- Commander-in-Chief, India
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The third British Commander-in-Chief of India, Major General Robert Clive. Clive was one of the many Commanders-in-Chief who, as "soldier-politicals," helped the British gain ascendency in India.
The British Commander-in-Chief in India (or Commander-in-Chief of India) was the commander-in-chief of the Indian Army, often known as the British Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India. He liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India.
Following the creation of the Republic of India in 1951, the post was merged into the new office of President of the Republic of India. Thus, the Indian President is Commander in Chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Prior to independence, the official residence was the Flafstaff House, which later became the residence of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, and now museum, known as Teen Murti House.
This is a list of people who were the military Commander-in-Chief, India. The rank and title are the final ones for the officer's career and not necessarily applicable to his tenure as Commander-in-Chief, India.
Contents
List of Commanders-in-Chief
Teen Murti Bhavan, the former Official residence of Commander in Chief, built with establishment of New Delhi after 1911, it became Nehru's residence as Prime Minister, now a museum in his memory.Commanders-in-Chief of India, 1748-1798
Name Notes Served Major-General Stringer Lawrence Foiled French plans to conquer southern India.
Reorganized the Madras Army.1748 January Lieutenant-General John Adlercron 1754 Major-General Robert Clive Established the military supremacy of the East India Company in southern India and Bengal. 1756 December Brigadier-General John Caillaud Active in southern India against the French until 1759 when he was dispatched to Bengal. 1760 February Brigadier-General John Carnac Defeated the Delhi Emperor near Bihar. 1760 December Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote Captained the 39th Regiment, the first British regiment sent to India. 1761 April Major Thomas Adams Officiating 1763 Brigadier-General John Carnac 2nd time appointment as Commander-in-Chief.
Promoted to Brigadier-General during this time.1764 January General Sir Hector Munro Suppressed sepoy mutiny at Patna. Won the victories of Buxar against Shuja-ud-Dowlah, the nawab wasir of Oudh, and Mir Kasim, which ranks amongst the most decisive battles ever fought in India. 1764 July Brigadier-General John Carnac 3rd appointment as Commander-in-Chief.
Defeated the Maratha Empire in the Doab.1765 January Major-General Robert Clive 2nd time appointment as Commander-in-Chief.
Conquered Bengal from Nawab Siraj ud Dullah.1765 May Brigadier-General Richard Smith Exerted considerable influence in the East India Company, and was a prominent creditor of the Nawab of Arcot. 1767 January Brigadier-General Sir Robert Barker Signed a treaty with the Rohillas against the Maratha Empire. 1770 March Colonel Charles Chapman Civil servant of the East India Company who studied tribal ethnicities and cultures, and reported his findings to the Bengal Government. 1773 December Brigadier-General Alexander Champion 1774 January Lieutenant-General Sir John Clavering 1774 November Lieutenant-General Giles Stibbert Officiating 1777 October Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote Reappointment. Won the Battle of Porto Novo against odds of five to one, regarded as one of the greatest feats by the British in India. 1779 March Lieutenant-General Giles Stibbert Reappointment 1783 April General Sir Robert Sloper 1785 July General Charles Cornwallis Promulgated the Permanent Settlement of Bengal.
