Bharatpedia - User contributions [en]

Zorawar Chand Bakhshi

2022-10-22T12:21:08Z

2402:3A80:6AF:E72F:0:49:7541:2C01:

{{short description|Indian Army general}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant general]]
| name = Z C Bakshi
| honorific_suffix = [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]], [[Vir Chakra|VrC]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]
| imagesize =
| birth_name = Zorawar Chand Bakshi
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|10|21|df=yes}} (or {{Birth date|1921|1|2|df=yes}})
| death_date = 24 May 2018 (aged 96-97)
| birth_place = [[Gulyana]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]]
| image =
| caption =
| nickname = Zoru
| allegiance = {{flag|British India}} {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{army|British Raj}} {{army|India}}
| serviceyears = 1943—1979
| rank = [[File:Lieutenant_General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|20px]] [[Lieutenant General]]
| servicenumber = IC-1510<ref name="auto">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=558 |date=22 July 1967 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
| commands = [[II Corps (India)|II Corps]] [[26th Indian Infantry Division|26 Infantry Division]] [[8th Infantry Division (India)|8 Mountain Division]] 68 Infantry Brigade [[5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)|2/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)]]
| unit = [[5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)]] [[File:Badge_of_Baluch_Regiment_1945-56.jpg|20px]] [[10th Baluch Regiment]]
| battles = [[World War II]] [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]] [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]
| awards = [[File:Param_Vishisht_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] [[File:Maha_Vir_Chakra_ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Maha Vir Chakra]] [[File:Vir_Chakra_ribbon_bar.svg|20px]] [[Vir Chakra]] [[File:Vishisht_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Vishisht Seva Medal]] 
[[File:MacGregor Medal Ribbon.jpg|20px]] [[MacGregor Medal]]
| laterwork =
}}

[[Lieutenant General]] '''Zorawar Chand 'Zoru' Bakshi'''<ref name=army/> [[PVSM]], [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]], [[Vir Chakra|VrC]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]<ref name="Cardozo2005">{{cite book|author=Ian Cardozo|title=The Indian Army: A Brief History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5reAAAAMAAJ|year= 2005|publisher=Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, United Service Institution of India|isbn=978-81-902097-0-0}}</ref> (21 October 1921<ref>{{cite web|title=Lt Gen Zorawar Chand Bakshi, PVSM, MVC, VrC, VSM (retd)|work=The War Decorated India & Trust|url=http://twdi.in/node/1096|access-date=21 August 2013}}</ref> or 2 January 1921<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47">{{cite book|pages=269K1|title=Indian Army List (Special Edition) 1947|publisher=Government of India Press|year=1947}}</ref><ref name="birthdate" group="note">As given in the pre-Independence ''Indian Army List''.</ref> – 24 May 2018) was a [[General Officer]] of the [[Indian Army]], most widely known as one of the commanders of [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] (Operation Ablaze). He also has the distinction of being "India's most decorated General".<ref name="Singh2005">{{cite book|author=V K Singh|title=Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fitUUKyeG6IC&pg=PA329|year= 2005|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-0-7619-3322-9|page=329}}</ref><ref name=gq/>

