Field marshal (India): Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Highest Military rank of Indian Army}}
{{Short description|Highest Military rank of the Indian Army}}
{{good article}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
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| name          = Field Marshal
| name          = Field Marshal
| native_name    =
| native_name    =
| image          = Flag of Field marshal (India).png
| image          = Flag of Field Marshal.jpg
| image_size    = 100
| image_size    = 150
| caption        = Flag of the Field Marshal
| caption        = [[Flag officer|Rank flag]] of the Field Marshal
| image2        = Field Marshal of the Indian Army.svg
| image2        = Field Marshal of the Indian Army.svg
| image_size2    = 50
| image_size2    = 50
| caption2      = Shoulder insignia
| caption2      = [[Epaulette|Shoulder epaulette]]
| image3        = Star insignia of Field Marshal (India).jpg
| image3        = Vehicle star plate of Field marshal (Indian Army).svg
| image_size3    = 100
| image_size3    = 200
| caption3      = Star insignia of Field Marshal
| caption3      = Star insignia of the Field Marshal
| country        = {{flag|India}}
| country        = {{flag|India}}
| service branch = {{army|India}}
| service branch = {{army|India}}
| abbreviation  = FM
| abbreviation  = FM
| rank          = [[Five-star rank|Five star]]
| rank          = [[Five-star rank|Five star]]
| NATO rank      =  
| NATO rank      =OF-10
| Non-NATO rank  =
| Non-NATO rank  =
| formation      = 26 January 1950
| formation      = 3 January 1973{{sfn|Singh|2005|p=193}}
| abolished      =
| abolished      =
| higher rank    = None
| higher rank    = None
| lower rank    = [[General (India)|General]]
| lower rank    = [[General (India)|General]]
| equivalents    = {{plainlist|
| equivalents    = *[[Marshal of the Indian Air Force]] ([[Indian Air Force|IAF]])
* [[Admiral of the fleet]] ([[Indian Navy|IN]])
* Admiral of the fleet ([[Indian Navy]])
* [[Marshal of the Indian Air Force]] ([[Indian Air Force|IAF]])}}
| history        =
| history        =
}}
|rank group=}}
{{Equivalent ranks of Indian military}}
'''Field Marshal''' (or '''field marshal''', abbreviated as '''FM''') is a [[Five-star rank|five–star]] [[general officer]] rank and the highest attainable rank in the [[Indian Army]]. Field Marshal is ranked immediately above [[general]], but not exercised in the regular army structure. It is a largely ceremonial or wartime rank, having been awarded only twice. A Field Marshal’s insignia consists of the [[Emblem of India|national emblem]] over a crossed baton and sabre in a lotus blossom wreath.


[[Sam Manekshaw]] was the first Field Marshal of India, and was conferred the rank on 1 January 1973. The second was [[Kodandera M. Cariappa]], who was conferred the rank on 15 January 1986.
'''Field Marshal''' ({{langx|hi|फ़ील्ड मार्शल|pheeld maarshal}}) is a [[Five-star rank|five–star]] [[Military rank|officer rank]] and the highest attainable in the [[Indian Army]]. Created in 1973, it exists as a ceremonial recognition, awarded exclusively to officers deemed to have rendered exceptional service during wartime.<ref name="FM1">{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/this-word-means-field-marshal-10018167/|title=This Word Means: Field Marshal|website=indianexpress.com|date=20 May 2025}}</ref>


Field Marshal is equivalent to an [[admiral of the fleet]] in the [[Indian Navy]] and a [[Marshal of the Indian Air Force]] in the [[Indian Air Force]]. In the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet has never been awarded, but from the Air Force, [[Arjan Singh]] was promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force.
Modeled after [[British Army officer rank insignia|British military ranking system]], the rank is the Army's equivalent to the [[Marshal of the Indian Air Force]] (MIAF) {{Ndash}}the only other five-star rank in the [[Indian Armed Forces]].<ref name="FM1"/> It presently exists solely for honorary purposes and does not encompass any operational obligations, consequently, it sits outside the Army's operational hierarchy, nevertheless, its rank-holders customarily retain it for life i.e., are considered to be serving officers unto death.<ref name="NYT_1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/07/archives/india-names-chief-of-staff-to-take-army-command.html|title=India Names Chief of Staff To Take Army Command|website=www.nytimes.com|date=7 January 1986
}}</ref>
 
