Jat Regiment

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Jat Regiment
Jat Regiment Insignia (India).png
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
Size29 Battalions
23 Regular Infantry Battalions
4 Rashtriya Rifles Battalions (5 RR, 34 RR, 45 RR and 61 RR) and
2 Territorial Army Battalions (114 TA Bns and 151 TA Bns)
Regimental Centre Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
MottoSangathan Va Veerta (Unity And Valour)
War Cryजाट बलवान, जय भगवान (IAST:Jāt Balwān, Jai Bhagwān)
(The Jat is powerful, Victory to the Lord!)
Anniversaries20 Nov
Decorations24 (19 Battle Honours between 1839 and 1947, 5 post-independence)
3 Ashoka Chakra ribbon.svg Ashoka Chakra
1 UK Victoria Cross ribbon bar.svg Victoria Cross
2 UK George Cross ribbon.svg George Cross
13 Kirti Chakra ribbon.svg Kirti Chakra
8 Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg Maha Vir Chakra
3 UK Military Medal ribbon.svg Military Medal
53 Shaurya Chakra ribbon.svg Shaurya Chakra
39 Vir Chakra ribbon bar.svg Vir Chakra
343 Sena Medal ribbon.svg Sena Medal
Commanders
Colonel of
the Regiment		Major General Rajesh Sethi, AVSM, SM, VSM
Insignia
Regimental InsigniaThe insignia has a bugle indicating the Light Infantry antecedents of two of its battalions.

The Jat Regiment also known as The Royal Jats 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 3 Ashok Chakra, 1 Victoria Cross, 2 George Cross, 13 Kirti Chakra, 8 Mahavir Chakra, 3 Military Medal, 53 Shaurya Chakras, 39 Vir Chakras and 343 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. [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 as a garrison unit for local guard duties in 1795, [6] which later became an infantry battalion of the Bengal Army. [6] Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, many of the units of the Bengal Army were disbanded. Jats from the areas of today's western Uttar Pradesh and areas around Delhi were recruited to put down the Gurjar rebellion towards the end of 1857 and the beginning of 1858. After 1860, there was a substantial increase in the recruitment of Jats into the British Indian Army. From 1892, there was a move to convers infantry battalions to pure class/caste composition battalions. Two battalions of Hindu Jats - the 6th and 10th Infantry Regiments were formed from the 6th Bengal Infantry and 10th Bengal Infantry. Following World War I, there was an expansion in the number of battalions and both the regiments raised an additional battalion. Following the war, the composition of the Jat regiments were changed to 50% Hindu Jats, 25% Punjabi Mussalmans and 25% Rajput Mussalmans. [7]

Following the reorganisation of 1922, the 9th Jat Regiment was formed by merging four active battalions and one training battalion into a single regiment. The oldest battalion joining the Regiment was the 18th Infantry Regiment, which traced its unbroken history to the Calcutta Native Militia, raised in 1795. The prefix 9th came from this battalion, which was ninth in the seniority of raising of still surviving battalions raised by the East India Company. [7]

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!). [8]

Composition and recruitment

Soldiers of the Jat Regiment are recruited 89% from the Hindu Jat community of Northern India and rest from Sikh Jats and now under Agnipath Scheme all other castes of India are recruited. [9] [10] [11]

The Jat Regimental Centre

The Jat Regimental Centre is located in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. It traces its origins to the raising of Calcutta Native Militia on 10 July 1795. It went through the following changes - 1859 - The Alipore Regiment, 1861 - 22nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry (on conversion to Infantry of the line), 1861 - 18th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, 1864 - 18th (The Alipore) Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, 1885 - 18th Regiment of Bengal Infantry, 1902 - 18th Musalman Rajput Infantry, 1903 - 18th Infantry, 1922 - 10th Bn, the 9th Jat Regiment (along with 2nd Bn, 6th Jat Light Infantry Regiment and elements of 1/50th Kumaon) as the Training Centre, 1923 - Amalgamation with the elements of the disbanded 4th Bn, the 9th Jat Regiment, with the Training Battalion receiving the identity and seniority of the 18th Infantry, 1930 - 10th Bn, the 4th/9th Regiments (Combined training centre of the 4th Bombay Grenadiers and the 9th Jat Regiment), 1941 - 10th Bn, the 9th Jat Regiment (after the demerger of 4th Bombay Grenadiers’ training companies), 1942 - Regimental Centre, the 9th Jat Regiment and finally in 1945 as The Jat Regimental Centre. [7]