==Family and early life==
Bakshi was born to Bahadur Bakshi Lal Chand Lav, a decorated soldier in the [[British Indian Army]] who held the [[Order of British India|OBI]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sethi|first=Chitleen K.|date=2018-05-28|title=Lt. Gen Zorawar Chand Bakshi, the greatest wartime hero who 'just faded away'|url=https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/lt-gen-zorawar-chand-bakshi-the-greatest-wartime-hero-who-just-faded-away/63532/|access-date=2020-06-26|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=November 2012}} He was a [[Punjabi Hindu]] who belonged to the [[Lau clan|Lav]] clan of [[Mohyal Brahmin]]s and was a native of village [[Gulyana]] in the [[Gujar Khan Tehsil|Gurjarkhan Tehsil]] of [[Rawalpindi District]], within the [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province]] of [[British Raj|British India]].<ref name="Chakravorty1995">{{cite book|author=B. Chakravorty|title=Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzizVBSb4YsC&pg=PA102|year=1995|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=978-81-7023-516-3|pages=102–103}}</ref> As with many other non-Muslims of that region, his family had to shift to the newly-created [[Dominion of India]] after the [[Partition of India]]. Prior to the partition, he graduated from [[Rawalpindi]]'s [[Gordon College (Rawalpindi)|Gordon College]] in 1942 after which he joined the [[Indian Military Academy]].<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cJDsk_g6tXUC&q=9780761933229&pg=PA193|title=Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers|last=Singh|first=V. K.|date=2005-03-23|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=9780761933229|language=en|chapter=Chapter 10}}</ref>

==Military career==
===World War II===
Bakshi was commissioned into the [[Baloch Regiment]] of the [[British Indian Army]] in 1943. Later he also did a course at [[Royal College of Defence Studies]] (RCDS), UK.<ref name=quarterly>{{cite book|title=The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=52q5AAAAIAAJ|year=1983|page=175|publisher=West of England Press}}</ref> 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.{{citation needed|date=November 2012}}

===Post-Independence===
Upon the [[Partition of India]] in 1947, Bakshi was transferred to the [[5th Royal Gurkha Rifles|5th Gorkha Rifles]] regiment of the Indian Army.<ref name="Singh2005"/> In the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947|Indo Pakistani War of 1947-1948]], he was awarded a [[Vir Chakra]] for his bravery in July 1948.<ref name=quarterly/><ref name="PrasadPal1987">{{cite book|author1=Sri Nandan Prasad|author2=Dharm Pal|title=Operations in Jammu & Kashmir, 1947-48|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZBwNAAAAIAAJ|year=1987|publisher=History Division, Ministry of Defence, Government of India|page=398}}</ref> Soon afterward he was awarded the [[MacGregor Medal]] in 1949. In 1951, he was selected to attend the [[Defence Services Staff College]] in [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]].<ref>{{cite web |title=STAFF COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION RESULTS |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1951-JAN-DEC-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1951-05-25_094.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=25 May 1951}}</ref>

In the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]], Bakshi was instrumental in the [[Battle of Haji Pir Pass (1965)|capture of the Haji Pir Pass]] from the Pakistani Forces, for which he was awarded the [[Maha Vir Chakra]]. The citation for the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] reads as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=ZORAWAR CHAND BAKSHI, VrC, VSM {{!}} Gallantry Awards |url=https://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/zorawar-chand-bakshi-vrc-vsm |website=gallantryawards.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mahavir Chakra (MVC), Awardee: Lt Gen Zorawar Chand Bakshi, PVSM, MVC, VrC, VSM (retd) @ TWDI |url=http://twdi.in/node/1317 |website=twdi.in}}</ref>
{{Quotation|Gazette Notification: 9 Pres/66,1-1-66
Operation: 1965 May - Ablaze
Date of Award: 05 Aug 1965

{{center|'''CITATION''' 
'''BRIGADIER ZORAWAR CHAND BAKSHI, VrC (IC-1510)''' 
'''5th BATTALION THE GORKHA RIFLES'''}}

Brigadier Zorawar Chand Bakshi was commander of a brigade in Aug-Sept 1965 employed on the difficult task of capturing Basali, Haji Pir Pass and Kahuta, which was vital for the Uri-Poonch link-up. The road connecting Uri and Poonch via Haji Pir had deteriorated due to disuse and some places it had disintegrated. There was no direct route for an approach to Haji Pir except over the mountain ranges. Haji Pir at an altitude of 9,000 feet had strong enemy defensive positions forward of it and flanking it.

