| Jammu and Kashmir Rifles | |
|---|---|
 Regimental Insignia of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles | |
| Active | 1821 – present |
| Country |  India |
| Branch |  Indian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | 23 battalions |
| Regimental Centre | Jabalpur,Madhya Pradesh |
| Mottos | Prashasta Ranveerta ("Valour in Battle is Praiseworthy")[1] |
| War Cry | Durge Mata Ki Jai ("Victory to MotherDurga")[1] |
| Decorations | See below |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Lieutenant General MP Singh, YSM, SM[2] |
| Insignia | |
| Regimental Insignia | An oval embracing the Sun, the State emblem. The Sanskrit inscription around the Sun, which cannot be read on the regimental insignia above, translates as, "Ever Victorious in War"[1] |
TheJammu and Kashmir Rifles is aninfantryregiment of theIndian Army. Its origins lay in theJammu and Kashmir State Forces of the princely state ofJammu and Kashmir. After the accession of the state to theIndian Union in October 1947, the State Forces came under the command of the Indian Army. They remained in the original form until 1956, whenJammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly effectively ratified the state's accession to India. Then the State Forces became theJammu and Kashmir Regiment of the Indian Army.[3] In 1963, the designation was changed to Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. After the conversion, theLadakh Scouts came under the aegis of the Regiment, where it remained until raised as a separate Regiment in 2002.[4]
The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regiment traces its origin to the Dogra Kingdom of Jammu and KashmirMaharaja Gulab Singh, the first ruler of Jammu and Kashmir raised this Force in 1820 at Jammu. The earlier exploits of the Regiment includes the annexation of the entire Hill Region of Jammu and the Kashmir Valley.General Zorawar Singh, who had joined the State Forces in 1823, assisted in expansion of the state's territory to includeLadakh,Baltistan,Tibet,Gilgit,Yasin,Darel,Hunza Nagar,Chilas andChitral between 1834 and 1895.[5]
Maharaja Pratap Singh offered three Infantry Battalions and one Mountain Battery for service under the British during theFirst World War. The Regiment saw action in the East Africa, Palestine and Mesopotamia and won the Battle Honours ofMegiddo,Nablus,Kilimanjaro,Behobeho,Palestine andSharon. The Regiment was honoured with a total of 31 decorations.[6] Following the war, the troops were welcomed on a grand scale at theJammu Railway Station, following which the returning battalions marched through Jammu City displaying their war trophies, which included the German insignia – the Brass Eagle, the German flag and German artillery.[7]
Immediately after the First World War, the 1st Jammu and Kashmir Mountain Battery and 1 Jammu and Kashmir Infantry participated in theThird Afghan War and were awarded 23 Meritorious Service Medals.
The Regiment sawaction in Burma where 23 of its person were decorated. Two Battle Honours,Kennedy Peak andMeiktila were awarded to the Regiment.
The greatest trial of the Regiment came in theIndo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948. All nine Battalions of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles were strung over 500 miles of the frontier, fromKathua in the South toLeh in the North. Although outnumbered and partially compromised by internal betrayal, the units resistance managed to delay the attacking force. This delay proved strategically critical, as it allowed time for the State of Jammu and Kashmir to accede to India and for Indian forces to intervene, thereby influencing the outcome of the conflict.[8] A total of 18 Officers, 37 Junior Commissioned Officers, 1194 Other ranks and 34 Non Combatants laid their life during the war. The regiment was awarded with two Maha Vir Chakras (including the firstMaha Vir Chakra of Independent India awarded to Late Brigadier Rajinder Singh[9]), 18Vir Chakras and 52 Mentioned in Despatches.[10]
On 18 March 1956 a Pakistani force launched an attack against 4 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, then deployed to guardHusainiwala Headworks. During the clash the enemy suffered heavy casualties and the Unit was awarded one Ashok Charka, one Kirti Chakra and one Shaurya Chakra.
Due to its valiant actions over the years including 1947–48 operations in Jammu and Kashmir, the Regiment was amalgamated embloc into the Indian Army on 15 January 1957 without any dilution in rank structure and came to be known as Jammu and Kashmir Regiment. In February 1963, the Regiment was redesignated as Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.
2 and 3 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles participated in1962 war with China, wherein three Officers, 82 Other Ranks and eight Non Commissioned Employees made supreme sacrifice of their life inBomdila Sector and the Regiment was awarded with one Mentioned-in-Despatch.
Seven of the eleven Battalions of the Regiment (3,4,5,6,7,8 & 9 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles) participated in1965 war, wherein seven Officers and 167 men were killed in the line of duty. 9 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles was awarded with the Battle Honour ofAsal Uttar and Theatre HonourPunjab for operations inKhem Karan Sector. Five persons of the Regiment were decorated.
All the 14 Battalions (1 to 14 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles) of the Regiment participated in the1971 War both at the Eastern and Western fronts. 76 soldiers of the regiment laid their lives. 1 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles was awarded with the Battle Honour ofSyam Ganj and Theatre HonourEast Pakistan during the liberation of Bangladesh. 12 persons of the Regiment were awarded with gallantry medals.
