Pran Nath Thapar - Revision history

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← Older revision		Revision as of 14:04, 17 October 2022
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	{{Short description\|Chief of Army Staff, India}}		{{Short description\|Chief of Army Staff, India}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=October ~~2022~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=October 2019}}
	{{Use Indian English\|date=October ~~2022~~}}		{{Use Indian English\|date=October 2019}}
	{{Infobox officeholder		{{Infobox officeholder
	\| honorific-prefix = [[General (India)\|General]]		\| honorific-prefix = [[General (India)\|General]]
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	\| successor2 =		\| successor2 =
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=yes\|1906\|05\|08}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=yes\|1906\|05\|08}}
	\| birth_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)\|Punjab Province]], [[British Raj\|British India]]<br>(now in [[Pakistan]])<ref>{{cite web\|title=New Director of Military Intelligence: Brigadier Thapar Appointed\|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1947-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1947-07-16_314.pdf\|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive\|date=16 July 1947\|access-date=18 July ~~2022~~}}</ref>		\| birth_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)\|Punjab Province]], [[British Raj\|British India]]<br>(now in [[Pakistan]])<ref>{{cite web\|title=New Director of Military Intelligence: Brigadier Thapar Appointed\|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1947-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1947-07-16_314.pdf\|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive\|date=16 July 1947\|access-date=18 July 2020}}</ref>
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|df=yes\|1975\|01\|23\|1906\|05\|08}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|df=yes\|1975\|01\|23\|1906\|05\|08}}
	\| death_place = White Gates, [[Chhatarpur]], [[New Delhi]]		\| death_place = White Gates, [[Chhatarpur]], [[New Delhi]]
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	General Pran Nath Thapar was born at [[Lahore]] into a prominent [[Punjabi people\|Punjabi]] [[Khatri]] family.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Puri\|first=Baij Nath\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ytuAAAAMAAJ\|title=The Khatris, a Socio-cultural Study\|date=1988\|publisher=M.N. Publishers and Distributors\|language=en}}</ref> He was the youngest son of Diwan Bahadur Kunj Behari Thapar of [[Lahore]].<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi\|url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/\|last=Nandita Singh\|date=2018-07-24\|website=ThePrint\|language=en-US\|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref> The journalist [[Karan Thapar]] is his son.<ref>{{Cite web \| url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/ \| title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi \| date=24 July 2018 }}</ref> The historian [[Romila Thapar]] is his niece and the conservationist and tiger expert, [[Valmik Thapar]] is his great nephew. His elder brother was [[Daya Ram Thapar]], an officer in the [[Indian Medical Service]] and later [[Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (India)\|Director General Armed Forces Medical Services]].		General Pran Nath Thapar was born at [[Lahore]] into a prominent [[Punjabi people\|Punjabi]] [[Khatri]] family.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Puri\|first=Baij Nath\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ytuAAAAMAAJ\|title=The Khatris, a Socio-cultural Study\|date=1988\|publisher=M.N. Publishers and Distributors\|language=en}}</ref> He was the youngest son of Diwan Bahadur Kunj Behari Thapar of [[Lahore]].<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi\|url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/\|last=Nandita Singh\|date=2018-07-24\|website=ThePrint\|language=en-US\|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref> The journalist [[Karan Thapar]] is his son.<ref>{{Cite web \| url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/ \| title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi \| date=24 July 2018 }}</ref> The historian [[Romila Thapar]] is his niece and the conservationist and tiger expert, [[Valmik Thapar]] is his great nephew. His elder brother was [[Daya Ram Thapar]], an officer in the [[Indian Medical Service]] and later [[Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (India)\|Director General Armed Forces Medical Services]].