Regimental battalions

The Jat Regiment has 27 Battalions including 21 regular infantry battalions, 4 Rashtriya Rifles battalions and 2 Territorial Army battalions, as of August 2020. [12] [7] -

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
UnitRaising locationRaising dateRemarksReferences
Jat Regimental Centre Calcutta 1795Erstwhile The Calcutta Native Militia
1 Jat (LI) Fatehgarh 9 November 1803Raised as 1st Battalion, 22nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, 1824 - 43rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, 1843 - 43rd Regiment of Bengal Native (Light) Infantry, 1861 - 6th Regiment of Bengal Native (Light) Infantry, 1885 - 6th Regiment of Bengal (Light) Infantry, 1897 - 6th (Jat) Regiment of Bengal (Light) Infantry, 1901 6th Jat Light Infantry, 1921 - 6th Royal Jat Light Infantry, 1922 united with 119th Infantry (The Mooltan Regiment), 10th Jats, and 18th Infantry, to form 1st Bn, 9th Jat Regiment. Given the title 'Light Infantry' in 1842 and 'Royal' in 1921. Converted to 2 Mechanised Infantry Regiment in 1981. Battle honours - Nagpore, Afghanistan, Candahar 1842, Ghuznee 1842, Cabul 1842, Maharajpore, Sobraon, Ali Masjid, Afghanistan 1878-79, China 1900 and Afghanistan 1919. [13] [14]
2 Jat Bombay 29 October 1817Raised as 1st Bn, 10th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry, 1824 - 19th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry, 1885 - 19th Regiment of Bombay Infantry, 1901 - 19th Bombay Infantry, 1903 - 119th Infantry (The Mooltan Regiment), 1922 - 2nd Bn (The Mooltan Bn), the 9th Jat Regiment, 1945 - 2nd Bn (Mooltan), the Jat Regiment.
3 Jat Dinapur 23 June 1823Raised as 1st Bn, 33rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, 1824 - 65th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, 1861 - 10th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, 1885 - 10th Regiment of Bengal Infantry, 1897 - 10th (Jat) Regiment of Bengal Infantry, 1901 - 10th Jat Infantry, 1903 - 10th Jats, 1922 - 3rd Bn, the 9th Jat Regiment, 1945 - 3rd Bn, the Jat Regiment. Battle honours Zoji La and Dograi. [15]
4 Jat Bareilly 15 January 1962First raising July 1795 at Calcutta. Amalgamated with the 10th Training Battalion in 1922. Reraised 15 July 1940 at Jhelum. Disbanded after surrender at Singapore on 14 February 1942. Re-raised by Lieutenant Colonel Amar Singh, nicknamed Saviours of Fazilka.
5 Jat Varanasi 1 February 1941Raised by Lieutenant Colonel WM Morgan MC as 5th Bn, the 9th Jat Regiment. Theatre honour Burma, Rajouri, Ladakh and Punjab, and battle honour Phillora. Nicknamed Phillora Captors. [16]
6 JatBareilly1 February 1941Raised by Lieutenant Colonel DA Brett GC, OBE, MC as 6th Bn, the 9th Jat Regiment. Nicknamed Gallant Sixth. [17]
7 JatBareilly15 November 196211th TA Battalion was converted to a regular battalion and named 7 Jat on 15 September 1940. Disbanded after World War II. Re-raised by Lieutenant Colonel Sangram Singh.
8 JatBareilly14 December 195912th TA Battalion was converted to a regular battalion and named 8 Jat on 15 September 1941. Disbanded after World War II. Re-raised by Lieutenant Colonel Kushal Singh.
9 JatBareilly1 January 196311th TA Battalion of 14th Punjab Regiment was converted to a regular battalion and named 9 Jat on 15 September 1941. Re-raised by Major KS Rawat.
11 JatBareilly1 April 1964Raised by Major BR Saharan.
12 JatBareilly6 February 1970Raised by Lieutenant Colonel Nand Lal.
14 JatBareilly1 October 196312th TA Battalion of 14th Punjab Regiment was converted to a regular battalion and named 9 Jat on 15 September 1941. Disbanded after World War II. Re-raised by Major Daljeet Singh. [18]
15 JatBareilly15 May 197625th Garrison Battalion raised in 1941 was converted to a regular battalion and named 15 Jat on 15 August 1943. Amalgamated with 2 Jat after World War II. Re-raised by Lieutenant Colonel JS Choudhary.
16 JatBareilly1 October 1964Raised by Major SS Hasabnis VSM, the first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel JN Sen. COAS unit citation in 2005 and 2011. [19]
17 Jat Jabalpur 1 June 1966Raised by Lieutenant Colonel PA Patole. Theatre honour Kargil and battle honour Mushkoh. [20]
18 Jat Secunderabad 1 October 1966Raised by Lieutenant Colonel Jagwant Singh Sindhu.
19 JatBareilly1 August 1980Raised by Lieutenant Colonel AS Reddy.
20 JatBareilly27 February 1985Raised by Colonel NS Gill.
21 JatBareilly1 November 1987Raised by Colonel AK Mehra
22 JatBareilly1 December 2013Raised by Colonel AK Butail. Nicknamed Jaguars.
23 JatBareilly1 July 2016Raised by Colonel TS Hothi [21]
24 JatBareilly1 September 2020Raised by Colonel JS Gill. [22]
5 Rashtriya Rifles Ranikhet 15 October 1990Raised by Colonel HC Sah.
34 Rashtriya RiflesBareilly1 September 1994Raised by Colonel RJS Dhillon YSM, VSM. Bravest of the Brave.
45 Rashtriya RiflesBareilly1 July 2001Raised by Colonel SD Mehta.
61 Rashtriya RiflesBareilly1 July 2004Raised by Colonel Sanjeev Dogra.
114 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Dehradun 1 October 1960Raised by Lieutenant Colonel MS Sehgal.
151 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Muzaffarpur 18 January 2001Raised by Colonel AK Gupta.

