Jat Regiment

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Jat Regiment
Rgt-jat.gif
Regimental Insignia of the Jat Regiment
Active1795 – present [1]
CountryBritish Raj Red Ensign.svg  British India (1795–1947)
Flag of India.svg  India (1947–present)
AllegianceFlag of India.svg  India
BranchEnsign of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps.svg  British Indian Army (1795–1947)
Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army (1947–present)
TypeLine Infantry
Role Infantry
Size24 Battalions
Regimental Centre Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
Motto(s)Sangathan Va Veerta (Unity And Valour)
War CryJat Balwan, Jai Bhagwan (The Jat is powerful, Victory to god!)
AnniversariesJuly
Decorations2 Victoria cross
2 George Cross
24 Battle honour
8 Maha Vir Chakra
4 Ashoka Chakra
12 Kirti Chakra
46 Shaurya Chakra
39 Vir Chakra
253 Sena Medal
Commanders
Colonel of
the Regiment
Major General Sanjeev Dogra
Insignia
Regimental InsigniaThe insignia has a bugle indicating the Light Infantry antecedents of two of its battalions.

The Jat Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, of which it is one of the longest-serving and most decorated regiments. [2] The regiment has won 19 battle honours between 1839 and 1947, [3] and post-independence it has won five battle honours, including 2 Victoria Cross, 2 George Cross, 8 Mahavir Chakra, 8 Kirti Chakra, 34 Shaurya Chakras, 39 Vir Chakras and 253 Sena Medals. [2] [4] During its 200-year service history, the regiment has participated in various actions and operations in India and abroad, including the First and the Second World Wars. Numerous battalions of the Jat Regiment, including the 14th Murray's Jat Lancers, fought in the First World War. [5]

Contents

History

The Jat Regiment Insignia during British India (Pre-1947) The Jat Regiment Insigna British India.JPG
The Jat Regiment Insignia during British India (Pre-1947)

The Regiment claims its origins from the Calcutta Native Militia that was raised in 1795, [6] which later became an infantry battalion of the Bengal Army. The 14th Murray's Jat Lancers was formed in 1857. [6] After 1860, there was a substantial increase in the recruitment of Jats into the British Indian Army. The Class Regiment(The Jats) was initially created in 1897 as infantry units from old battalions of the Bengal Army. In January 1922, at the time of the grouping of the Class Regiments of the Indian Army, the 9th Jat Regiment was formed by merging four active battalions and one training battalion into a single regiment.[ citation needed ]

The 1st Battalion was raised as the 22nd Bengal Native Infantry in 1803.[ citation needed ] The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were raised in 1817 and 1823 respectively. All three battalions had distinguished records of service, including the winning of many honours during World War I.[ citation needed ]

A World War I (1914-1918) Jat Army Officer's Brass Button WW1-Jat Army Officer's Button-of the 9th JAT Regiment.jpg
A World War I (1914–1918) Jat Army Officer's Brass Button


14th Murray's Jat Lancers (Risaldar Major) by AC Lovett (1862-1919) 14th Murrays Jat Lancers (Risaldar Major) by AC Lovett (1862-1919).jpg
14th Murray's Jat Lancers (Risaldar Major) by AC Lovett (1862–1919)

Battle cry

The battle cry, adopted in 1955, in Hindi, is जाट बलवान, जय भगवान (IAST: Jāt Balwān, Jai Bhagwān) (The Jat is Powerful, Victory Be to God!). [7]

Composition and recruitment

Soldiers of the Jat Regiment are recruited 89% from the Jat community and rest from other castes of North India. [8] [9] [10]

Regimental battalions

Commemorative stamp celebrating the Jat Regiment in uniforms of the regiment, past and present Stamp of India - 1983 - Colnect 168540 - Jat Regiment.jpeg
Commemorative stamp celebrating the Jat Regiment in uniforms of the regiment, past and present

The Jat regiment has 21 regular battalions, 4 Rastriya Rifles battalions and 2 territorial army battalions, as of August 2020. [11] [12]