	Thapar was distantly related to the Indian Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] through his wife. In March 1936, Thapar married Bimla Bashiram, the eldest daughter of Rai Bahadur Bashiram Sahgal and granddaughter of Rai Bahadur Ramsaran Das. Bimla Thapar was a sister of Gautam Sahgal, whose wife [[Nayantara Sahgal]] was a daughter of [[Vijayalakshmi Pandit]] and niece of Jawaharlal Nehru.<ref name="The Devil's Advocate">{{cite news \| title = When the Devil's Advocate has the Last Word \|work=The Hindu \| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/when-the-devils-advocate-has-the-last-word/article4799504.ece \|date=10 June 2013\|access-date = 14 January 2014 \| first = Prashant \| last = Jha }}</ref><ref name="ThePrint">{{cite news \|last1=Singh \|first1=Nandita \|title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi \|url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/ \|access-date=2 April 2019 \|work=The Print \|date=2 January ~~2022~~}}</ref> General Thapar and Smt. Bimla Thapar had four children, of whom the youngest is the journalist [[Karan Thapar]].{{citation needed\|date=October ~~2022~~}}		Thapar was distantly related to the Indian Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] through his wife. In March 1936, Thapar married Bimla Bashiram, the eldest daughter of Rai Bahadur Bashiram Sahgal and granddaughter of Rai Bahadur Ramsaran Das. Bimla Thapar was a sister of Gautam Sahgal, whose wife [[Nayantara Sahgal]] was a daughter of [[Vijayalakshmi Pandit]] and niece of Jawaharlal Nehru.<ref name="The Devil's Advocate">{{cite news \| title = When the Devil's Advocate has the Last Word \|work=The Hindu \| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/when-the-devils-advocate-has-the-last-word/article4799504.ece \|date=10 June 2013\|access-date = 14 January 2014 \| first = Prashant \| last = Jha }}</ref><ref name="ThePrint">{{cite news \|last1=Singh \|first1=Nandita \|title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi \|url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/ \|access-date=2 April 2019 \|work=The Print \|date=2 January 2019}}</ref> General Thapar and Smt. Bimla Thapar had four children, of whom the youngest is the journalist [[Karan Thapar]].{{citation needed\|date=October 2019}}

	==Career==		==Career==
	After graduating from Government College, Lahore, he trained at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]], passing out on 4 February 1926 as a second lieutenant. He passed out in the same batch as [[K.S. Thimayya]], who also went on to become Chief of the Army Staff.<ref name="commission_Gazette">{{London Gazette\|issue=33130\|page=888\|date=5 February 1926}}</ref> He spent the next year attached to a British Army battalion stationed in India. On 18 April 1927 he was formally appointed to the Indian Army, ranking as a second lieutenant.<ref>{{London Gazette\|issue=33296\|page=4721\|date=22 July 1927}}</ref> He did his regimental duties with the 2nd battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment for ten years and later attended the staff courses at [[Quetta]] in India and [[Minley Manor]] in England.<ref>[http://indianarmy.nic.in/coas07.html Indian-Army] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201142402/http://indianarmy.nic.in/coas07.html \|date=2014-02-01 }}</ref>		After graduating from Government College, Lahore, he trained at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]], passing out on 4 February 1926 as a second lieutenant. He passed out in the same batch as [[K.S. Thimayya]], who also went on to become Chief of the Army Staff.<ref name="commission_Gazette">{{London Gazette\|issue=33130\|page=888\|date=5 February 1926}}</ref> He spent the next year attached to a British Army battalion stationed in India. On 18 April 1927 he was formally appointed to the Indian Army, ranking as a second lieutenant.<ref>{{London Gazette\|issue=33296\|page=4721\|date=22 July 1927}}</ref> He did his regimental duties with the 2nd battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment for ten years and later attended the staff courses at [[Quetta]] in India and [[Minley Manor]] in England.<ref>[http://indianarmy.nic.in/coas07.html Indian-Army] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201142402/http://indianarmy.nic.in/coas07.html \|date=2014-02-01 }}</ref>

	He served in Burma during the second World War in 1941 and later in the Middle East and Italy. By October 1942 he was serving on the staff as a brigade major.<ref>Indian Army List October 1942</ref> He was appointed as assistant military secretary in 1945, and commanded the 1st Battalion of the 1st Punjab Regiment in Indonesia in 1946. Subsequently, he went on to serve as the commander of the 161 Indian Infantry Brigade in East Bengal. During the Partition of India, Thapar officiated as the Director of Military Operations and Intelligence.{{citation needed\|date=October ~~2022~~}}		He served in Burma during the second World War in 1941 and later in the Middle East and Italy. By October 1942 he was serving on the staff as a brigade major.<ref>Indian Army List October 1942</ref> He was appointed as assistant military secretary in 1945, and commanded the 1st Battalion of the 1st Punjab Regiment in Indonesia in 1946. Subsequently, he went on to serve as the commander of the 161 Indian Infantry Brigade in East Bengal. During the Partition of India, Thapar officiated as the Director of Military Operations and Intelligence.{{citation needed\|date=October 2019}}