Since its inception, the rank has been awarded only twice, to [[Sam Manekshaw|S. H. F. J. Manekshaw]] in January 1973 and second, to [[K. M. Cariappa]] in April 1986.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2019/01/15/field-marshal-cariappa-army-day.html|website=www.theweek.in|date=15 January 2019 |title=Remembering Field Marshal Cariappa, the 'reason' for Army Day }}</ref> Outside the Army, the only other officer in the armed forces to have ever held a five-star rank was [[Arjan Singh]], who was promoted as Marshal of the Indian Air Force in January 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020126/main5.htm|title=Arjan Singh made IAF Marshal|website=www.tribuneindia.com|date= January 2002}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
To date, only two Indian Army officers have been conferred the rank. It was first conferred to [[Sam Manekshaw]] in 1973, in recognition of his service and leadership in the [[1971 Indo-Pakistani War]]. In 1971, after the war, [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]] decided to promote Manekshaw to Field Marshal and subsequently to appoint him as the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS). This appointment was dropped after several objections from the bureaucracy and the commanders of the Navy and the Air Force. On 3 January 1973, after his term as the [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]] (COAS) Manekshaw was conferred with the rank of Field Marshal at a ceremony held at [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]].{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=215}}{{Sfn|Sharma|2007|pp=59–61}} As it was the first appointment, several entitlements of the rank, including the badges and ribbons, were yet to be worked out. A few weeks before Manekshaw's appointment, the Field Marshal's badges of rank were made at the Army workshop in [[Delhi Cantonment]]. They were inspired by the [[Field Marshal (United Kingdom)|British Field Marshal]] insignia.<ref name="The Making of a Field Marshal">{{cite web|author1=Lt Gen Sk Sinha|author-link1=Srinivas_Kumar_Sinha|title=The Making of a Field Marshal|url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/the-making-of-a-field-marshall/|website=Indian Defence Review|access-date=4 September 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202121509/http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/the-making-of-a-field-marshall/|archive-date=2 December 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
===Preceding era===
During the [[British Raj]], the rank structure of the erstwhile [[British Indian Army]] (BIA) was modeled after the British ranking system, and upon [[Indian Independence Act 1947|India's attainment independence in 1947]], the Indian Army, which succeeded the BIA, retained the rank structure with several modifications to its insignia; however, given that no officer in the BIA had ever been promoted to the rank of field marshal, the rank was also omitted from the Indian Army's rank structure.<ref name="Mountbatten">{{cite news |last=Chhina |first=Man Aman Singh |date=2 September 2022 |title=Explained: How India adopted its military flags and badges based on Lord Mountbatten's suggestions |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/india-adopted-military-flags-badges-lord-mountbattens-suggestions-8125477/ |access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> Consequently, the four-star rank of general existed as the highest attainable rank, and remained so until 1973.<ref name="Gazette_1949">{{cite news|title=The Gazette of India (Extraordinary): Ministry of Defence |page=41  |date=15 January 1949|url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1949/E-2348-1949-0000-108857.pdf|publisher=[[The Gazette of India]]}}</ref>