Throughout, Brigadier Bakshi remained foremost. As soon as an objective was captured, he was there personally to guide and help in the reorganisation. Many a time, though enemy shelling was intense and continuous, he remained in the forefront without regard for his personal safety. After the capture of Haji Pir, he moved forward his tactical headquarters immediately, though he knew that the enemy would most certainly counter-attack it viciously.

Throughout this operation, Brigadier Bakshi displayed a high standard of planning and tactical skill, combined with outstanding leadership, determination and camaraderie in sharing the hardships of his troops, which were in the highest traditions of our Army.
|sign=|source=}}

In the early 1960s he led his battalion in a [[United Nations Operation in the Congo|United Nations Operation]] to undo the secession of the province of Katanga from Congo, in the process earning a [[Vishisht Seva Medal]].<ref name=army>
{{cite web
| title =Indo-Pakistani War of 1965: Golden Jubilee Commemoration |work=Official Website of Indian Army
| url = http://indianarmy.nic.in/Index.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/IndoPakWar/Site/FormTemplete/frmPhotoGallery1965.aspx
| access-date = 2015-11-05
| first = Pawan
| last = Pratik
}}
</ref><ref name="Bisht2015">{{cite book|author=Rachna Bisht|title=1965: Stories from the Second Indo-Pakistan War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D8tcCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT17|year=2015|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-93-5214-129-6|pages=17–18}}</ref> In 1969–1970, he led successful counter-insurgency operations in pockets of [[North East India]], and was promoted to major-general on 23 November 1970.<ref name="maj_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=686 |date=12 June 1971 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> During the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] he was instrumental in the capture of territory in what is now referred to as the crucial ''[[Chicken's Neck (Pakistan)|Chicken-Neck]] Sector'', for which he was awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]].{{citation needed|date=November 2012}} On 7 September 1974, he was appointed Military Secretary with the rank of lieutenant-general.<ref name="mil_secy">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1385 |date=14 December 1974 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="lt_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=353 |date=15 March 1975 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> On 15 December 1976, he was granted an extension of service past his statutory retirement age to 1 January 1979.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=596 |date=21 May 1977 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

He is popularly known as "Zoru" in the Indian Army.<ref name=gq>{{cite web | title = The Mask of Zoru
| url = http://www.gqindia.com/get-smart/personalities/mask-zoru|work=GQIndia magazine |author= Kai Friese|date=10 July 2014| access-date = 2015-11-05 }}</ref>

==Military Awards and Decorations==

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|[[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Vir Chakra ribbon bar.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:India General Service Medal 1947.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Samar Seva Star Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Paschimi Star Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Raksha Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND Sangram Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Indian Independence medal 1947.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND 25th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Ribbon India Service Medal.png|104px]]
|-
|[[File:Ribbon - 1939-45 Star.png|104px]]
|[[File:Ribbon - Burma Star.png|104px]]
|[[File:Ribbon - War Medal & MiD.png|104px]]
|[[File:ONUC Medal bar.svg|104px]]
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|[[Maha Vir Chakra]]
|[[Vir Chakra]]
|[[Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|-
|[[General Service Medal 1947|General Service Medal Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Samar Seva Star]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Paschimi Star]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Raksha Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Sangram Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Sainya Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Videsh Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian Independence Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|25th Anniversary of Independence Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Long service awards|20 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Long service awards|9 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[India Service Medal]]
|-
|[[1939–1945 Star]]
|[[Burma Star]]
|[[War Medal 1939–1945]]
|[[ONUC|UN Operation in the Congo]]
|-
|}