	In November 1947, he was promoted to the acting rank of [[Major general (India)\|major general]]. He served as the Chief of the General Staff for a few months and later as Military Secretary until August 1949. He was appointed Master General of the Ordnance on 8 August 1949.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=1230 \|date=3 September 1949 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>		In November 1947, he was promoted to the acting rank of [[Major general (India)\|major general]]. He served as the Chief of the General Staff for a few months and later as Military Secretary until August 1949. He was appointed Master General of the Ordnance on 8 August 1949.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=1230 \|date=3 September 1949 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
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	==Later life==		==Later life==
	After resigning from the army, he was appointed as Indian Ambassador to [[Afghanistan]] from August 1964 to January 1969. He died on his farm, White Gates, in Chhattarpur, New Delhi, on 23 June 1975 at the age of 69.{{citation needed\|date=October ~~2022~~}}		After resigning from the army, he was appointed as Indian Ambassador to [[Afghanistan]] from August 1964 to January 1969. He died on his farm, White Gates, in Chhattarpur, New Delhi, on 23 June 1975 at the age of 69.{{citation needed\|date=October 2019}}

	==Awards and decorations==		==Awards and decorations==

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Awards and decorations

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:27, 10 January 2022
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	\| servicenumber = IA-558<ref name="maj_gen_subs"/>		\| servicenumber = IA-558<ref name="maj_gen_subs"/>
	\| unit = [[File:Badge_of_1st_Punjab_Regiment_1945-56.jpg\|20px]] [[1st Punjab Regiment]]		\| unit = [[File:Badge_of_1st_Punjab_Regiment_1945-56.jpg\|20px]] [[1st Punjab Regiment]]
	\| commands = [[File:Flag COAS.svg\|20px]] Chief of Army Staff<br/>[[File:IA Western Command.~~jpg~~\|20px]] [[Western Command (India)\|Western Army]]<br/>[[File:IA Southern Command.~~jpg~~\|20px]] [[Southern Command (India)\|Southern Army]]<br/>[[161st Indian Infantry Brigade]]<br/>[[File:Badge_of_1st_Punjab_Regiment_1945-56.jpg\|20px]] [[1st Punjab Regiment\|1/1 Punjab]]		\| commands = [[File:Flag COAS.svg\|20px]] Chief of Army Staff<br/>[[File:IA Western Command.svg\|20px]] [[Western Command (India)\|Western Army]]<br/>[[File:IA Southern Command.svg\|20px]] [[Southern Command (India)\|Southern Army]]<br/>[[161st Indian Infantry Brigade]]<br/>[[File:Badge_of_1st_Punjab_Regiment_1945-56.jpg\|20px]] [[1st Punjab Regiment\|1/1 Punjab]]
	\| battles = [[World War II]]<br/>[[Sino-Indian War]]		\| battles = [[World War II]]<br/>[[Sino-Indian War]]
	\| battles_label =		\| battles_label =
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	\| memorials =		\| memorials =
	\| spouse = Bimla Thapar		\| spouse = Bimla Thapar
	\| ~~relations~~ = [[Karan Thapar]] (~~Son~~)~~<br/>[[Shobha Thapar]] (Daughter)<br/>[[Premila Thapar]] (Daughter)<br/>~~[[~~Kiran~~ Thapar]] (~~Daughter~~)<br/>[[Romesh Thapar]] (~~Nephew~~)<br/>[[Romila Thapar]] (~~Niece~~)<br/>[[Valmik Thapar]] (~~Great~~-~~Nephew~~)<br/>[[Jawaharlal Nehru]] (distant relative)<ref name="The Devil's Advocate">{{cite news \| title = When the Devil's Advocate has the Last Word \|work=The Hindu \| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/when-the-devils-advocate-has-the-last-word/article4799504.ece \|date=10 June 2013\|access-date = 14 January 2014 \| first = Prashant \| last = Jha }}</ref><ref name="ThePrint">{{cite news \|last1=Singh \|first1=Nandita \|title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi \|url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/ \|access-date=2 April 2019 \|work=The Print \|date=2 January 2019}}</ref>		\| children = [[Karan Thapar]] (son)
			\|relations = [[Daya Ram Thapar]] (brother)<br/>[[Romesh Thapar]] (nephew)<br/>[[Romila Thapar]] (niece)<br/>[[Valmik Thapar]] (great-nephew)<br/>[[Jawaharlal Nehru]] (distant relative)<ref name="The Devil's Advocate">{{cite news \| title = When the Devil's Advocate has the Last Word \|work=The Hindu \| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/when-the-devils-advocate-has-the-last-word/article4799504.ece \|date=10 June 2013\|access-date = 14 January 2014 \| first = Prashant \| last = Jha }}</ref><ref name="ThePrint">{{cite news \|last1=Singh \|first1=Nandita \|title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi \|url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/ \|access-date=2 April 2019 \|work=The Print \|date=2 January 2019}}</ref>
	\| laterwork =		\| laterwork =
	\| signature =		\| signature =
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	==Personal life==		==Personal life==
	General Pran Nath Thapar was born at [[Lahore]] into a prominent [[Punjabi people\|Punjabi]] [[Khatri]] family.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Puri\|first=Baij Nath\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ytuAAAAMAAJ\|title=The Khatris, a Socio-cultural Study\|date=1988\|publisher=M.N. Publishers and Distributors\|language=en}}</ref> He was the youngest son of Diwan Bahadur Kunj Behari Thapar of [[Lahore]].<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi\|url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/\|last=Nandita Singh\|date=2018-07-24\|website=ThePrint\|language=en-US\|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref> The journalist [[Karan Thapar]] is his son.<ref>https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/</ref> The historian [[Romila Thapar]] is his niece and the ~~conservationalist~~ and tiger expert, [[Valmik Thapar]] is his great nephew. His elder brother was [[Daya Ram Thapar]], an officer in the [[Indian Medical Service]] and later [[Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (India)\|Director General Armed Forces Medical Services]].		General Pran Nath Thapar was born at [[Lahore]] into a prominent [[Punjabi people\|Punjabi]] [[Khatri]] family.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Puri\|first=Baij Nath\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ytuAAAAMAAJ\|title=The Khatris, a Socio-cultural Study\|date=1988\|publisher=M.N. Publishers and Distributors\|language=en}}</ref> He was the youngest son of Diwan Bahadur Kunj Behari Thapar of [[Lahore]].<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi\|url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/\|last=Nandita Singh\|date=2018-07-24\|website=ThePrint\|language=en-US\|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref> The journalist [[Karan Thapar]] is his son.<ref>https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/</ref> The historian [[Romila Thapar]] is his niece and the conservationist and tiger expert, [[Valmik Thapar]] is his great nephew. His elder brother was [[Daya Ram Thapar]], an officer in the [[Indian Medical Service]] and later [[Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (India)\|Director General Armed Forces Medical Services]].