The second individual to be conferred the rank was [[Kodandera M. Cariappa]], the first Indian to serve as the Commander–in–Chief of the Indian Army. Unlike Manekshaw, who was conferred the rank just before his retirement,{{efn|Manekshaw was conferred the rank of field marshal just a few days before his term as COAS ended.{{Sfn|Sharma|2007|pp=59–61}}}} Cariappa was already retired in 1953, and since a field marshal never retires, therefore retired officers cannot be given the rank. But as a token of gratitude for the exemplary service rendered by him to the nation, the Government of India overruled the pre-established criteria, and conferred the rank of field marshal on him on 15 January 1986 at a special investiture ceremony held at [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]].{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=49}}{{Sfn|Sharma|2007|pp=43–45}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Cariappa made Field Marshal |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1986-JAN-JULY-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1986-01-14_020.pdf}}</ref>
===S. H. F. J. Maneskhaw (1973)===
[[File:FM Manekshaw - Rashtrapathi Bhavan.jpg|thumb|President [[V. V. Giri]] presenting the rank of Field Marshal to S. H. F. J. Manekshaw in January 1973]]
The idea to introduce the rank of field marshal was first proposed by the [[Government of India|Union Government]] in early-1972, just a few months after India's military victory in the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1971|1971 Indo-Pakistani war]].{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=15}} At the time, the Army's successes came to be strongly identified with General [[Sam Manekshaw|S. H. F. J. Manekshaw]], who for his part, had been a principal commander during the conflict vis-à-vis his leadership as the then-[[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]] (COAS) and [[Chiefs of Staff Committee (India)|Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee]].{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=15}} Thus, it was conceived that Manekshaw's wartime leadership merited a promotion to the rank of field marshal, a notion which was then strongly supported by then-[[Prime Minister of India|prime minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]].<ref name="Rattibha">{{Cite web|url=https://en.rattibha.com/thread/1700810752502980703|title=STAVKA - Manekshaw|website=en.rattibha.com}}</ref> However, the measure was reportedly opposed by then-[[Minister of Defence (India)|defence minister]] [[Jagjivan Ram]] and the civilian bureaucracy, which feared an unbalanced tilt in civil-military relations.<ref name="Rattibha"/> Consequently, the question regarding the rank's creation remained in limbo until 31 December 1972, when the government decided in favor of Manekshaw's promotion.<ref name="Rattibha"/> Manekshaw thus became the first officer in the history of the armed forces to be promoted to a five-star rank, and was formally accorded the honor in a special investiture ceremony at the [[Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi|Rashtrapati Bhavan]] on 3 January 1973, where [[President of India|President]] [[V. V. Giri]] - the supreme commander of the armed forces, presented him with a baton and a special set of rank epaulettes.<ref name="Rattibha"/>
 
===K. M. Cariappa (1986)===
[[File:President Giani Zail Singh presenting the Rank of Field Marshal to K.M. Cariappa.jpg|thumb|President [[Zail Singh]] presenting the rank of Field Marshal to K. M. Cariappa in April 1986.]]
Subsequently, Manekshaw remained the only officer to hold the distinction until 1986, when the Union Government of India under prime minister [[Rajiv Gandhi]] decided to promote retired general [[K. M. Cariappa]].{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=47}} Similar to Manekshaw's service, Cariappa had also been a wartime officer: he had participated in the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948|1947-1948 Indo-Pakistani war]], and had risen to become the first-ever Indian officer to lead the Army as its Commander-in-Chief (the predecessor office to COAS) at the four-star rank of general.{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=47}} Notably, unlike Manekshaw - who had been promoted while in service, Cariappa was a retired officer - having superannuated in 1953.{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=47}} Subsequently, Cariappa was accorded the honor of an ''honorary'' field marshal by President [[Zail Singh]] at a special investiture ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on 28 April 1986.{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=47}} However, at the time of Cariappa's promotion, the [[Ministry of Defence]] had categorized his accordance as an ''honorary'' field marshal, which created confusion as to the difference between an ''honorary'' and a ''substantive'' field marshal.<ref name="WOP_1">{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/military-digest-declassified-files-reveal-discussions-over-field-marshals-manekshaw-cariappa-9193093/|title=Military Digest: Declassified files reveal discussions over Field Marshals Manekshaw, Cariappa and their position in Warrant of Precedence|website=indianexpress.co|date=3 March 2024}}</ref> The confusion was resolved in 1987 when the title ''honorary'' was dropped, allowing Cariappa to retain his rank substantively.<ref name="WOP_1"/>


==Overview==
==Overview==
Field Marshal is the five-star rank and highest attainable rank in the Indian Army. Though the rank is placed above general, it is not observed in the regular structure. It is a largely ceremonial or wartime rank, having been awarded only twice.<ref name="Did You Know That Only 3 People Have Been Given The Highest Ranks In The Indian Armed Forces?"/>
===Decorations===
Since the Indian Army's ranking system was modeled after the British Army, the rank insignia of field marshal for both services draw visual similarities.<ref name="Rattibha"/> The shoulder epaulette insignia for the Indian Army consists of two crossed batons surrounded by an [[Oak leaf cluster|oak wreath]], with the [[Lion Capital of Ashoka|Ashoka Lion]] placed above the wreath.<ref name="Zoraster">{{Cite web |author=Sinha, SK |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314235249/http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=121318|title=The Making of a Field Marshal |url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=121318|archive-date=March 14, 2015 |website=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)|The Island]]|date=14 March 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Although it is usually prepared in metal gold furnishing, Manekshaw personally requested his rank insignia to be prepared in black metal, as he belonged to the [[Gorkha regiments (India)|Gorkhas]], whose officers customarily wore their insignia in black.<ref name="Rattibha"/> Cariappa, on the other hand, received his insignia in gold.<ref name="Rattibha"/>


