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{{Infobox military unit | {{Infobox military unit | ||
| unit_name = Southern Command | | unit_name = Southern Command | ||
| image = IA Southern Command. | | image = IA Southern Command.svg | ||
| image_size = | | image_size = 150px | ||
| caption = Southern Command's insignia today. | | caption = Southern Command's insignia today. | ||
| country = {{flag|India}} | | country = {{flag|India}} | ||
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| notable_commanders = General [[Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri]]<br/> General [[Gopal Gurunath Bewoor]] <br/> General [[Bipin Chandra Joshi]]<br/> General [[Ved Prakash Malik]]<br/> General [[Sundararajan Padmanabhan]] <br/> General [[Nirmal Chander Vij]]<br/> General [[Bipin Rawat]] | | notable_commanders = General [[Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri]]<br/> General [[Gopal Gurunath Bewoor]] <br/> General [[Bipin Chandra Joshi]]<br/> General [[Ved Prakash Malik]]<br/> General [[Sundararajan Padmanabhan]] <br/> General [[Nirmal Chander Vij]]<br/> General [[Bipin Rawat]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Southern Command''' is a [[formation (military)|formation]] of the [[Indian Army]], active since 1895. It has seen action during the integration of several [[Princely States]] into modern India, during the [[1961 Indian Annexation of Goa]], and during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani Wars. Lieutenant General [[Jai Singh Nain]] is the current Southern Army Commander.<ref name=nain/> | '''Southern Command''' is a [[formation (military)|formation]] of the [[Indian Army]], active since 1895. It has seen action during the integration of several [[Princely States]] into modern India, during the [[1961 Indian Annexation of Goa|1961 Indian liberation of Goa]], and during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani Wars. Lieutenant General [[Jai Singh Nain]] is the current Southern Army Commander.<ref name=nain/> | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
===Early history=== | |||
The [[Presidency armies]] were abolished with effect from 1 April 1895 when the three Presidency armies became the Indian Army.<ref name="IA">{{cite web|title=Northern Command|url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=rOVaZ1oDN4Y+6g+B7wVzFA==&ParentID=pR6rWvPTFCtsMyihEuBwFg==|access-date=4 January 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212442/http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=rOVaZ1oDN4Y+6g+B7wVzFA==&ParentID=pR6rWvPTFCtsMyihEuBwFg==|archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> The Indian Army was divided into four Commands (Bengal Command, Bombay Command, Madras Command and Punjab Command) each under a lieutenant general.<ref name="IA"/> | The [[Presidency armies]] were abolished with effect from 1 April 1895 when the three Presidency armies became the Indian Army.<ref name="IA">{{cite web|title=Northern Command|url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=rOVaZ1oDN4Y+6g+B7wVzFA==&ParentID=pR6rWvPTFCtsMyihEuBwFg==|access-date=4 January 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212442/http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=rOVaZ1oDN4Y+6g+B7wVzFA==&ParentID=pR6rWvPTFCtsMyihEuBwFg==|archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> The Indian Army was divided into four Commands (Bengal Command, Bombay Command, Madras Command and Punjab Command) each under a lieutenant general.<ref name="IA"/> | ||
In 1908, the four commands were merged into two Armies (Northern Army and Southern Army): this system persisted until 1920 when the arrangement reverted to four commands again (Eastern Command, Northern Command, Southern Command and Western Command).<ref name="IA"/> In 1914, the Southern Army consisted of the [[4th (Quetta) Division]], the [[5th (Mhow) Division]], the [[6th (Poona) Division]], the [[9th (Secunderabad) Division]], and the [[Aden Brigade]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://orbat.com/site/history/historical/india/army1914.html |title=THE INDIAN ARMY 1914 |publisher=Orbat.com |date=2001-03-25 |access-date=2013-06-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090909172657/http://orbat.com/site/history/historical/india/army1914.html |archive-date=9 September 2009 }}</ref> | In 1908, the four commands were merged into two Armies (Northern Army and Southern Army): this system persisted until 1920 when the arrangement reverted to four commands again (Eastern Command, Northern Command, Southern Command and Western Command).<ref name="IA"/> In 1914, the Southern Army consisted of the [[4th (Quetta) Division]], the [[5th (Mhow) Division]], the [[6th (Poona) Division]], the [[9th (Secunderabad) Division]], and the [[Aden Brigade]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://orbat.com/site/history/historical/india/army1914.html |title=THE INDIAN ARMY 1914 |publisher=Orbat.com |date=2001-03-25 |access-date=2013-06-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090909172657/http://orbat.com/site/history/historical/india/army1914.html |archive-date=9 September 2009 }}</ref> | ||
During World War | ===Second World War=== | ||
During the Second World War, Southern Command was reformed as Southern Army in April 1942. The formation reverted to the title Southern Command in November 1945.<ref>{{cite web|title=Southern Army|access-date=11 October 2009|publisher=OOB.com|url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=7163&Tab=Sup}}{{Dead link|date=June 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> | |||