13, 14 and 19 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, 28 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion and Ladakh Scouts took part inOperation Vijay. During the war, the regiment won 2Param Vir Chakras, 8Vir Chakras, 2Yudh Seva Medals, 16Sena Medals and 8COAS Commendation Cards. In recognition of the exceptional account given by 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in the capture of its objectives, the unit has been awarded the Battle Honours ofDras andMushkoh, the Theatre Honour ofKargil, along with theBravest of the brave honour.
The regiment has a class composition of 75 percentageDogras, with the other 25 percent fromGorkhas,Sikhs and Muslims.[11]
The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Centre is located atJabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.[12] The centre was located at Satwari Lines in Jammu between 1932 and 1957, and then atMorar in Gwalior before moving to its present location in Jabalpur in 1975.[13]
The regimental crest since 1963 features an oval encircling the radiant sun. Within the oval is the Sanskrit inscriptionPrashasta Ranveerta. The oval is surmounted by thenational emblem of India – theAshoka lion capital, while a scroll below bears the title ‘JAMMU & KASHMIR RIFLES’. The present crest reserves two significant elements from the former state emblem – the motto and the sun (Surya), the latter symbolic both of strength and of theSuryavanshi descent of the erstwhile ruling Dogra family of Jammu.[14]
The present uniform of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry includes a green lanyard on the left shoulder and the shoulder title has the words JAK RIF in an arc.[15] They traditionally wear black rank badges and buttons, as the original purpose of the rifle regiments was camouflage and concealment. The green beret (common to all infantry units in India) has the regimental crest.
The motto of the regiment isPrashasta Ranveerta, which translates to "Valour in Battle is Praiseworthy". The war cry of the regiment isDurge Mata Ki Jai, which translates to "Victory to Mother Durga".
13 April (Zorawar Day) is celebrated as the regimental day in memory of General Zorawar Singh.[14]
INS Ranvir, aRajput-classdestroyer is affiliated to the Jammu & Kashmir Rifles and Ladakh Scouts of the Indian Army.[16]
 |
| Battalion | Raising Date | Nickname | Remarks | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Battalion | 13 April 1873 | Raghupartap battalion | Raised byMaharaja Ranbir Singh at Satwari Lines in Jammu. Pre independence battle honours –Hunza Nagar (1891–92), Megiddo (1914–18), Nablus (1914–18), Palestine (1914–18) and3rd Afghan War (1919–20). Post independence battle honourPoonch and Theatre Honour ofJammu and Kashmir 1947–48. | [17][18] |
| 2nd Battalion | 25 April 1869 | Bodyguard battalion | Raised at Jammu. Battle honoursHunza Nagar 1891, Chilas, 1893, Kilimanjaro, Behobeho andEast Africa 1918–19. | [14] |
| 3rd Battalion | 15 April 1856 | Raghunath battalion | Raised at Raghunath Mandir, Jammu. Battle honoursChitral, 1895, Megiddo, Sharon, Palestine 1918, Kilimanjaro, Behobeho andEast Africa 1914–17. | [14] |
| 4th Battalion | 1837 | Fateh Shibji Paltan | Raised at Jammu by Maharaja Gulab Singh. | [19] |
| 5th Battalion | 13 April 1849 | Suraj Gorkha | Raised by MaharajaGulab Singh at Bahu Fort, Jammu. Re-raised atGwalior under Lieutenant Colonel Harnam SinghMC in February 1962. | [14][20] |
| 6th Battalion | 1 January 1963 | Skardu battalion | Raised at Jammu on 10 November 1923, by Lieutenant General Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur. Disbanded on 1951. Re-raised in January 1963 in Gwalior by Major Jit Singh. Lieutenant Colonel Mahel Singh took command of the unit on 17 April 1963. | [14][21] |