A Field Marshal receives the full pay of a [[Four-star rank|four–star]] General, and is considered a serving officer until their death. They wear a full uniform on all ceremonial occasions. In addition to this, they also run an office in the Army Headquarters with a secretariat.<ref name="Did You Know That Only 3 People Have Been Given The Highest Ranks In The Indian Armed Forces?">{{cite web|title=Did You Know That Only 3 People Have Been Given The Highest Ranks In The Indian Armed Forces?|url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Highest-ranks-in-Indian-Armed-Forces/#.53j2ve5ta|website=Scoop Whoop|access-date=4 September 2016|language=En|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104090735/https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Highest-ranks-in-Indian-Armed-Forces#.53j2ve5ta|archive-date=4 January 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
In addition to the shoulder epaulette, a field marshal is also accorded a ceremonial baton.<ref name="Rattibha"/> Initially, Manekshaw was accorded a simple black cane adorned with an elaborate silver chain with the Ashoka Lion mounted atop.<ref name="Rattibha"/> Later, both he and Cariappa were provided with one of standard design, consisting of a thick red-velvet handle studded with gold furnishings of the [[Ashoka Chakra]] and the Ashoka Lion perched atop.<ref name="Zoraster"/> Field marshals customarily salute by raising their batons in their right hand, instead of providing the [[Salute|open-palm salute]].<ref name="Zoraster"/>


Field Marshal is equivalent to an [[Admiral of the Fleet]] in the [[Indian Navy]] or a [[Marshal of the Air Force]] in the [[Indian Air Force]]. While [[Arjan Singh]] is the only holder of the Marshal of the Air Force to date, no officer has ever been promoted to Admiral of the Fleet.<ref name="Did You Know That Only 3 People Have Been Given The Highest Ranks In The Indian Armed Forces?"/>
==List of field marshals==
 
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:100%;"
===Insignia===
|-
A Field Marshal's insignia consists of the [[Emblem of India|national emblem]] over a crossed baton and sabre in a lotus blossom wreath. On appointment, Field Marshals are awarded a gold-tipped [[Baton (symbol)|baton]] which they may carry on formal occasions. The star insignia, which comprises five golden stars over a red strip, is used on car pennants, rank flags and as [[gorget patches]].<ref name="Did You Know That Only 3 People Have Been Given The Highest Ranks In The Indian Armed Forces?"/>
! style="text-align:center; width:5%;" | No.
 
! style="text-align:center; width:20%;" | Portrait
==Rank holders==
! style="text-align:center; width:15%;" | Name
===Sam Manekshaw===
! style="text-align:center; width:15%;" | [[List of regiments and corps of the Indian Army|Regiment]]
{{main article|Sam Manekshaw}}
! style="text-align:center; width:12%;" | Date of promotion
 
! style="text-align:center; width:17%;" | Offices held
'''Sam Manekshaw''', [[Military Cross|MC]] (1914–2008),{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=183}}{{Sfn|Sharma|2007|pp=59–61}} also known as "Sam Bahadur" ("Sam the Brave"), was the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal.<ref name="Did You Know That Only 3 People Have Been Given The Highest Ranks In The Indian Armed Forces?" /> Commissioned into the [[British Indian Army]] on 1 February 1935 with seniority  [[Antedated contract|antedated]] to 4 February 1934,{{Sfn|Singh|2005|pp=188–189}} Manekshaw's distinguished military career spanned four decades and five wars, beginning with service in [[World War II]]. He was first attached to the 2nd Battalion of [[Royal Scots]], and later posted to the 4th Battalion of [[12th Frontier Force Regiment]], commonly known as the [[54th Sikhs]]. Following partition, he was reassigned to the [[16th Punjab Regiment]].{{Sfn|Singh|2002|pp=237–259}}<ref name="Obituary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw">{{cite web|author1=Vinod Saighal|title=Obituary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/30/india|website=The Guardian|access-date=4 September 2016|date=29 June 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923150853/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/30/india|archive-date=23 September 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Saluting Sam Bahadur">{{cite web|author1=Tarun Vijay|title=Saluting Sam Bahadur|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tarun-vijay/the-right-view/Saluting-Sam-Bahadur/articleshow/3179920.cms?|website=Times of India|access-date=4 September 2016|date=30 June 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220200623/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tarun-vijay/the-right-view/Saluting-Sam-Bahadur/articleshow/3179920.cms|archive-date=20 December 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
! style="text-align:center; width:50%;" | Notes
 