	Thapar was distantly related to the Indian Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] through his wife. In March 1936, Thapar married Bimla Bashiram, the eldest daughter of Rai Bahadur Bashiram Sahgal and granddaughter of Rai Bahadur Ramsaran Das. Bimla Thapar was a sister of Gautam Sahgal, whose wife [[Nayantara Sahgal]] was a daughter of [[Vijayalakshmi Pandit]] and niece of Jawaharlal Nehru.<ref name="The Devil's Advocate"/><ref name="ThePrint"/> General Thapar and Smt. Bimla Thapar had four children, of whom the youngest is the journalist [[Karan Thapar]].{{fact\|date=October 2019}}		Thapar was distantly related to the Indian Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] through his wife. In March 1936, Thapar married Bimla Bashiram, the eldest daughter of Rai Bahadur Bashiram Sahgal and granddaughter of Rai Bahadur Ramsaran Das. Bimla Thapar was a sister of Gautam Sahgal, whose wife [[Nayantara Sahgal]] was a daughter of [[Vijayalakshmi Pandit]] and niece of Jawaharlal Nehru.<ref name="The Devil's Advocate"/><ref name="ThePrint"/> General Thapar and Smt. Bimla Thapar had four children, of whom the youngest is the journalist [[Karan Thapar]].{{fact\|date=October 2019}}
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	After resigning from the army, he was appointed as Indian Ambassador to [[Afghanistan]] from August 1964 to January 1969. He died on his farm, White Gates, in Chhattarpur, New Delhi, on 23 June 1975 at the age of 69.{{fact\|date=October 2019}}		After resigning from the army, he was appointed as Indian Ambassador to [[Afghanistan]] from August 1964 to January 1969. He died on his farm, White Gates, in Chhattarpur, New Delhi, on 23 June 1975 at the age of 69.{{fact\|date=October 2019}}