| 7th Battalion | 9 March 1932 | Lucky Seventh | Raised at Jammu by Lieutenant General Maharaja Sir Harisinghji Bahadur. Disbanded in 1945, was re-raised on 5 May 1947 by Lieutenant Colonel Devi Singh. | [14] |
| 8th Battalion | 10 February 1940 | Elite Eight | Raised at Jammu under Lieutenant Colonel Jaswant Singh as 8th Jammu and Kashmir Infantry. Battle HonourPoonch and Theatre HonourJammu and Kashmir, 1947–48. Re-raised at Gwalior in October 1965 by Lieutenant Colonel Prem Singh. | [14] |
| 9th Battalion | 1858, Re-raised 13 March 1940 | Raised at Satwari, Jammu under Lieutenant Colonel Dhanatar Singh. | [14] | |
| 10th Battalion | 1 October 1964 | Cho La Warriors, Tenacious Tenth | Raised atMorar Cantonment under Lieutenant Colonel Mahatam Singh. | [14][22] |
| 11th Battalion | 1 January 1965 | Double first | Raised at Gwalior under Lieutenant Colonel Kohar Singh. | [14][23] |
| 12nd Battalion | 15 January 1966 | Bahadur Balwan Barah | Raised at Morar, Gwalior under Lieutenant Colonel Sukhdev Singh. | [14][24] |
| 13th Battalion | 1 October 1966 | Bravest of the Brave | Has the unique honour to have won two Param Vir Chakras in a single campaign. Battle HonourMushkoh & Drass and Theatre HonourKargil. | [14][25][26] |
| 14th Battalion | 1 January 1967 | Fierce Fourteen | [14] | |
| 15th Battalion | January 1976 | Raised atDhana, Madhya Pradesh | [27] | |
| 16th Battalion | 1 September 1976 | Converted to14Mechanised Infantry Regiment on 16 January 1981. | [28][29] | |
| 17th Battalion | Striking Seventeenth | |||
| 18th Battalion | ||||
| 19th Battalion | 11 February 1985 | |||
| 20th Battalion | Towering Twenty | |||
| 21th Battalion | 2015 | Sarvashreshth Ikkis | ||
| 22nd Battalion | ||||
| 23rd Battalion | ||||
| 126 Infantry Battalion (TA) | 27 February 1959 | Based atMadhopur, Punjab | ||
| 155 Infantry Battalion (TA) | ||||
| 160 Infantry Battalion TA (H&H) | 2004 | Kupwara Terriers | Based atKupwara | |
| 3 Rashtriya Rifles | ||||
| 28 Rashtriya Rifles | ||||
| 52 Rashtriya Rifles |
| (i) | Ladakh | 1834–40 |
| (ii) | Baltistan | 1840 |
| (iii) | Tibet | 1841 |
| (iv) | Gilgit | 1860 |
| (v) | Yasin | 1863 |
| (vi) | Darel | 1866 |
| (vii) | Hunza Nagar | 1891–92 |
| (viii) | Chilas | 1893 |
| (ix) | Chitral | 1895 |
| (x) | East Africa 1914–17 | 1914–17 |
| (xi) | East Africa 1916–18 | 1916–18 |
| (xii) | Megiddo (WW – I) | 1914–18 |
| (xiii) | Beho-Beho (WW – I) | 1914–18 |
| (xiv) | Nablus (WW – I) | 1914–18 |
| (xv) | Sharon (WW – I) | 1914–18 |
| (xvi) | Kilimanjaro (WW – I) | 1914–18 |
| (xvii) | Palestine (WW – I) | 1918 |
| (xviii) | 3rd Afghan War | 1919–20 |
| (xix) | Kennedy Peak (Burma Front, WW – II) | 1944 |
| (xx) | Meiktila (Burma Front, WW – II) | 1945 |
| (i) | Poonch (J&K Ops) | 1947–48 |
| (ii) | Skardu (J&K Ops) | 1947–48 |
| (iii) | Jammu & Kashmir 1947–48 | 1947–48 |
| (iv) | Asal Uttar (Khem Karan) | 1965 |
| (v) | Syam Ganj | 1971 |
| (vi) | Drass | 1999 |
| (vii) | Mushkoh | 1999 |
| (viii) | Kargil | 1999 |
| (i) | East Africa | 1914–17 |
| (ii) | East Africa | 1916–18 |
| (iii) | Burma | 1942–45 |
| (i) | 1942–45 | |
| (ii) | Jammu & Kashmir | 1947–48 |
| (iii) | Punjab | 1965 |
| (iv) | East Pakistan | 1971 |
| (v) | Kargil | 1999 |
|
| (i) | 1 JAK RIF | 2006 |
| (ii) | 2 JAK RIF | 1993 |
| (iii) | 3 JAK RIF | 2015 |
| (iv) | 4 JAK RIF | 1993 & 2021 |
| (v) | 6 JAK RIF | 1992 |
| (vi) | 10 JAK RIF | 1992 |
| (vii) | 12 JAK RIF | 2006 |
| (viii) | 13 JAK RIF | 1999 (Bravest of the Brave) |
| (ix) | 14 JAK RIF | 2022 |
| (x) | 15 JAK RIF | 2004 & 2010 |
| (xi) | 17 JAK RIF | 1994 |
| (xii) | 19 JAK RIF | 2006 |
| (xiii) | 20 JAK RIF | 2008 |
| (xiv) | 3 RR Bn (JAK RIF) | 1995, 2020 & 2022 |
| (xv) | 28 RR Bn (JAK RIF) | 1999 & 2016 |
| (xvi) | 52 RR Bn (JAK RIF) | 2011 |
| (i) | 1 JAK RIF | 2008 |
| (ii) | 4 JAK RIF | 1993 |
| (iii) | 6 JAK RIF | 2017 |
| (iv) | 15 JAK RIF | 2012 |
| (v) | 19 JAK RIF | 2022 |
| (vi) | 20 JAK RIF | 2020 |
| (vii) | 26 JAK RIF (CDO) | 2024 |