|-
Manekshaw rose to be the 8th COAS of the Indian Army in 1969,{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=213}} and under his command Indian forces conducted successful campaigns against [[Pakistan]] in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 that led to the [[Bangladesh Liberation War|Liberation of Bangladesh]] in December 1971.The war lasted for 12 days from 3 December to 16 December, one among the Shortest wars of the History. On 16 December 1971, Lt. Gen [[A. A. K. Niazi]] of the Pakistan Army signed the Instrument of Surrender at Dhaka in the presence of Lt. Gen. [[Jagjit Singh Aurora]], Lt. Gen. [[J. F. R. Jacob]] and other Senior Officers of the Indian Army. More than 93000 Pakistani Soldiers surrendered to the Indian Army, which was recorded as one among the largest surrender in the History. The decisive results achieved by the Indian Army during this war, under the able military leadership of Manekshaw, gave the nation a new sense of confidence,{{Sfn|Singh|2005|pp=210–211}} and in recognition of his services, in January 1973 the [[President of India]] conferred the rank of field marshal on him.{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=215}} He was also awarded the [[Padma Vibhushan]] and the [[Padma Bhushan]], the second and third highest Indian civilian awards respectively, for his services to the Indian nation.<ref name="Obituary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw"/><ref name="Play It Again, Sam">{{cite web|title=Play It Again, Sam|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/play-it-again-sam/218683|website=Outlook India|access-date=4 September 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161207032200/http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/play-it-again-sam/218683|archive-date=7 December 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
| 1 || [[File:Field marshal SHFJ Manekshaw.jpg|150x150px|center]] || [[Sam Manekshaw|Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw]]<br />{{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|sep=,|MC}}|| rowspan="1"|[[8th Gorkha Rifles]]|| 03 January 1973<ref name="NYT">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/07/archives/india-names-chief-of-staff-to-take-army-command.html|title=India Names Chief of Staff To Take Army Command|website=New York Times|date=7 January 1973}}</ref>|| [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]]<br/>(1969–1973) ||Awarded in service for exceptional wartime leadership during the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1971|1971 Indo-Pakistani War]].<ref name="NYT"/>
 
|-
====Controversies====
| 2 || [[File:General K. M. Cariappa.jpg|150x150px|center]]|| [[K. M. Cariappa|Kodandera Madappa Cariappa]]<br />{{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|sep=,|OBE}}|| [[Rajput Regiment|7th Rajput Regiment]]|| rowspan="1"|28 April 1986<ref name="WOP_1"/>|| [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Commander-in-Chief]]<br/>(1949–1953) ||Awarded in retirement as honorary recognition for services rendered during the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948|1947-1948 Indo-Pakistani War]]<ref name="WOP_1"/>
Though Sam Manekshaw was conferred the rank of field marshal in 1973, it was reported that he was never given the complete allowances he was entitled to as a field marshal. It was not until President [[A.P.J. Abdul Kalam]] took the initiative when he met Manekshaw in [[Wellington, Tamil Nadu|Wellington]], and made sure that the field marshal was presented with a cheque for ₹1.3 [[Crore|crores]]–his arrears of pay for over 30 years. Even more surprisingly, Manekshaw's funeral was not attended by the top brass from civil, military, or political leadership, because non parsis are not allowed to enter parsi funeral .<ref name="The Making of a Field Marshal" /><ref name="Remembering Sam Manekshaw, India's greatest general, on his birth centenary">{{cite web|author1=Nitin Gokhale|title=Remembering Sam Manekshaw, India's greatest general, on his birth centenary|url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/remembering-sam-manekshaw-indias-greatest-general-on-his-birth-centenary-556023|website=NDTV|access-date=4 September 2016|date=3 April 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914084348/http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/remembering-sam-manekshaw-indias-greatest-general-on-his-birth-centenary-556023|archive-date=14 September 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|-
 