==Dates of rank==
{|class="wikitable" style="background:white"
! Insignia !! Rank !! Component !! Date of rank
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army OF-1a.svg|35px]] || [[Second lieutenant#United Kingdom & other Commonwealth countries|Second Lieutenant]] || [[British Indian Army]] || 27 June 1943 (emergency)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/> 27 December 1944 (substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army OF-1b.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|Lieutenant]] || British Indian Army || 27 December 1943 (war-substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/> 3 March 1947 (substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army OF-1b.svg|35px]] || Lieutenant || [[Indian Army]] || 15 August 1947<ref name="insignia" group="note">Upon independence in 1947, India became a [[Dominion of India|Dominion]] within the British [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. As a result, the rank insignia of the [[British Army]], incorporating the [[Tudor Crown]] and four-pointed [[Order of the Bath|Bath Star]] ("pip"), was retained, as [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] remained Commander-in-Chief of the [[Indian Armed Forces]]. After 26 January 1950, when India became a [[Republic of India|republic]], the [[President of India]] became Commander-in-Chief, and the [[Lion Capital of Asoka|Ashoka Lion]] replaced the crown, with a five-pointed star being substituted for the "pip."</ref><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-3.svg|35px]] || Major || Indian Army || 1947 (temporary)<ref name="capt_subs">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1278 |date=27 August 1949 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army OF-2.svg|35px]] || [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] || Indian Army || 27 June 1949<ref name="capt_subs"/><ref name="insignia" group="note"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Captain of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Captain]] || Indian Army || 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=227 |date=11 February 1950 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Major]] || Indian Army || 27 June 1956<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=87 |date=6 April 1957 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] || Indian Army ||
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Colonel of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Colonel]] || Indian Army || 16 February 1967<ref name="auto"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Brigadier of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier]] || Indian Army || 15 May 1968<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=750 |date=24 August 1968 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major General of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Major general#India|Major General]] || Indian Army || 23 November 1970<ref name="maj_gen"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-General]] || Indian Army || 7 September 1974<ref name="lt_gen"/>
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[Operation Gibraltar]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071130013402/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/1971/Dec07/Art06.htm Article referring to Bakshi's role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bakhshi, Zorawar Chand}}
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:Indian people]]
[[Category:Indian generals]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Punjabi people]]
[[Category:Punjabi Hindus]]
[[Category:People from Rawalpindi District]]
[[Category:Government Gordon College alumni]]
[[Category:Military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
[[Category:People of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]]
[[Category:Recipients of the MacGregor Medal]]

Zorawar Chand Bakhshi

2022-10-22T12:21:08Z

2402:3A80:6AF:E72F:0:49:7541:2C01:

{{short description|Indian Army general}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant general]]
| name = Z C Bakshi
| honorific_suffix = [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]], [[Vir Chakra|VrC]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]
| imagesize =
| birth_name = Zorawar Chand Bakshi
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|10|21|df=yes}} (or {{Birth date|1921|1|2|df=yes}})
| death_date = 24 May 2018 (aged 96-97)
| birth_place = [[Gulyana]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]]
| image =
| caption =
| nickname = Zoru
| allegiance = {{flag|British India}} {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{army|British Raj}} {{army|India}}
| serviceyears = 1943—1979
| rank = [[File:Lieutenant_General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|20px]] [[Lieutenant General]]
| servicenumber = IC-1510<ref name="auto">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=558 |date=22 July 1967 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
| commands = [[II Corps (India)|II Corps]] [[26th Indian Infantry Division|26 Infantry Division]] [[8th Infantry Division (India)|8 Mountain Division]] 68 Infantry Brigade [[5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)|2/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)]]
| unit = [[5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)]] [[File:Badge_of_Baluch_Regiment_1945-56.jpg|20px]] [[10th Baluch Regiment]]
| battles = [[World War II]] [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]] [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]
| awards = [[File:Param_Vishisht_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] [[File:Maha_Vir_Chakra_ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Maha Vir Chakra]] [[File:Vir_Chakra_ribbon_bar.svg|20px]] [[Vir Chakra]] [[File:Vishisht_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Vishisht Seva Medal]] 
[[File:MacGregor Medal Ribbon.jpg|20px]] [[MacGregor Medal]]
| laterwork =
}}