Battle honours

Pre-1947

[23]

Post-1947

[24]

Theatre honours
Battle honours

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, Operation Rakshak 2018

Gallantry awards

Jat War Memorial, Bareilly - 1995 postal stamp Stamp of India - 1995 - Colnect 163733 - Jat War Memorial Bareilly.jpeg
Jat War Memorial, Bareilly - 1995 postal stamp
Pre independence
Post independence

ϯ - indicates that the award was given posthumously.

Affiliations

The Jat Regiment is affiliated to INS Trishul of the Indian Navy on 20 January 2009. It was affiliated with the No. 24 Squadron of the of the Indian Air Force on 19 November 2010. [7] [59]

Others

The Jat Regiment marching contingent passes through the Rajpath. The Ragiment contingent was adjudged as " Best Marching Contingent " in the year of 1974, 2007 & 2021 in New Delhi 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. The Ragiment contingent was adjudged as " Best Marching Contingent " in the year of 1974, 2007 & 2021 in New Delhi

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. [62] 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.[ citation needed ]

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 ] [64]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Army's Jat Regiment Best Marching Contingent in Republic Day 2007 and 2021 Parade | India Defence Archived 2 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 Army's Jat Regiment Best Marching Contingent in Republic Day 2007 Parade | India Defence http://www.dsalert.org/gallantry-awards/shaurya-chakra
  3. ↑ "BHARAT RAKSHAK MONITOR: Volume 3(4)". Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011..
  4. ↑ Cornwell, Richard (28 February 2012). "2 Anti-Tank Regiment, Saa -Tank and Anti-Tank in the Western Desert, 1940-1942 (Part Iv)". Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies. 6 (4). doi: 10.5787/6-4-845 . ISSN   2224-0020.
  5. ↑ The Times History of the War: The Battlefield of Europe. Woodward & Van Slyke
  6. 1 2 "The valiant Jat soldier – The Tribute" . Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Khanna, Lt Gen KK (2022). History of the Jat Regiment, Volume 4. The Jat Regimental Centre, Bareilly.
  8. ↑ Raghavan, V.R. (1997). Infantry in India. India: Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. ISBN   8125904840.
  9. ↑ "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army". www.indianarmy.nic.in. 1 January 1980. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Sachdeva, Sujata Dutta (6 November 2005). "SUNDAY DEBATE: Should there be reservation in the Indian Army?". Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. It recruits under two broad categories. The first comprises various regiments such as the Jat, Sikh, Garhwal and Kumaon Regiment. These are made up of soldiers with a similar background. For example, the Jat Regiment recruits only Jats, the Garhwal Regiment recruits only Garhwalis and so on.
  11. ↑ Mohan, Vijay (6 July 2016). "Jat Regiment raises new battalion". The Tribune . Archived from the original on 6 May 2020. The Jat Regiment, which draws its manpower primarily from the state of Haryana and its adjoining areas, ...
  12. ↑ "REGIMENTAL HISTORY" . Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  13. ↑ "2nd Battalion The Mechanised Infantry Regiment [1 Jat ( LI)]". 16 November 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "6th Jat Light Infantry" . Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  15. ↑ "3rd Battalion The Jat Regiment". 21 September 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  16. ↑ "5th Battalion The Jat Regiment". 1 February 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  17. ↑ "6th Battalion The Jat Regiment". 1 February 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  18. ↑ "14th Battalion The Jat Regiment". 1 October 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  19. ↑ "16th Battalion The Jat Regiment". 1 October 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  20. ↑ "17th Battalion The Jat Regiment". 1 June 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  21. ↑ "Jat Regiment raises new battalion". 