Jat Regiment

The Jat Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army and is one of the longest serving and most decorated regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment has won 19 battle honours between 1839 to 1947 and post independence 5 battle honours, two Victoria Crosses, Two Ashok Chakras, eight Mahavir Chakras, eight Kirti Chakras, 32 Shaurya Chakras, 39 Vir Chakras and 170 Sena Medals.

During its service of over 200 years, the regiment has participated in various actions and operations both in the pre- and post-independence India and abroad, including the First and the Second World Wars. Numerous battalions of the Jat regiment fought in the First World War including the 14th Murray's Jat Lancers.

The Jat people


Primarily farmers throughout history, the Jats led a fairly autonomous political life. Even during the Mughal period, the rule of the state was limited. With the exception of Bharatpur.

The first opposition to Aurangzeb's autocratic rule came from the Jats of Mathura. In 1669, the sturdy and hard working peasantry of Jats under the leadership of Gokla, zamindar of Tilpat, rose against and killed the Imperial Faujdar Abdun-Nabi. It took more than one year for the powerful Mogul forces to subdue the Jats. Gokul was killed and his family forcibly converted to Islam. But this did not deter the Jats and they once again rose in rebellion in 1685 under the leadership of Raja Ram. Akbar's tomb in Sikandra was plundered by them in 1688. Finally the Jats were defeated and Raja Ram slain in 1691. But the brave Jats again got organized under the leadership of Churamal and revolted. They continued a strong armed resistance against the Mughals after Aurangzeb's death.

Towards the end of Aurangzeb's reign, bands of Jats under individual leaders like Rajaram, Bhajja and Churamal carried out depredations around Delhi and Agra. They slowly increased their power. But whatever they had achieved was lost when Sawai Jai Singh II captured Churaman's stronghold of Thun in 1721. Till this time Jats were never united and they followed their individual village headsmen. But all this was changed by Badan Singh, the son of Churaman's brother, Bhao Singh. Even in the face of great difficulties, Badan Singh established his authority over almost of Agra and Mathura by wisdom, versatility and marriage alliances with powerful Jat families. Badan Singh died on 7th June, 1756. His successor was Suraj Mal.

Known for their military prowess, many Jats were recruited into the British-India Army during World War I. Before that, they served as fighters in the Persian army. A large number of Jats serve is in the Indian Armed Forces and form one of the largest ethnic groups in the army.

Colonel Hoshiar Singh PVC won India's highest military medal, the Param Vir Chakra. Lt Gen Khem Karan Singh MVC was another great Jat soldier from Haryana and won the Maha Vir Chakra. Other Jats from Haryana who won the Maha Vir Chakra award are: Captain Devinder Singh Ahlawat MVC, Lt Col Dharam Singh MVC, Major M. S. Chaudhary MVC, Havildar Fateh Singh MVC, Naik Shishpal Singh MVC, Lance Naik Hari Singh MVC, Sepoy Man Singh MVC and Major General S. S. Kalaan MVC.

British Indian Army: 1795 to 1947
The Regiment claims its origins from the Calcutta Native Militia raised in 1795, which later became an infantry battalion of the Bengal Army. The 14th Murray's Jat Lancers were formed in 1857. After 1860, there was a substantial increase in the recruitment of Jats in the British Indian Army, however the Class Regiment, The Jats, was initially created as infantry units in 1897 from old battalions of the Bengal Army. In January 1922, at the time of the grouping of the Class Regiments of the Indian Army, the 9th Jat Regiment was formed by bringing under a single regiment, four active and one training battalion.

The British colonists were impressed by the martial qualities of the Jats that they soon started recruiting them in ever-increasing numbers into all branches of the Bengal Army. The 1st Battalion was raised as the 22nd Bengal Native Infantry in 1803.

The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were raised in 1817 and 1823 respectively. All three battalions had distinguished records of service including the winning of many honours during World War I. The 1st Battalion in particular served with great distinction in France and Iraq (then Mesopotamia) and was conferred the signal honour of being declared ‘Royal’ in addition to being made Light Infantry.



The Regiment saw a great deal of fighting in North Africa, Ethiopia, Burma, Malaya, Singapore, and Java-Sumatra. A large number of gallantry awards were won including a Victoria Cross and two George Crosses. At the end of the war the Regiment, in company with other regiments of the Indian Infantry, dropped the numeral 9 from its title and became simply the Jat Regiment. jai bharat

Post-independence


In free India the Jats maintained the high reputation they had created for themselves on the battle-fields of France and Flanders, Libya, Malaya and Burma to name a few. In Jammu and Kashmir 1947–48, the China War 1962, the conflicts with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, and in Sri Lanka and Siachen, they have added to the laurels of the Regiment and the Army. But the actions of 3 Jat under Lt Col (now Brig Retd) Desmond Hayde initially on 1 September and then again on 21–22 September of crossing the Ichhogil Canal and capturing Dograi right up to Batapore-Attocke Awan and knocking on the very doors of Lahore speaks for itself about the battalion's leadership and the bravery of the troops. Recently in the 1999 Kargil conflict five of the Regiment’s battalions took part and once again displayed the soldierly qualities that have made the Jats so well known amongst the community of fighting men. The performance of the Regiment’s battalions during the UN missions in Korea and Congo has been in keeping with its high standards. Again, it performed very well in the counter-insurgency operations that have kept the Indian Army busy ever since independence.