|}
===Kodandera Madappa Cariappa===
{{main article|Kodandera M. Cariappa}}
 
'''Kodandera Madappa Cariappa''', [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] (1899–1993),{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=21}} was the first Indian to be appointed as commander-in-chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Army. His distinguished military career spanned almost three decades. Cariappa joined the British Indian Army on 1 December 1920, and was commissioned as temporary [[second lieutenant]] in the [[88th Carnatic Infantry|2/88 Carnatic Infantry]].{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=21}} He was later transferred to [[125th Napier's Rifles|2/125 Napier Rifles]], then to the 7th Prince of Wales Own Dogra Regiment in June 1922, and finally to the [[7th Rajput Regiment|1/7 Rajput]], which became his parent regiment.{{Sfn|Sharma|2007|pp=43–45}}{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=23}}<ref name="Viewing Page 7663 of Issue 32878">{{cite web|title=Viewing Page 7663 of Issue 32878|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32878/page/7663|website=[[The London Gazette]]|access-date=4 September 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125055546/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32878/page/7663|archive-date=25 November 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
 
He was the first Indian officer to attend the course at Staff College, Quetta, the first Indian to command a battalion{{efn|A battalion comprises four rifle companies. A rifle company comprises four platoons. A platoon consists of a section which has 10 men.<ref name="STRUCTURE of Indian Army">{{cite web|title=Structure|url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=1KRe3PlAUEofJY1khsmQiw==&ParentID=3MNO2EnY8feZhYb+f0sRuw==|website=Indian Army|access-date=12 August 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224153537/http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=1KRe3PlAUEofJY1khsmQiw%3D%3D&ParentID=3MNO2EnY8feZhYb%2Bf0sRuw%3D%3D|archive-date=24 December 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>}} in the Indian Army,{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=29}} and also was one of the first two Indians selected to undergo a training course at the [[Imperial Defence College]],{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=33}} [[Camberly]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]. He served in various staff capacities at various unit and command headquarters (HQ) and also at the General HQ, New Delhi.{{Sfn|Sharma|2007|pp=43–45}}
 
He led the Indian forces in [[Kashmir]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]]. He was a member of the Army Sub Committee of the Forces Reconstitution Committee, which divided the British Indian Army into the Indian and [[Pakistani Army|Pakistani]] Armies after the [[Partition of India]] in 1947.{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=34}} After his retirement from the Indian Army in 1953, he served as the [[high commissioner]] to Australia and New Zealand until 1956.{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=46}}<ref name="Previous High Commissioners {{!}} About High Commission {{!}} The High Commission of India in Australia">{{cite web|title=Previous High Commissioners|url=http://www.hcindia-au.org/previous-high-commissioners.htm|website=The High Commission of India in Australia|access-date=4 September 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816173243/http://www.hcindia-au.org/previous-high-commissioners.htm|archive-date=16 August 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> As a token of gratitude for the exemplary service rendered by him to the nation, the Government of India conferred the rank of field marshal on Cariappa in his 87th year, on 14 January 1986.{{Sfn|Sharma|2007|pp=43–45}}{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=49}}


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Army ranks and insignia of India]]
===Similar===
* [[Arjan Singh|Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh]]
* [[Marshal of the Indian Air Force]]
* [[Field marshal]]
* [[Five-star rank]]
* [[Five-star rank]]
===Related to the armed forces===
* [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]]


==Notes==
==Notes==
'''Footnotes'''
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
'''Citations'''
 
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==References==
==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation|first1=Vijay Kumar|last1=Singh|title=Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers|author-link = Vijay Kumar Singh|year=2005|isbn=978-0-7619-3322-9|publisher=Sage}}
* {{citation|first1=Depinder|last1=Singh|title=Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, M.C.: Soldiering with Dignity|year=2002|isbn=978-81-85019-02-4|publisher=Natraj}}
* {{citation|first1=Vijay Kumar|last1=Singh|title=Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers|author-link = V. K. Singh|year=2005|isbn=978-0-7619-3322-9|publisher=Sage}}
* {{citation|first1=Satinder|last1=Sharma|title=Services Chiefs of India|year=2007|isbn=978-81-7211-162-5|publisher=Northern Book Centre}}
* {{citation|first1=Satinder|last1=Sharma|title=Services Chiefs of India|year=2007|isbn=978-81-7211-162-5|publisher=Northern Book Centre}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* {{citation|first1=Depinder|last1=Singh|title=Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, M.C.: Soldiering with Dignity|year=2002|isbn=978-81-85019-02-4|publisher=Natraj}}
* {{cite book|author1=K. C. Cariappa|author-link1=K. C. Cariappa|editor1-last=Chaudhuri|editor1-first=Dipa|title=Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa|date=2007|publisher=Niyogi Books|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-89738-26-6|edition=2nd}}
* {{cite book|author1=K. C. Cariappa|author-link1=K. C. Cariappa|editor1-last=Chaudhuri|editor1-first=Dipa|title=Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa|date=2007|publisher=[[Niyogi Books]]|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-89738-26-6|edition=2nd}}
* {{cite book|author1=Edel Weis|title=Field Marshal Cariappa: The Man who Touched the Sky|date=2002|publisher=Roopa & Co|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-7167-944-7}}
* {{cite book|author1=Edel Weis|title=Field Marshal Cariappa: The Man who Touched the Sky|date=2002|publisher=Roopa & Co|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-7167-944-7}}