6 July 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  22. ↑ "24th battalion of Jat Regiment to be raised in Bareilly". The Times of India . 31 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  23. ↑ "Indian Army List for January 1941, page 782" . Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  24. ↑ "Official Website of Indian Army" . Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  25. ↑ "We Were There – Medals and Awards – Victoria Cross Winners". Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  26. ↑ "No. 37294". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 October 1945. pp. 4889–1898.
  27. ↑ "No. 37717". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 September 1946. p. 4507.
  28. ↑ "DINESH RAGHU RAMAN | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019.
  29. ↑ "JOJAN THOMAS | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017.
  30. ↑ "Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani" . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  31. ↑ "Naik Sishpal Singh" . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  32. ↑ "Havildar Fateh Singh" . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  33. ↑ "Major Ajit Singh" . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  34. ↑ "Lieutenant Colonel Desmond Hayde" . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  35. ↑ "Major Asa Ram Tyagi" . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  36. ↑ "Captain Anuj Nayyar" . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  37. ↑ "Brigadier Joginder Singh Bakshi" . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  38. ↑ "Captain Anuj Nayyar" . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  39. ↑ "Naib Subedar Daya Nand" . Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  40. ↑ "Captain Harpal Singh Ahluwalia" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  41. ↑ "Major Mohinder Singh Kadyan" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  42. ↑ "Major Ram Singh Saharan" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  43. ↑ "Subedar Nopa Ram" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  44. ↑ "Major Krishna Murthy Balasubramaniam" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  45. ↑ "Captain Dilip Kumar Jha" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  46. ↑ "Lance Naik Sohanvir" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  47. ↑ "Sepoy Sarwan Kumar Dhukiya" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  48. ↑ "Sepoy Suresh" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  49. ↑ "Major Shatrujeet Kotwal" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  50. ↑ "Major Kumandur Prabhakar Vinay" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  51. ↑ "Major Tushar Gauba" . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  52. ↑ "RAJ KUMAR SURI | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019.
  53. ↑ "Gallantry Awards | Ministry of Defence, Government of India".
  54. ↑ "HARISH CHANDRA SHARMA | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019.
  55. ↑ "NARAIN SINGH | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019.
  56. ↑ "Gallantry Awards | Ministry of Defence, Government of India".
  57. ↑ "DHARAJIT SINGH CHAHAR | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019.
  58. ↑ "1971 war veteran felicitated".
  59. ↑ "NS Trishul is a guided missile frigate of Indian Navy & is affiliated with JAT Regiment". 18 November 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  60. ↑ Press Trust of India (19 February 2014). "Jat Regiment's battalion gets environment award". Business Standard India. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  61. ↑ "National helpline for soldiers, Army widows | India News". The Times of India . 2 February 2014.
  62. ↑ Dalrymple (2013), pp. 444–445
  63. ↑ "New Pakistan army chief's brother died in 1971 Battle of Majors in Fazilka". Indian Express. 1 December 2013.
  64. ↑ "India Military Guide".

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