Component divisions included:<ref name=sas1>{{cite web|title=Southern Army Subordinates|access-date=11 October 2009|publisher=OOB.com|url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=7163&Tab=Sub}}{{Dead link|date=June 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> | Component divisions included:<ref name=sas1>{{cite web|title=Southern Army Subordinates|access-date=11 October 2009|publisher=OOB.com|url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=7163&Tab=Sub}}{{Dead link|date=June 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> | ||
*[[19th Indian Infantry Division]], April 1942 to July 1944 | *[[19th Indian Infantry Division]], April 1942 to July 1944 | ||
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*[[150th Indian Infantry Brigade]] March 1944 to August 1945 | *[[150th Indian Infantry Brigade]] March 1944 to August 1945 | ||
*[[26th Indian Infantry Brigade]] July 1944 to December 1944 | *[[26th Indian Infantry Brigade]] July 1944 to December 1944 | ||
===Post war=== | |||
In August 1947, Southern Command had the Deccan, Madras and Bombay Areas (with HQs at Kamptee, Madras and Bombay). | |||
In 1947–48, Southern Command was largely responsible in getting [[Junagadh]] and [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]] to sign the instrument of accession to India.<ref name="IA"/> [[1st Armoured Division (India)|1st Armoured Division]] did the actual incursion into Hyderabad. In 1961, the [[1961 Indian Annexation of Goa|Indian annexation of Goa]] was conducted by [[17th Infantry Division (India)|17th Infantry Division]] and [[50th Parachute Brigade (India)|50th Parachute Brigade]], under the operational control of Southern Command.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pillarisetti |first=Jagan |title=The Liberation of Goa: 1961 |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1960s/Goa01.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031005110857/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1960s/Goa01.html |archive-date=5 October 2003 |access-date=12 June 2014 |website=[[Bharat Rakshak]] |df=dmy}}</ref> | |||
In 1965–66, two further divisions were raised within the command. After fighting broke out in the [[Rann of Kutch]] in April 1965, a hastily constituted force, named Kilo Force under Maj. Gen [[P. O. Dunn]] was formed to contain this attack.<ref name="IA"/> Kilo Force was later re-designated as 11 Infantry Division. In September 1965, the operational responsibility for the Barmer sector was given to Southern Command and entrusted to 11 Infantry Division. Delhi and Rajasthan Area, with its Advance Headquarters at Jodhpur, fought in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] under [[Western Command (India)|Western Command]]. On 3 November 1966, this formation was redesignated [[12th Infantry Division (India)|12th Infantry Division]], under Major General [[J.F.R. Jacob]], and also placed under Southern Command.<ref>Renaldi and Rikhye 2011, p. 43</ref> | |||
==Commanders prior to Independence== | ==Commanders prior to Independence== | ||
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*1947–1948 Lieutenant-General [[Eric Goddard]] (post-independence) | *1947–1948 Lieutenant-General [[Eric Goddard]] (post-independence) | ||
== | ==Structure== | ||
Today the command headquarters is located at [[Pune Cantonment]] in [[Pune]], Maharashtra.<ref>{{cite web|title=Operational Commands of The Indian Army|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/commands.htm|access-date=4 January 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228041815/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/commands.htm|archive-date=28 February 2010}}</ref> It consists of two corps and two military areas.<ref name="IA"/> The two areas appear to be : one at Mumbai, the Maharashtra Goa and Gujarat Area (MG&G Area), responsible for those states; and one at Chennai, the Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala Area (ATNK&K Area) responsible for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.<ref>Renaldi and Rikhye, 2011, p. 18</ref> | Today the command headquarters is located at [[Pune Cantonment]] in [[Pune]], Maharashtra.<ref>{{cite web|title=Operational Commands of The Indian Army|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/commands.htm|access-date=4 January 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228041815/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/commands.htm|archive-date=28 February 2010}}</ref> It consists of two corps and two military areas.<ref name="IA"/> The two areas appear to be : one at Mumbai, the Maharashtra Goa and Gujarat Area (MG&G Area), responsible for those states; and one at Chennai, the Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala Area (ATNK&K Area) responsible for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.<ref>Renaldi and Rikhye, 2011, p. 18</ref> | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Lieutenant General]] | |[[Lieutenant General]] | ||
|Sartaj Singh | |[[Sartaj Singh (general)|Sartaj Singh]] | ||
|27 January 1973 | |27 January 1973 | ||
|31 July 1974 | |31 July 1974 | ||
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|[[Jai Singh Nain]] | |[[Jai Singh Nain]] | ||
|1 February 2021 | |1 February 2021 | ||
|Incumbent | |''Incumbent'' | ||
|[[Dogra Regiment]] | |[[Dogra Regiment]] | ||
|<ref name=nain>{{cite web|title=JS Nain army commander southern command |url=https://deccanexpress.co/defence/pune-southern-command-lieutenant-general-js-nain-is-the-new-southern-army-commander-16734/|date=31 January 2021|publisher=Deccan Express|access-date=1 February 2021}}</ref> | |<ref name=nain>{{cite web|title=JS Nain army commander southern command |url=https://deccanexpress.co/defence/pune-southern-command-lieutenant-general-js-nain-is-the-new-southern-army-commander-16734/|date=31 January 2021|publisher=Deccan Express|access-date=1 February 2021}}</ref> | ||