feature. In the attack rifleman Dhonkal Singh was hit but despite his injury he crawled forward and threw a grenade that silenced the enemy. The attack resumed but was held up by another group of enemy soldiers. Again Dhonkal Singh crawled forward to kill two more of the enemy before losing his life. For this sustained effort in the face of the enemy, Rifleman Dhonkal Singh was awarded a posthumous Maha Vir Chakra.

Dhonkal Singh's bravery however was only the beginning, on 16^th July 1948, 6 Raj Rif under the command of Lt. Col. S. S. Kallan was given task of capturing Darapari hill, a dominating feature that was heavily defended by Pakistani Army irregulars. On 18^th July the battalion attacked along the narrow and razor sharp ridges. Company Havildar Major Piru Singh was with the lead assaulting company. As automatic fire felled many riflemen from the leading section, Piru Singh encouraged his men and charged the nearest machine gun killing the crew. A stray grenade burst wounded him but undaunted by this he charged the next trench and bayoneted two men. As he charged towards the next trench a bullet hit him in the head. In his dying moments he hurled a grenade wiping out those who had shot him. For conduct in battle above and beyond the call of duty, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra (PVC). This was a first for the Regiment and in spite of the casualties 6 Raj Rif went on to claim the Battle Honour ‘Darapari’.

Meanwhile 2 Raj Rif moved into Jammu & Kashmir in early 1948 and fought in Naushera, Jhangar and Rajauri. At Rajauri they attacked Pt 5460 where Havildar Chuna Ram despite being heavily wounded encouraged his men to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. For his display of leadership and courage in the face of daunting odds, he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. The battalion also bagged nine other Vir Chakras during these operations.

      The Sawai Man Guards (17 Raj Rif) arrived in May 1948 for the summer offensive. On 27^th June 1948, 17 Raj Rif under Lt. Col. Raj Singh was tasked with capturing the Ledigali at an altitude of 10000 feet, south of the Jhelum river. Attacking up the steep and slippery slopes with enemy firs pouring down, Lt. Col. Raj Singh's battalion fought for fiercely till the feature fell the next day. It then held out against numerous counter attacks. This fierce close quarters battle earned the 17 Raj Rif the Battle Honor ‘Ledigali’ and the right to celebrate Ledigali Day on 28 June each year.

5 Raj Rif moved in towards the end of the operations and was involved in actions in Rajauri, Bhimber Gali and Mendhar.

Even as the fighting raged in J&K, the Nizam of Hyderabad stoked by Pakistan was having visions of joining them. His irregular units, the Razakars let loose a rein of terror on the population of Hyderabad-Deccan. The Government of India finally was forced to under take a policing action to bring these criminals to justice. This was operation was codenamed Operation Polo.  4 Raj Rif took part in Operation Polo. The unit quickly crushed all opposition and also assisted 1 Mysore Infantry.

UN Peacekeeping Operations

The next involvement of the Regiment was in peacekeeping operations in Korea as part of custodian force to take care of POWs in August 1953. 5 Raj Rif spent a six month tour of duty earning admiration from the UN Force commander for handling its task with compassion and tact.

In the early 1960’s Katanganese rebels were trying to secede in Congo. UN forces were dispatched to restore law and order. 4 Raj Rif sailed from Bombay on March 1962 and arrived in Elizabethville. In December 1962 the Katanganese Gendarmarie equipped with armored cars, mortars and machine guns clashed with UN forces. 4 Raj Rif was tasked with driving them away. On 29 December a patrol led by Lt. V.P Trehan came under heavy medium machinegun fire. The young lieutenant led his men in a charge on the machinegun position but in the process was fatally wounded. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. The Battalion assaulted the Katanganese with great ferocity and scattered them. By 21 January 1962 they entered Kolwezi in the heart of Katanga. The rebels surrendered and the battalion returned to India in March 1963.

1965 Indo Pak War

The battalions of the Regiment were in the process of retraining with the newer weapons. These weapons were in the process of being procured as a result of the 1962 China conflict when word came about Pakistani encroachments in the Rann of Kutch. When some border police posts were attacked 17 Raj Rif was deployed and held a frontage of 150 kilometers. Meanwhile the Pakistani Army started infiltrating irregulars in the Jammu & Kashmir area and launched Operation Grand Slam in Chhamb in September 1965.

The Indian response was quick and the Raj Rif Regiment was in the thick of it. 3 Raj Rif was moved in the Poonch sector. Performing with distinction all the tasks assigned it to it, it earned the theatre honor "Jammu & Kashmir" and for his leadership Maj. Gen. S. S. Kalaan got the Maha Vir Chakra. 4 Raj Rif spearheaded the Indian attack in Sialkot. It was tasked with  capturing Charwa, an important communication center. Taking Charwa would enable Indian armor to breakout towards Sialkot. Commanded by Lt. Col. P. A. R. Choudhary, the battalion struck with speed and surprise. The audacious attack forced the enemy to flee earning the unit the Battle Honour ‘Charwa’. It then advanced to Phillora finally taking Alhar railway severing the link between Sialkot and Pasrur. This action earned them theatre honour "Punjab 65".