	==Awards and ~~Decorations~~==		==Awards and decorations==
	{\| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"		{\| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
	\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg\|width=106}}		\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg\|width=106}}
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	\|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]		\|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
	\|[[General Service Medal 1947]]		\|[[General Service Medal 1947]]
	\|[[~~Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals\|~~Videsh Seva Medal]]		\|[[Videsh Seva Medal]]
	\|[[Indian Independence Medal]]		\|[[Indian Independence Medal]]
	\|-		\|-
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	==References==		==References==
	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist\|30em}}

	{{S-start}}		{{S-start}}
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	[[Category:People of the Sino-Indian War]]		[[Category:People of the Sino-Indian War]]
	[[Category:Indian generals]]		[[Category:Indian generals]]
			[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta]]
			[[Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Defence Studies]]

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{{Short description|Chief of Army Staff, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[General (India)|General]]
| name = Pran Nath Thapar
| image = File: General Pran Nath Thapar.jpg
| width = 200px
| office = 4th [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]]
| president = [[Rajendra Prasad]] [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]]
| primeminister = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
| term_start = 8 May 1961
| term_end = 19 November 1962
| predecessor = [[Kodendera Subayya Thimayya|General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya]]
| successor = [[Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri|General JN Chaudhuri]]
| office2 = Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan
| primeminister2 = [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]] [[Gulzarilal Nanda]] [[Indira Gandhi]]
| term_start2 = August 1964
| term_end2 = 1 January 1969
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1906|05|08}}
| birth_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province]], [[British Raj|British India]] (now in [[Pakistan]])<ref>{{cite web|title=New Director of Military Intelligence: Brigadier Thapar Appointed|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1947-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1947-07-16_314.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|date=16 July 1947|access-date=18 July 2020}}</ref>
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1975|01|23|1906|05|08}}
| death_place = White Gates, [[Chhatarpur]], [[New Delhi]]
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial_coordinates = 
| module = {{Infobox military person | embed=yes
| allegiance = [[File:British Raj Red Ensign.svg|23px]] [[British Indian Empire]] {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{army|British Raj}} {{army|India}}
| serviceyears = 1926 - 19 Nov 1962
| rank = [[File:General of the Indian Army.svg|20px]][[General (India)|General]]
| servicenumber = IA-558<ref name="maj_gen_subs"/>
| unit = [[File:Badge_of_1st_Punjab_Regiment_1945-56.jpg|20px]] [[1st Punjab Regiment]]
| commands = [[File:Flag COAS.svg|20px]] Chief of Army Staff [[File:IA Western Command.jpg|20px]] [[Western Command (India)|Western Army]] [[File:IA Southern Command.jpg|20px]] [[Southern Command (India)|Southern Army]] [[161st Indian Infantry Brigade]] [[File:Badge_of_1st_Punjab_Regiment_1945-56.jpg|20px]] [[1st Punjab Regiment|1/1 Punjab]]
| battles = [[World War II]] [[Sino-Indian War]]
| battles_label =
| awards =
| memorials =
| spouse = Bimla Thapar
| relations = [[Karan Thapar]] (Son) [[Shobha Thapar]] (Daughter) [[Premila Thapar]] (Daughter) [[Kiran Thapar]] (Daughter) [[Romesh Thapar]] (Nephew) [[Romila Thapar]] (Niece) [[Valmik Thapar]] (Great-Nephew) [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] (distant relative)<ref name="The Devil's Advocate">{{cite news | title = When the Devil's Advocate has the Last Word |work=The Hindu | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/when-the-devils-advocate-has-the-last-word/article4799504.ece |date=10 June 2013|access-date = 14 January 2014 | first = Prashant | last = Jha }}</ref><ref name="ThePrint">{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Nandita |title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi |url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/ |access-date=2 April 2019 |work=The Print |date=2 January 2019}}</ref>
| laterwork =
| signature =
| signature_size =
| signature_alt =
| website = 
| module = }}
}}

[[General (India)|General]] '''Pran Nath Thapar''' (23 May 1906 – 23 June 1975) was the fourth<ref>[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ARMY/Army-Chiefs/Chiefs-Army07.html B-R] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302182750/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ARMY/Army-Chiefs/Chiefs-Army07.html |date=2009-03-02 }}</ref> [[Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army|Chief of Army Staff]] of the [[Indian Army]].