[[Lieutenant General]] '''Zorawar Chand 'Zoru' Bakshi'''<ref name=army/> [[PVSM]], [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]], [[Vir Chakra|VrC]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]<ref name="Cardozo2005">{{cite book|author=Ian Cardozo|title=The Indian Army: A Brief History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5reAAAAMAAJ|year= 2005|publisher=Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, United Service Institution of India|isbn=978-81-902097-0-0}}</ref> (21 October 1921<ref>{{cite web|title=Lt Gen Zorawar Chand Bakshi, PVSM, MVC, VrC, VSM (retd)|work=The War Decorated India & Trust|url=http://twdi.in/node/1096|access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> or 2 January 1921<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47">{{cite book|pages=269K1|title=Indian Army List (Special Edition) 1947|publisher=Government of India Press|year=1947}}</ref><ref name="birthdate" group="note">As given in the pre-Independence ''Indian Army List''.</ref> – 24 May 2018) was a [[General Officer]] of the [[Indian Army]], most widely known as one of the commanders of [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] (Operation Ablaze). He also has the distinction of being "India's most decorated General".<ref name="Singh2005">{{cite book|author=V K Singh|title=Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fitUUKyeG6IC&pg=PA329|year= 2005|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-0-7619-3322-9|page=329}}</ref><ref name=gq/>

==Family and early life==
Bakshi was born to Bahadur Bakshi Lal Chand Lav, a decorated soldier in the [[British Indian Army]] who held the [[Order of British India|OBI]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sethi|first=Chitleen K.|date=2018-05-28|title=Lt. Gen Zorawar Chand Bakshi, the greatest wartime hero who 'just faded away'|url=https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/lt-gen-zorawar-chand-bakshi-the-greatest-wartime-hero-who-just-faded-away/63532/|access-date=2020-06-26|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} He was a [[Punjabi Hindu]] who belonged to the [[Lau clan|Lav]] clan of [[Mohyal Brahmin]]s and was a native of village [[Gulyana]] in the [[Gujar Khan Tehsil|Gurjarkhan Tehsil]] of [[Rawalpindi District]], within the [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province]] of [[British Raj|British India]].<ref name="Chakravorty1995">{{cite book|author=B. Chakravorty|title=Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzizVBSb4YsC&pg=PA102|year=1995|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=978-81-7023-516-3|pages=102–103}}</ref> As with many other non-Muslims of that region, his family had to shift to the newly-created [[Dominion of India]] after the [[Partition of India]]. Prior to the partition, he graduated from [[Rawalpindi]]'s [[Gordon College (Rawalpindi)|Gordon College]] in 1942 after which he joined the [[Indian Military Academy]].<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cJDsk_g6tXUC&q=9780761933229&pg=PA193|title=Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers|last=Singh|first=V. K.|date=2005-03-23|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=9780761933229|language=en|chapter=Chapter 10}}</ref>

==Military career==
===World War II===
Bakshi was commissioned into the [[Baloch Regiment]] of the [[British Indian Army]] in 1943. Later he also did a course at [[Royal College of Defence Studies]] (RCDS), UK.<ref name=quarterly>{{cite book|title=The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=52q5AAAAIAAJ|year=1983|page=175|publisher=West of England Press}}</ref> 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.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

===Post-Independence===
Upon the [[Partition of India]] in 1947, Bakshi was transferred to the [[5th Royal Gurkha Rifles|5th Gorkha Rifles]] regiment of the Indian Army.<ref name="Singh2005"/> In the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947|Indo Pakistani War of 1947-1948]], he was awarded a [[Vir Chakra]] for his bravery in July 1948.<ref name=quarterly/><ref name="PrasadPal1987">{{cite book|author1=Sri Nandan Prasad|author2=Dharm Pal|title=Operations in Jammu & Kashmir, 1947-48|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZBwNAAAAIAAJ|year=1987|publisher=History Division, Ministry of Defence, Government of India|page=398}}</ref> Soon afterward he was awarded the [[MacGregor Medal]] in 1949. In 1951, he was selected to attend the [[Defence Services Staff College]] in [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]].<ref>{{cite web |title=STAFF COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION RESULTS |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1951-JAN-DEC-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1951-05-25_094.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=25 May 1951}}</ref>