UnitRaising locationRaising dateRemarks
Jat Regimental Centre Calcutta 1795Erstwhile The Calcutta Native Militia
1 Jat (LI) Fatehgarh 1803Now converted to 2 Mechanised Infantry Regiment
2 Jat Bombay 29 Oct 1817former 119th Infantry (The Mooltan Regiment)
3 Jat Dinapur 23 Jun 1823Former 10th Jats; Battle of Dograi
4 Jat Bareilly 15 Jan 1962Re-raising; Saviours of Fazilka
5 Jat Varanasi 1 Feb 1941Phillora Captors
6 JatBareilly1 Feb 1941
7 JatBareilly15 Nov 1962Re-raising, former 11th Jat
8 Jat Jabalpur 14 Dec 1941
9 JatBareilly1 Jan 1963Re-raising
11 JatBareilly1 Apr 1964
12 JatBareilly6 Feb 1970
14 JatBareilly1 Oct 1963
15 JatBareilly15 May 1976Re-raising
16 JatBareilly1 Oct 1964
17 JatJabalpur1 Jun 1966Kargil
18 Jat Secunderabad 1 Oct 1966
19 JatBareilly1 Aug 1980
20 JatBareilly27 Feb 1985
21 JatBareilly1 Nov 1987
22 JatBareilly1 Dec 2013Jaguars
23 JatBareilly1 Jul 2016
24 JatBareilly1 Sep 2020
5 Rashtriya Rifles Ranikhet 15 Oct 1990
34 Rashtriya RiflesBareilly1 Sep 1994Bravest of the Brave
45 Rashtriya RiflesBareilly1 Aug 2001
61 Rashtriya RiflesBareilly30 Jun 2004
114 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Dehradun 1 Oct 1960
151 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Muzaffarpur 18 Jan 2002

Gallantry awards

Battle honours

Pre-1947

Post-1947

[13]

Unit citations

When a unit is decorated for counter-insurgency operations, unit citations are given instead of battle or theatre honours.

  • 4th battalion, Nagaland 1995
  • 7th battalion, J&K 1997, J&K 2003 & Operation Rhino 2016
  • 11th battalion, Operation Rakshak 2011
  • 34th battalion Rashtriya Rifles, J&K 1997
  • 17th battalion, Operation Vijay 1999
  • 16th battalion, Operation Rakshak 2005 & 2011
  • 21st battalion, Operation Rhino 2009
  • 22nd Battalion (JAGUARS), Operation Rakshak 2018

Victoria Cross

George Cross

Maha Vir Chakra

Vir Chakra

  • Brig. Umesh Singh Bawa, 17 Jat, Kargil 1999
  • Lt. Col Raj Kumar Suri, 4 Jat, 1971 war [20]
  • Maj. Harish Chandra Sharma, 4 Jat 1971 war [21]
  • Maj. Narain Singh, 4 Jat 1971 war [22]
  • Maj. Deepak Rampal, 17 Jat, Kargil 1999
  • Havildar Kumar Singh Sogarwal, 17 Jat, Kargil 1999
  • Havildar Shish Ram Gill, 8 Jat, Kargil 1999
  • Sep Dharajit Singh Chahar, 4 Jat, 1988
  • Sub (later Capt.) Pahlad Singh, 2 Jat, 1971 war

[23]

Ashok Chakra

Others

The Jat Regiment marching contingent passes through the Rajpath during the 66th Republic Day Parade, 2015 The Jat Regiment marching contingents passes through the Rajpath during the 66th Republic Day Parade 2015, in New Delhi on January 26, 2015.jpg
The Jat Regiment marching contingent passes through the Rajpath during the 66th Republic Day Parade, 2015

Battles fought

After the Battle of Kabul (1842), Governor General Lord Ellenborough had ordered Major General William Nott, who was commanding British-Indian forces, to recover a set of ornate gates known as the Somnath Gates, which had been looted from India by the Afghans and hung at the tomb of Sultan Mahmud II. [30] A whole sepoy regiment, the 43rd Bengal Native Infantry—which later became the 6th Jat Light Infantry after the Indian Rebellion of 1857—was tasked with carrying the gates back to India. [31]

In 1965 India-Pakistan War, 3 soldiers from Jat regiment under Lt Col (now Brig Retd) Desmond Hayde on 1 September and then again on 21–22 September, crossed the Ichhogil Canal and in the Battle of Dograi captured Dograi right up to Batapore-Attocke Awan, advancing towards Lahore.

In the 1999 Kargil War, five of the regiment's battalions took part. The regiment has also contributed battalions to UN missions in Korea and Congo. It was also involved in counter-insurgency operations that have kept the Indian Army busy ever since independence.[ citation needed ] [33]

See also

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References

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Further reading