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{{Indian Army}}
{{Indian Army}}


[[Category:Indian generals]]
[[Category:Field marshals of India| ]]
[[Category:Military ranks of the Indian Army]]
[[Category:Military insignia|India Army]]
[[Category:Military insignia|India Army]]
[[Category:Indian Army]]
[[Category:Indian Army]]
[[Category:Military ranks of the Indian Army]]
[[Category:Five-star officers]]

Latest revision as of 15:56, 26 March 2026


Field Marshal
Rank flag of the Field Marshal
Shoulder epaulette
Star insignia of the Field Marshal
Country India
Service branch Indian Army
AbbreviationFM
RankFive star
NATO rank codeOF-10
Formation3 January 1973[1]
Next higher rankNone
Next lower rankGeneral
Equivalent ranks

Field Marshal (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) is a five–star officer rank and the highest attainable in the Indian Army. Created in 1973, it exists as a ceremonial recognition, awarded exclusively to officers deemed to have rendered exceptional service during wartime.[2]

Modeled after British military ranking system, the rank is the Army's equivalent to the Marshal of the Indian Air Force (MIAF) –the only other five-star rank in the Indian Armed Forces.[2] It presently exists solely for honorary purposes and does not encompass any operational obligations, consequently, it sits outside the Army's operational hierarchy, nevertheless, its rank-holders customarily retain it for life i.e., are considered to be serving officers unto death.[3]

Since its inception, the rank has been awarded only twice, to S. H. F. J. Manekshaw in January 1973 and second, to K. M. Cariappa in April 1986.[4] Outside the Army, the only other officer in the armed forces to have ever held a five-star rank was Arjan Singh, who was promoted as Marshal of the Indian Air Force in January 2002.[5]

History[edit | edit source]

Preceding era[edit | edit source]

During the British Raj, the rank structure of the erstwhile British Indian Army (BIA) was modeled after the British ranking system, and upon India's attainment independence in 1947, the Indian Army, which succeeded the BIA, retained the rank structure with several modifications to its insignia; however, given that no officer in the BIA had ever been promoted to the rank of field marshal, the rank was also omitted from the Indian Army's rank structure.[6] Consequently, the four-star rank of general existed as the highest attainable rank, and remained so until 1973.[7]

S. H. F. J. Maneskhaw (1973)[edit | edit source]

President V. V. Giri presenting the rank of Field Marshal to S. H. F. J. Manekshaw in January 1973

The idea to introduce the rank of field marshal was first proposed by the Union Government in early-1972, just a few months after India's military victory in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war.[8] At the time, the Army's successes came to be strongly identified with General S. H. F. J. Manekshaw, who for his part, had been a principal commander during the conflict vis-à-vis his leadership as the then-Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee.[8] Thus, it was conceived that Manekshaw's wartime leadership merited a promotion to the rank of field marshal, a notion which was then strongly supported by then-prime minister Indira Gandhi.[9] However, the measure was reportedly opposed by then-defence minister Jagjivan Ram and the civilian bureaucracy, which feared an unbalanced tilt in civil-military relations.[9] Consequently, the question regarding the rank's creation remained in limbo until 31 December 1972, when the government decided in favor of Manekshaw's promotion.[9] Manekshaw thus became the first officer in the history of the armed forces to be promoted to a five-star rank, and was formally accorded the honor in a special investiture ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on 3 January 1973, where President V. V. Giri - the supreme commander of the armed forces, presented him with a baton and a special set of rank epaulettes.[9]

K. M. Cariappa (1986)[edit | edit source]

President Zail Singh presenting the rank of Field Marshal to K. M. Cariappa in April 1986.