In the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]], Bakshi was instrumental in the [[Battle of Haji Pir Pass (1965)|capture of the Haji Pir Pass]] from the Pakistani Forces, for which he was awarded the [[Maha Vir Chakra]]. The citation for the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] reads as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=ZORAWAR CHAND BAKSHI, VrC, VSM {{!}} Gallantry Awards |url=https://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/zorawar-chand-bakshi-vrc-vsm |website=gallantryawards.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mahavir Chakra (MVC), Awardee: Lt Gen Zorawar Chand Bakshi, PVSM, MVC, VrC, VSM (retd) @ TWDI |url=http://twdi.in/node/1317 |website=twdi.in}}</ref>
{{Quotation|Gazette Notification: 9 Pres/66,1-1-66
Operation: 1965 May - Ablaze
Date of Award: 05 Aug 1965

{{center|'''CITATION''' 
'''BRIGADIER ZORAWAR CHAND BAKSHI, VrC (IC-1510)''' 
'''5th BATTALION THE GORKHA RIFLES'''}}

Brigadier Zorawar Chand Bakshi was commander of a brigade in Aug-Sept 1965 employed on the difficult task of capturing Basali, Haji Pir Pass and Kahuta, which was vital for the Uri-Poonch link-up. The road connecting Uri and Poonch via Haji Pir had deteriorated due to disuse and some places it had disintegrated. There was no direct route for an approach to Haji Pir except over the mountain ranges. Haji Pir at an altitude of 9,000 feet had strong enemy defensive positions forward of it and flanking it.

Throughout, Brigadier Bakshi remained foremost. As soon as an objective was captured, he was there personally to guide and help in the reorganisation. Many a time, though enemy shelling was intense and continuous, he remained in the forefront without regard for his personal safety. After the capture of Haji Pir, he moved forward his tactical headquarters immediately, though he knew that the enemy would most certainly counter-attack it viciously.

Throughout this operation, Brigadier Bakshi displayed a high standard of planning and tactical skill, combined with outstanding leadership, determination and camaraderie in sharing the hardships of his troops, which were in the highest traditions of our Army.
|sign=|source=}}

In the early 1960s he led his battalion in a [[United Nations Operation in the Congo|United Nations Operation]] to undo the secession of the province of Katanga from Congo, in the process earning a [[Vishisht Seva Medal]].<ref name=army>
{{cite web
| title =Indo-Pakistani War of 1965: Golden Jubilee Commemoration |work=Official Website of Indian Army
| url = http://indianarmy.nic.in/Index.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/IndoPakWar/Site/FormTemplete/frmPhotoGallery1965.aspx
| access-date = 2015-11-05
| first = Pawan
| last = Pratik
}}
</ref><ref name="Bisht2015">{{cite book|author=Rachna Bisht|title=1965: Stories from the Second Indo-Pakistan War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D8tcCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT17|year=2015|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-93-5214-129-6|pages=17–18}}</ref> In 1969–1970, he led successful counter-insurgency operations in pockets of [[North East India]], and was promoted to major-general on 23 November 1970.<ref name="maj_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=686 |date=12 June 1971 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> During the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] he was instrumental in the capture of territory in what is now referred to as the crucial ''[[Chicken's Neck (Pakistan)|Chicken-Neck]] Sector'', for which he was awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]].{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} On 7 September 1974, he was appointed Military Secretary with the rank of lieutenant-general.<ref name="mil_secy">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1385 |date=14 December 1974 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="lt_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=353 |date=15 March 1975 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> On 15 December 1976, he was granted an extension of service past his statutory retirement age to 1 January 1979.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=596 |date=21 May 1977 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