==Personal life==
General Pran Nath Thapar was born at [[Lahore]] into a prominent [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] [[Khatri]] family.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Puri|first=Baij Nath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ytuAAAAMAAJ|title=The Khatris, a Socio-cultural Study|date=1988|publisher=M.N. Publishers and Distributors|language=en}}</ref> He was the youngest son of Diwan Bahadur Kunj Behari Thapar of [[Lahore]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why is Karan Thapar complaining? His dynasty holds a key to Lutyens' Delhi|url=https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/|last=Nandita Singh|date=2018-07-24|website=ThePrint|language=en-US|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref> The journalist [[Karan Thapar]] is his son.<ref>https://theprint.in/lutyens-league/why-is-karan-thapar-complaining-his-dynasty-holds-a-key-to-lutyenss-delhi/87308/</ref> The historian [[Romila Thapar]] is his niece and the conservationalist and tiger expert, [[Valmik Thapar]] is his great nephew. His elder brother was [[Daya Ram Thapar]], an officer in the [[Indian Medical Service]] and later [[Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (India)|Director General Armed Forces Medical Services]].

Thapar was distantly related to the Indian Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] through his wife. In March 1936, Thapar married Bimla Bashiram, the eldest daughter of Rai Bahadur Bashiram Sahgal and granddaughter of Rai Bahadur Ramsaran Das. Bimla Thapar was a sister of Gautam Sahgal, whose wife [[Nayantara Sahgal]] was a daughter of [[Vijayalakshmi Pandit]] and niece of Jawaharlal Nehru.<ref name="The Devil's Advocate"/><ref name="ThePrint"/> General Thapar and Smt. Bimla Thapar had four children, of whom the youngest is the journalist [[Karan Thapar]].{{fact|date=October 2019}}

==Career==
After graduating from Government College, Lahore, he trained at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]], passing out on 4 February 1926 as a second lieutenant. He passed out in the same batch as [[K.S. Thimayya]], who also went on to become Chief of the Army Staff.<ref name="commission_Gazette">{{London Gazette|issue=33130|page=888|date=5 February 1926}}</ref> He spent the next year attached to a British Army battalion stationed in India. On 18 April 1927 he was formally appointed to the Indian Army, ranking as a second lieutenant.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33296|page=4721|date=22 July 1927}}</ref> He did his regimental duties with the 2nd battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment for ten years and later attended the staff courses at [[Quetta]] in India and [[Minley Manor]] in England.<ref>[http://indianarmy.nic.in/coas07.html Indian-Army] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201142402/http://indianarmy.nic.in/coas07.html |date=2014-02-01 }}</ref>

He served in Burma during the second World War in 1941 and later in the Middle East and Italy. By October 1942 he was serving on the staff as a brigade major.<ref>Indian Army List October 1942</ref> He was appointed as assistant military secretary in 1945, and commanded the 1st Battalion of the 1st Punjab Regiment in Indonesia in 1946. Subsequently, he went on to serve as the commander of the 161 Indian Infantry Brigade in East Bengal. During the Partition of India, Thapar officiated as the Director of Military Operations and Intelligence.{{fact|date=October 2019}}

In November 1947, he was promoted to the acting rank of [[Major general (India)|major general]]. He served as the Chief of the General Staff for a few months and later as Military Secretary until August 1949. He was appointed Master General of the Ordnance on 8 August 1949.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1230 |date=3 September 1949 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

On 1 January 1950, Thapar was promoted to substantive major-general, and was given command of an infantry division on 10 April.<ref name="maj_gen_subs">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=70 |date=24 June 1950 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1950/O-2343-1950-0013-108724.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He commanded a division for four years till 1954 and was promoted to the local rank of [[lieutenant general]] in 1954 as Commander of a [[Corps]]. He was selected to attend the Imperial Defence College, London in 1955. After successful completion of the course, he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command on 21 January 1957, with the acting rank of lieutenant-general,<ref name="lt_gen_actg">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=58 |date=9 March 1957 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1957/O-2120-1957-0010-96133.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and was promoted to the substantive rank on 1 February.<ref name="lt_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=59 |date=9 March 1957 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1957/O-2120-1957-0010-96133.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Command in 1959. Thapar took over as [[Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army]] on 8 May 1961 and served until 19 November 1962, when he resigned from the army after the defeat by China in the Sino-Indian War of October and November. He was also colonel of the [[Rajputana Rifles]].