5 Raj Rif fought inside Pakistani territory up to Subzkot and 2 Raj Rif gave an excellent account of itself at Dera Baba Nanak. 

18 Raj Rif occupied the defenses near Khem Karan and got caught up in the Pakistani armored attack in that sector. The unit had occupied positions in hedgehog manner as a result they were initially over run in parts but yet others held out posing a major problem for the enemy. Lt. Col. Raghubir Singh maintained his cool and continued to employ his anti- tank weapons to destroy the tanks around them. A hopeless situation turned to victory. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra and four others got the Vir Chakra. The unit was also awarded the battle honor ‘Assal Uttar’.

1971 Indo Pak War

The inability of the Pakistani Dictator Yahya Khan to tide over his political failure in East Pakistan caused him to provoke a war with India. As the opening shot of this war Gen. Yahya Khan's Air Force conducted a pre-emptive strike on Indian airfields. 

Barely had the Pakistanis returned from their pre- emptive strikes on 3^rd December, 7 Raj Rif quickly captured Dhallai an enemy post on Tripura border. On 9/10 December the battalion was involved in a ferocious battle for Mynamati. Skillfully led by Lt. Col. A. S. Brar, they made an approach march of 12 km to surprise the enemy. Naik Sugan Singh twice crawled up to enemy pill boxes housing automatic weapons and silenced them with grenades. Wounded both times he died on account of his injuries.  For his gallant and sustained action in the face of the enemy, he was awarded Maha Vir Chakra. The unit also earned two Vir Chakras and battle honour ‘Mynamati’.

12 Raj Rif had prevailed in clashes with the Pakistanis before the war. As the war started the unit moved swiftly outflanking the roadblocks and occupied Dinajpur before moving on to capture Ichhamati on 15 December 1971. It was just short of Saidpur when the Pakistanis surrendered. Two anti-tank gunners of the battalion were posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra for knocking out enemy tanks. This unit also captured three Pakistani tanks intact. 

13 Raj Rif captured Bakshiganj fifteen kilometers inside East Pakistan and moved on till it reached Dacca on December 16^th 1971.  

19 Raj Rif also fought fiercely on its way to Dacca. In its first action, Captain J. S. Punia was killed leading an attack at Chandpur. It was followed by an attack on the heavily defended Pakistani position of Bahadurgarh. Towards the closing stages of the war it was responsible for capturing Pubail.

In the western front 4 Raj Rif held their line in the Uri sector and launched special raids to capture pockets of enemy territory. 6 and 8 Raj Rif also operated in the area. 9 Raj Rif operated in Krishnaghati sector while 11 Raj Rif remained in Bhimber Gali in Balnoi sector. 14 Raj Rif and a mechanized company of 18 Raj led the way in the Kathua- Shakargarh axis. 18 Raj Rif along with an armored brigade spearheaded the Indian offensive in the Shakargah sector. On the night of December 15 1971, it crossed the Basantar minefields under heavy shelling. This bold attack won it the battle honor ‘Basantar’.

Three other battalions served in the Rajasthan deserts. 17 Raj Rif advanced deep into Pakistan to capture Masitwaro Tar. 3 Raj Rif captured Islamgarh while 2 Raj Rif moved all the way to Parbat Ali before the ceasefire came to effect.

Counter Insurgency and other operations

Even when it was not at war with Pakistan, the Indian army has been involved in Counter Insurgency (CI) operations in the North East and J& K and the ongoing battle for the Siachen Glacier. The Raj Rif has always had a high profile in CI ops. Every battalion has served a tour in these operations starting with 3 Raj Rif tenure in the 1950’s. The rank and file quickly adapted to the cunning and guile required for these operations.

Captain Umed Singh Mahra was awarded a posthomus Ashok Chakra in Nagaland for exemplary courage.

They established their own intelligence networks and launched missions based on information gleaned from these networks. In one such example, a insurgent revealed the location of self-styled Brigadier Pavizo and his HQ. A raiding party led by A raiding party led by Captain Umed Singh Mahra of 19 Raj Rif made a night long march negotiating slippery slopes and fast flowing nullahs in the festering Nagaland jungles to surprise the hostiles in the early hours of 6^th July 1971. In the ensuing firefight Capt. Mahra was wounded in the stomach. The officer continued to lead what turned out to be one of the most successful raids in Nagaland resulting in the capture of large cache of arms, ammunition and important documents. He then uncomplainingly endured the long journey back before succumbing to his wounds. For his intense display of leadership, endurance and bravery he was awarded the Ashok Chakra. The regiment won three Kirti Chakras posthumously in this area. Other battalions also operated in Manipur and Assam with distinction.

The Future

The long list of battle honors and gallantry awards earned in blood over a 200 year history will continue to motivate the Regiment. In recent times its performance in India’s first TV war has served to educate to a wider audience about its unmatched gallantry and regimental élan. 

      As we enter the next century the trends in warfare place a greater reliance in technology. Success in war depends intricately on the ability of the soldier to use technology properly in the field. This however means that the man behind the machine has to have higher performance standards and accordingly the regiment’s modernization has been aimed at the cutting edge of soldiering

      The men and women of the regiment will continue to lend character and soul to the body called the Rajputana Rifles