Battle cry
The battle cry, adopted in 1955 is, "Hindi: जाट बलवान जय भगवान IAST :Jāt Balwān Jai Bhagwān" meaning "The Jat is Powerful, Victory Be to God!"

Class Composition
The Jat Regiment's class composition is 100% Hindu Jats from Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh except for 3 Battalions whose ethnic make-up is as follows:

12th Battalion: It recruits from all Indian castes. 15th Battalion: It recruits Ahirs, Jats, Gurjars and Rajputs, the classes with a common heritage. This was done as an experimental measure to test whether the mixing of these inter-linked classes could lead to fulfillment of the dream of a section of the politico-bureaucratic hierarchy; a mixed Army. This perception is shared by some of the Army's top brass also. 20th Battalion: Recruits Jats, Dogras, Garhwalis and Marathas.

Current strength


Currently the regiment has a strength of 34 battalions.


 * 2nd Battalion (former 15th Jat)
 * 3rd Battalion (old 10th Jats)
 * 4th Battalion
 * 5th Battalion (PHILLORA Captors)
 * 6th Battalion
 * 7th Battalion (former 11th Jat)
 * 8th Battalion
 * 9th Battalion
 * 11th Battalion
 * 12th Battalion (former 31st Jat)
 * 14th Battalion
 * 15th Battalion
 * 16th Battalion
 * 17th Battalion
 * 18th Battalion
 * 19th Battalion
 * 20th Battalion
 * 21st Battalion
 * 114 Infantry Battalion (TA) Jat
 * 151 Infantry Battalion (TA) Jat

Battle honours
Pre-1947

Nagpur, Afghanistan (1839) Ghuznee, Ali Masjid, Kandahar (1842) Cabool (1842) Maharajpore, Sobraon, Mooltan, Goojrat, Punjab, China (1858–59) Kandahar (1880) Burma (1885–87), Afghanistan (1879–80) China (1900) La Basee (1914) Festubert (1914–15) Shaiba, Ctesiphon, Khan Baghdadi, Kut al Amara (1915) Neuve Chappelle, France and Flanders (1914–15) Defence of Kut al Amara, Tigris (1916) Mesopotamia (1914–18) North West Frontier (India) (1914–15) (1917) Afghanistan (1919) Razabil, Kampar, Burma (1942–45) Jitra, Kanglatongbi, Malaya (1941–42) Ninshigum, The Muars, North Africa (1940–43)

Post-independence

Rajauri Zoji La Dograi (1965) Phillora (1965) Unit Citations

Citations are given instead of battle or theatre honours when a unit is decorated for Counter Insurgency Operations.


 * 4th Battalion Nagaland 1995
 * 7th Battalion J&K 1997
 * 11th Battalion Operation Rakshak 2011
 * 34th Battalion Rashtriya Rifles J&K 1997 (rr)
 * 17th Battalion Operation Vijay 1999
 * 16th Jat Battalion Operation Rakshak 2005/2011
 * 21st Battalion Operation Rhino 2009

Victoria Cross winners

 * havildarAbdul Hafiz V.C. 9th Jat Regiment, awarded 6 April 1944, Burma.
 * Risaldar Badlu Singh V.C. 14th Murray's Jat Lancers attached 29th Lancers (Deccan Horse). Awarded 23 September 1918, Palestine (Posthumous).

Maha Vir Chakra
Major Asha Ram Tyagi [3rd BN., JAT REGT.], was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously in 1965 India-Pakistan war. He was born into the Family of Chaudhry Sagwa Singh Tyagi and mother Basanti Devi from Ghaziabd,Uttar Pradesh.
 * Capt. Anuj Nayyar was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra during the Kargil Conflict. He was an officer from the 17th battalion JAT Regt.

Vir Chakra

 * Havaldar Shish Ram Gill was awarded the Vir Chakra during the Kargil Conflict. He was from 8th Bn The Jat Regiment.
 * Brig Umesh Singh Bawa, Maj Deepak Rampal and Havildar Kumar Singh Sogarwal were awarded the Vir Chakra during the Kargil Conflict. They are from the 17 Jat Regiment. The moto of THE JAT REGIMENT IS "JAT BALWAN JAI BHAGWAN" THE main sepoy of the JAT REGIMENT WAS nk Narendar Rathi of a small village etawah in UTTAR PRADESH IN A DISTRICT MUZAFFARNAGAR.