==Later life==
After resigning from the army, he was appointed as Indian Ambassador to [[Afghanistan]] from August 1964 to January 1969. He died on his farm, White Gates, in Chhattarpur, New Delhi, on 23 June 1975 at the age of 69.{{fact|date=October 2019}}

==Awards and Decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=India_General_Service_Medal_1947.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Indian_Independence_medal_1947.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon_-_1939-45_Star.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon_-_Burma_Star.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon_-_War_Medal.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon_India_Service_Medal.png|width=106}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|[[General Service Medal 1947]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Videsh Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian Independence Medal]]
|-
|[[1939–1945 Star]]
|[[Burma Star]]
|[[War Medal 1939–1945]]
|[[India Service Medal]]
|}

==Dates of rank==
{|class="wikitable" style="background:white"
! Insignia !! Rank !! Component !! Date of rank
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-1a.svg|35px]] || [[Second lieutenant#United Kingdom & other Commonwealth countries|Second Lieutenant]] || [[British Indian Army]] || 4 February 1926<ref name="commission_Gazette"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-1b.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|Lieutenant]] || British Indian Army ||4 May 1928.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=33396 |date=22 June 1928 |page=4268 |supp=y |nolink=y}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-2.svg|35px]] || [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] || British Indian Army ||4 February 1935<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34142 |date=15 March 1935 |page=1810 |nolink=y}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg|35px]] || [[Major (United Kingdom)|Major]] ||British Indian Army || 1940 (acting)<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47">{{cite book|pages=146–147|title=Indian Army List Special Edition for August 1947|publisher=Government of India Press|year=1947}}</ref> 1 January 1941 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47"/> 4 February 1943 (substantive)<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=36042 |date=4 June 1943 |page=2579 |supp=y |nolink=y}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-4.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-Colonel]] || British Indian Army || 20 August 1944 (acting)<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47"/> 20 November 1944 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47"/> 10 August 1946 (war-substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army (1928-1953) OF-6.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] || British Indian Army || 2 November 1945 (acting)<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47"/> 10 August 1946 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army (1928-1953) OF-6.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] ||[[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-7.svg|35px]] || [[Major general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] || Indian Army || November 1947 (acting) 1 January 1950 (substantive)<ref name="maj_gen_subs"/><ref name="insignia" group="note"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major_General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Major-General]] || 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:Lieutenant_General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-General]] || Indian Army || 1 September 1953 (local)<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=262 |date=5 December 1953 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1953/O-2248-1953-0049-103977.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> 21 January 1957 (acting)<ref name="lt_gen_actg"/> 1 February 1957 (substantive)<ref name="lt_gen"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[General (India)|General]] (COAS) || Indian Army || 8 May 1961<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=134 |date=27 May 1961 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1961/O-1909-1961-0021-85839.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|}

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

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{S-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Kodandera Subayya Thimayya]]
|title = [[Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army|Chief of Army Staff]]
| years = 1961–1962
| after = [[Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri]]}}
{{succession box
| before = Kalwant Singh
|title = [[General_officer_commanding#Usage_in_the_Indian_Army|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] [[Western Command (India)|Western Command]]
| years = 1959–1961
| after = Daulet Singh}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Kodandera Subayya Thimayya]]
|title = [[General_officer_commanding#Usage_in_the_Indian_Army|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] [[Southern Command (India)|Southern Command]]
| years = 1957–1959
| after = [[Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri]]}}
{{s-dip}}
{{succession box
| before ={{Not sure}}
|title = Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan
| years = 1964–1969
| after ={{Not sure}}
}}
{{S-end}}
{{Chief of the Army Staff India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thapar, Pran Nath}}
[[Category:1906 births]]
[[Category:1975 deaths]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Chiefs of Army Staff (India)]]
[[Category:Punjabi people]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to Afghanistan]]
[[Category:People of the Sino-Indian War]]
[[Category:Indian generals]]