Served twice as Governor-General of India.1786 September General Sir Robert Abercromby Officiating 1793 October Major-General Charles Morgan Officiating 1797 January Field Marshal Sir Alured Clarke 1798 May Commanders-in-Chief of India, 1801-1857
Name Notes Served General Sir James Craig Officiating 1801 February General Gerard Lake Improved the Indian Army by making all arms, infantry, cavalry and artillery, more mobile and more manageable. 1801 March General Charles Cornwallis Reappointment. With Sir Arthur Wellesley, he supervised the Second Anglo-Maratha War against the Sindhia and the Holkar. 1805 July General Gerard Lake Reappointment. Upon Cornwallis' death, Lake pursued the Holkar to the Punjab. The Holkar capitulated at Amritsar in December 1805. 1805 October General John Simcoe Appointed to post in England, but died before departing for India and replaced by Lake General Gerard Lake Reappointment following death of John Graves Simcoe, who died after accepting the appointment in England 1806 General Sir George Hewett Transformed Meerut into a British stronghold that would be used as a launching point for future military campaigns into northern India. 1807 October Lieutenant-General Forbes Champagné Officiating 1807 December Field Marshal Sir George Nugent 1811 January General Francis Rawdon-Hastings Oversaw British forces in the Gurkha War; conquered the Marathas; repaired the Mogul canals in Delhi; instituted educational reforms. 1813 October General Sir Edward Paget 1823 January Field Marshal Stapleton Cotton 1st Viscount Combermere 1825 October General George Ramsay Began the British suppression of the Thuggee murder-cults. 1830 January Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Barnes Constructed the military road between Colombo and Kandy, made the first census of the population, and introduced coffee cultivation. 1832 January General Lord William Bentinck Suppressed the Hindu custom of suttee. 1833 October General Lord William Bentinck Reappointment 1834 April General Sir James Watson Established the famous police organisation known as the "Thuggee and Dacoity Department" within the Government of India. 1835 March General Sir Henry Fane 1835 September General Sir Jasper Nicolls Officiating 1839 December Field Marshal Hugh Gough Defeated the Mahrattas at Maharajpur. Conducted operations against the Sikhs and won the battles of Mudki, Ferozeshah and Sobraon. Soonafter, the Sikhs surrendered at Lahore. 1843 August General Sir Charles James Napier Conquered Sindh and made it part of Bombay Presidency. 1849 May Field Marshal Sir William Gomm 1851 December Major-General George Anson Outbreak of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Died of cholera during his march against the Indian mutineers at Delhi in May, 1857. 1856 January Lieutenant-General Sir Patrick Grant Directed operations against the Indian mutineers, sending forces under Havelock and Outram for the relief of Cawnpore and Lucknow, until the arrival of Sir Colin Campbell from England. 1857 June General Colin Campbell Abandoned then recaptured Lucknow. Supervised military operations in Oudh until the Indian Rebellion had been subdued. 1857 August Commanders-in-Chief of India, 1861-1947
Teen Murti (three statues), a memorial to the soldiers killed in action during World War I, stands outside Teen Murti House, which gives the building its present nameName Notes Served Lieutenant-General Sir Hugh Rose Improved discipline and enabled the amalgamation of the East India Company's army into the Queen's army to be carried out. 1861 June 4 General Sir William Mansfield Prior to his appointment, Mansfield served in the Sutlej campaign, commanded the 53rd Regiment in the Punjab, and was part of Peshawar operations in the northwest frontier. 1865 March 23 General Robert Napier 1st Baron Napier of Magdala. He did much to benefit the army and to encourage good shooting. 1870 April 9 General Sir Frederick Haines 1876 April 10 General Sir Donald Stewart 1881 April 8 Lieutenant-General Frederick Roberts 1st Baron Roberts of Kandahar 1885 November 28 General Sir George Stuart White 1893 April 8 General Sir Charles Nairne Officiating 1898 March 20 General Sir William Lockhart 1898 November 4 General Sir Arthur Palmer 1900 March 19 General Horatio Kitchener 1st Viscount Kitchener. Reconstructed the disorganised Indian Army against the wishes of the viceroy Lord Curzon. 1902 November 28 General Sir Garrett O'Moore Creagh 1909 September 10 General Sir Beauchamp Duff 1914 March 8 General Sir Charles Monro 1916 October 1 General Henry Rawlinson 1920 November 21 General Sir Claud Jacob 1925 April 3 Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood 1925 August 6 Field Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode 1930 November 30 General Sir Robert Cassels 1935 November 30 General Sir Claude Auchinleck 1941 January 27 General Sir Archibald Wavell Left to take command of the short lived ABDACOM; later became Viceroy. 1941 July 5 General Sir Alan Hartley 1942 January 5 Field Marshal Sir Archibald Wavell Reappointment. Sir Alan Hartley appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief. 1942 March 7 Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck Reappointment: 1947 August 15. Became Supreme Commander of India and Pakistan. Oversaw division of the Armed forces between the two new countries. 1943 June 20 General Sir Robert Lockhart Commander-in-Chief of Post-Partition India 1947 August 15 General Sir Roy Bucher Commander-in-Chief of Post-Partition India 1947 December 31 See also
- Governor-General of India
- Secretary of State for India
- British Raj
- British Empire
- History of Bangladesh
- History of India
- History of Pakistan
References
Categories:- British rule in India
- Military history of British India
- British Army appointments
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