He is popularly known as "Zoru" in the Indian Army.<ref name=gq>{{cite web | title = The Mask of Zoru
| url = http://www.gqindia.com/get-smart/personalities/mask-zoru|work=GQIndia magazine |author= Kai Friese|date=10 July 2014| access-date = 2015-11-05 }}</ref>

==Military Awards and Decorations==

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|[[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Vir Chakra ribbon bar.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:India General Service Medal 1947.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Samar Seva Star Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Paschimi Star Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Raksha Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND Sangram Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Indian Independence medal 1947.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND 25th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Ribbon India Service Medal.png|104px]]
|-
|[[File:Ribbon - 1939-45 Star.png|104px]]
|[[File:Ribbon - Burma Star.png|104px]]
|[[File:Ribbon - War Medal & MiD.png|104px]]
|[[File:ONUC Medal bar.svg|104px]]
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|[[Maha Vir Chakra]]
|[[Vir Chakra]]
|[[Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|-
|[[General Service Medal 1947|General Service Medal Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Samar Seva Star]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Paschimi Star]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Raksha Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Sangram Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Sainya Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Videsh Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian Independence Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|25th Anniversary of Independence Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Long service awards|20 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Long service awards|9 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[India Service Medal]]
|-
|[[1939–1945 Star]]
|[[Burma Star]]
|[[War Medal 1939–1945]]
|[[ONUC|UN Operation in the Congo]]
|-
|}

==Dates of rank==
{|class="wikitable" style="background:white"
! Insignia !! Rank !! Component !! Date of rank
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army OF-1a.svg|35px]] || [[Second lieutenant#United Kingdom & other Commonwealth countries|Second Lieutenant]] || [[British Indian Army]] || 27 June 1943 (emergency)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/> 27 December 1944 (substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army OF-1b.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|Lieutenant]] || British Indian Army || 27 December 1943 (war-substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/> 3 March 1947 (substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army OF-1b.svg|35px]] || Lieutenant || [[Indian Army]] || 15 August 1947<ref name="insignia" group="note">Upon independence in 1947, India became a [[Dominion of India|Dominion]] within the British [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. As a result, the rank insignia of the [[British Army]], incorporating the [[Tudor Crown]] and four-pointed [[Order of the Bath|Bath Star]] ("pip"), was retained, as [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] remained Commander-in-Chief of the [[Indian Armed Forces]]. After 26 January 1950, when India became a [[Republic of India|republic]], the [[President of India]] became Commander-in-Chief, and the [[Lion Capital of Asoka|Ashoka Lion]] replaced the crown, with a five-pointed star being substituted for the "pip."</ref><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-3.svg|35px]] || Major || Indian Army || 1947 (temporary)<ref name="capt_subs">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1278 |date=27 August 1949 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army OF-2.svg|35px]] || [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] || Indian Army || 27 June 1949<ref name="capt_subs"/><ref name="insignia" group="note"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Captain of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Captain]] || Indian Army || 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=227 |date=11 February 1950 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Major]] || Indian Army || 27 June 1956<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=87 |date=6 April 1957 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] || Indian Army ||
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Colonel of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Colonel]] || Indian Army || 16 February 1967<ref name="auto"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Brigadier of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier]] || Indian Army || 15 May 1968<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=750 |date=24 August 1968 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major General of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Major general#India|Major General]] || Indian Army || 23 November 1970<ref name="maj_gen"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-General]] || Indian Army || 7 September 1974<ref name="lt_gen"/>
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[Operation Gibraltar]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071130013402/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/1971/Dec07/Art06.htm Article referring to Bakshi's role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bakhshi, Zorawar Chand}}
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:Indian people]]
[[Category:Indian generals]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Punjabi people]]
[[Category:Punjabi Hindus]]
[[Category:People from Rawalpindi District]]
[[Category:Government Gordon College alumni]]
[[Category:Military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
[[Category:People of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]]
[[Category:Recipients of the MacGregor Medal]]