Subsequently, Manekshaw remained the only officer to hold the distinction until 1986, when the Union Government of India under prime minister Rajiv Gandhi decided to promote retired general K. M. Cariappa.[10] Similar to Manekshaw's service, Cariappa had also been a wartime officer: he had participated in the 1947-1948 Indo-Pakistani war, and had risen to become the first-ever Indian officer to lead the Army as its Commander-in-Chief (the predecessor office to COAS) at the four-star rank of general.[10] Notably, unlike Manekshaw - who had been promoted while in service, Cariappa was a retired officer - having superannuated in 1953.[10] Subsequently, Cariappa was accorded the honor of an honorary field marshal by President Zail Singh at a special investiture ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on 28 April 1986.[10] However, at the time of Cariappa's promotion, the Ministry of Defence had categorized his accordance as an honorary field marshal, which created confusion as to the difference between an honorary and a substantive field marshal.[11] The confusion was resolved in 1987 when the title honorary was dropped, allowing Cariappa to retain his rank substantively.[11]

Overview[edit | edit source]

Decorations[edit | edit source]

Since the Indian Army's ranking system was modeled after the British Army, the rank insignia of field marshal for both services draw visual similarities.[9] The shoulder epaulette insignia for the Indian Army consists of two crossed batons surrounded by an oak wreath, with the Ashoka Lion placed above the wreath.[12] Although it is usually prepared in metal gold furnishing, Manekshaw personally requested his rank insignia to be prepared in black metal, as he belonged to the Gorkhas, whose officers customarily wore their insignia in black.[9] Cariappa, on the other hand, received his insignia in gold.[9]

In addition to the shoulder epaulette, a field marshal is also accorded a ceremonial baton.[9] Initially, Manekshaw was accorded a simple black cane adorned with an elaborate silver chain with the Ashoka Lion mounted atop.[9] Later, both he and Cariappa were provided with one of standard design, consisting of a thick red-velvet handle studded with gold furnishings of the Ashoka Chakra and the Ashoka Lion perched atop.[12] Field marshals customarily salute by raising their batons in their right hand, instead of providing the open-palm salute.[12]

List of field marshals[edit | edit source]

No. Portrait Name Regiment Date of promotion Offices held Notes
1
Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw
Lua error: expandTemplate: template "post-nominals/UK" does not exist.		 8th Gorkha Rifles 03 January 1973[13] Chief of the Army Staff
(1969–1973)		 Awarded in service for exceptional wartime leadership during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War.[13]
2
Kodandera Madappa Cariappa
Lua error: expandTemplate: template "post-nominals/UK" does not exist.		 7th Rajput Regiment 28 April 1986[11] Commander-in-Chief
(1949–1953)		 Awarded in retirement as honorary recognition for services rendered during the 1947-1948 Indo-Pakistani War[11]

See also[edit | edit source]

Similar[edit | edit source]

Related to the armed forces[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Singh 2005, p. 193.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "This Word Means: Field Marshal". indianexpress.com. 20 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "India Names Chief of Staff To Take Army Command". www.nytimes.com. 7 January 1986.
  4. ↑ "Remembering Field Marshal Cariappa, the 'reason' for Army Day". www.theweek.in. 15 January 2019.
  5. ↑ "Arjan Singh made IAF Marshal". www.tribuneindia.com. January 2002.
  6. ↑ Chhina, Man Aman Singh (2 September 2022). "Explained: How India adopted its military flags and badges based on Lord Mountbatten's suggestions". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  7. ↑ "The Gazette of India (Extraordinary): Ministry of Defence" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 15 January 1949. p. 41.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Singh 2005, p. 15.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 "STAVKA - Manekshaw". en.rattibha.com.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Singh 2005, p. 47.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Military Digest: Declassified files reveal discussions over Field Marshals Manekshaw, Cariappa and their position in Warrant of Precedence". indianexpress.co. 3 March 2024.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Sinha, SK (14 March 2015). "The Making of a Field Marshal". The Island. Archived from the original on 14 March 2015.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "India Names Chief of Staff To Take Army Command". New York Times. 7 January 1973.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

Further reading[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

Template:Military ranks by country

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