Zorawar Chand Bakhshi
Encyclopedia
Lt. Gen. Zorawar Chand Bakhshi (Punjabi
/Hindi
: ज़ोरावर चन्द बख़शी) (born 1919) is a retired soldier of the Indian Army, and has the distinction of being "India's most decorated General"
clan of the Muhiyal
community, noted for its martial tradition. His father, Sardar Bahadur Bakshi Lal Chand Lau OBI
was a decorated soldier in the British Indian Army
.
His family belonged to the village of Gulyana,tehsil Gujarkhan Rawalpindi District
. As with many other non-Muslims of that region, his family had to shift to India after the independence of Pakistan
. Prior to the partition, he graduated from Rawalpindi
's Gordon College
in 1942.
of the British Indian Army in 1942, his first major battle was against the Japanese in Burma in World War II, where he earned a Mention-in-Despatches for overcoming a heavily fortified Japanese position. After the Liberation of Burma, he participated in the operations to liberate Malaysia from Japanese control, earning a fast-track promotion to the rank of a Major for his role.
Upon the Partition of India
in 1947, he was transferred to the 5th Gorkha Rifles regiment of the Indian Army.
In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1948, he was awarded a Vir Chakra
for his bravery. Soon afterward he was awarded the MacGregor Medal
in 1949. In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
, he was instrumental in the capture of the Haji Pir Pass from the Pakistani Forces, for which he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra
. In the early 1960s, he led his battalion in a United Nations Operation to undo the secession of the province of Katanga from Congo, in the process earning a Vishisht Seva Medal. In 1969-1970, he led successful counter-insurgency operations in pockets of North East India. During the 1971 war, he was instrumental in the capture of territory in what is now referred to as the crucial Chicken-Neck Sector, for which we was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.
He is popularly known as "Zoru" in the Indian Army.
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
/Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
: ज़ोरावर चन्द बख़शी) (born 1919) is a retired soldier of the Indian Army, and has the distinction of being "India's most decorated General"
Family and Early Life
Bakhshi belongs to the LauLau (Mohyal)
Lau is one of the Saraswat Brahmin clans of Punjab. They are one of the seven lineages constituting the Mohyal community, known for its martial tradition.-Mythological roots:...
clan of the Muhiyal
Mohyal
Mohyal is the name of an endogamous ethnic group that originates from the Gandhara region and consists of seven Brahmin lineages of that area that left the usual priestly occupation of Brahmins long ago to serve as soldiers and in government services.The...
community, noted for its martial tradition. His father, Sardar Bahadur Bakshi Lal Chand Lau OBI
Order of British India
The Order of British India was a medal and chivalric order which was bestowed by the East India Company for "long, faithful and honourable service", beginning in 1837. The Company's powers were removed after the Indian Mutiny, and the Order was incorporated into the British honours system in 1859...
was a decorated soldier in the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
.
His family belonged to the village of Gulyana,tehsil Gujarkhan Rawalpindi District
Rawalpindi District
Rawalpindi is a district of Pakistan in the north of the Punjab province which contains the city of Rawalpindi. The district has an area of . It was part of Rawalpindi Division, until the year 2000 when the division was abolished...
. As with many other non-Muslims of that region, his family had to shift to India after the independence of 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...
. Prior to the partition, he graduated from Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
's Gordon College
Gordon College (Rawalpindi)
Gordon College Rawalpindi is a college in Rawalpindi, Pakistan that was established as a school in 1893.Gordon's college year is made up of annual system: in which the examination are held once every year. Enrollment at Gordon College is in thousands of students, with around hundreds living on campus...
in 1942.
Military Career and Major Awards
After being commissioned into the Baloch RegimentBaloch Regiment
The Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments with the Baluch Regiment. Since then, further raisings have brought the strength of the Regiment to more than fifty battalions...
of the British Indian Army in 1942, his first major battle was against the Japanese in Burma in World War II, where he earned a Mention-in-Despatches for overcoming a heavily fortified Japanese position. After the Liberation of Burma, he participated in the operations to liberate Malaysia from Japanese control, earning a fast-track promotion to the rank of a Major for his role.
Upon the Partition of India
Partition 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...
in 1947, he was transferred to the 5th Gorkha Rifles regiment of the Indian Army.
In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1948, he was awarded a Vir Chakra
Vir Chakra
Vir Chakra is an Indian gallantry award presented for acts of bravery in the battlefield. Award of the decoration carried with it the right to use Vr.C. as a postnominal abbreviation Vir Chakra is an Indian gallantry award presented for acts of bravery in the battlefield. Award of the decoration...
for his bravery. Soon afterward he was awarded the MacGregor Medal
MacGregor Medal
The is awarded to Indian Armed Forces personnel for valuable military reconnaissance. The medal was instituted in 1888 to honour the memory of founder, Maj Gen Sir Charles MacGregor....
in 1949. In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
, he was instrumental in the capture of the Haji Pir Pass from the Pakistani Forces, for which he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra
Maha Vir Chakra
The Maha Vir Chakra is the second highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It may be awarded posthumously. Literally Maha Veer means extraordinarily brave.-Appearance:The medal is made...
. In the early 1960s, he led his battalion in a United Nations Operation to undo the secession of the province of Katanga from Congo, in the process earning a Vishisht Seva Medal. In 1969-1970, he led successful counter-insurgency operations in pockets of North East India. During the 1971 war, he was instrumental in the capture of territory in what is now referred to as the crucial Chicken-Neck Sector, for which we was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.
He is popularly known as "Zoru" in the Indian Army.