# Western Command (India)

Western Command is a Command-level formation of the Indian Army. It was formed in 1920. It was disbanded following its demotion to an independent district and eventual merge with Northern Command to form the North-western Army. It was re-raised in 1947 following the transfer of Northern Command HQ to Pakistan. Until 1972, it was responsible for India's border with Pakistan in the North and West and the Chinese border in the North. The Command HQ is located at Chandimandir, Haryana, about 5 km east of Chandigarh.
Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar is the GOC-in-C: he took over on 1 July 2023.

## History
### Pre-Independence

The Presidency armies were abolished with effect from 1 April 1895 when the three Presidency armies of Bengal, Bombay, and Madras became the Indian Army. The Indian Army was divided into four Commands: Bengal Command, Bombay Command, Madras Command and Punjab Command, each under a lieutenant general.
Between 1904 and 1908, the Bombay Command was renamed as the Western Command. In 1908, the four commands were merged into two Armies: Northern Army and Southern Army as recommended by then Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army Lord Kitchener. This system persisted until 1920 when the arrangement reverted to four commands again: Eastern Command, Northern Command, Southern Command and Western Command.
In 1937, Western Command was downgraded to become the Western Independent District commanded by a major general. In April 1942, the Western Independent District was absorbed in the Northern Command which itself was re-designated as North Western Army.

### Re-raising

After the partition of India, the erstwhile command HQ, Northern Command, went to Pakistan and was renamed as GHQ, Pakistan. The communal violence of partition necessitated the raising of a new command headquarters to relieve Army Headquarters of the day to day overseeing of operations of the two independent areas in north India.
This command, initially named Delhi and East Punjab Command was raised in Delhi on 14 September 1947 with Lt Gen Sir Dudley Russell as its commander. It was responsible to administer the Delhi Independent Area and the East Punjab Independent Area.
On 26 October 1947, following the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India, Western Command was put in charge of all Indian Army operations to secure the area for India.
Initially a division sized force Jammu and Kashmir Division was raised on 5 November 1947 under Maj Gen Kulwant Singh for overseeing operations in Jammu and Kashmir. This was later split into two parts Jammu Division (under Maj Gen Atma Singh) and Srinagar Division (under Maj Gen K.S. Thimayya) to oversee operations in Jammu and Kashmir respectively.
The II Corps (Ambala), IX Corps (Yol), XI Corps (Jalandhar) and 40th Artillery Division (Ambala) are control operational units in Western Command.

## Structure

Command's Area Of Responsibility (AOR) covers the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and parts of Jammu.
The Western Command has been assigned operational units:- II Corps, IX Corps, XI Corps and 40th Artillery Division. The command in total has following units under its belt:- 6 infantry divisions, 1 armoured division, 1 artillery division, 1 Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Division (RAPID), 3 armoured brigades, 1 mechanized brigade, 1 Air-defence brigade, and 1 engineering brigade.
Structure of Western Command :
| Corps | Corps HQ | GOC of Corps (Corps Commander) | Assigned Units | Unit HQ |
| II Corps (Kharga Corps) | Ambala, Haryana | Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar | 1 Armoured Division | Patiala, Punjab |
| II Corps (Kharga Corps) | Ambala, Haryana | Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar | 9 Infantry Division | Meerut, Uttar Pradesh |
| II Corps (Kharga Corps) | Ambala, Haryana | Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar | 22 Infantry Division | Meerut, Uttar Pradesh |
| II Corps (Kharga Corps) | Ambala, Haryana | Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar | 40 Artillery Division | Ambala, Haryana |
| II Corps (Kharga Corps) | Ambala, Haryana | Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar | 16 (Independent) Armoured Brigade | Mamun, Punjab |
| II Corps (Kharga Corps) | Ambala, Haryana | Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar | 612 Air-defence Brigade | N/A |
| II Corps (Kharga Corps) | Ambala, Haryana | Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar | 474 Engineering Brigade | N/A |
| IX Corps (Rising Star Corps) | Yol, Himachal Pradesh | Lt Gen Rajan Sharawat | 26 Infantry Division | Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir |
| IX Corps (Rising Star Corps) | Yol, Himachal Pradesh | Lt Gen Rajan Sharawat | 29 Infantry Division | Pathankot, Punjab |
| IX Corps (Rising Star Corps) | Yol, Himachal Pradesh | Lt Gen Rajan Sharawat | 2 Armoured Brigade | Mamun, Punjab |
| IX Corps (Rising Star Corps) | Yol, Himachal Pradesh | Lt Gen Rajan Sharawat | 3 Armoured Brigade | Ratnuchak, Jammu & Kashmir |
| XI Corps (Vajra Corps) | Jalandhar, Punjab | Lt Gen Ajay Chandpuria | 7 Infantry Division | Firozpur, Punjab |
| XI Corps (Vajra Corps) | Jalandhar, Punjab | Lt Gen Ajay Chandpuria | 15 Infantry Division | Amritsar, Punjab |
| XI Corps (Vajra Corps) | Jalandhar, Punjab | Lt Gen Ajay Chandpuria | 23 (Independent) Armoured Brigade | Khasa, Punjab |
| XI Corps (Vajra Corps) | Jalandhar, Punjab | Lt Gen Ajay Chandpuria | 55 (Independent) Mechanised Brigade | Beas, Punjab |

## Precursors (1855–1947)

Following is the list of precursors to the Western Command and their commanders:

### Bombay Army (1855–1895)

Commander-in-Chief Bombay Army :
| S.No | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Unit of Commission |
| 1 | Lieutenant General Sir Henry Somerset KCB | March 1855 | March 1860 | N/A |
| 2 | Lieutenant General Sir Hugh H. Rose GCB | March 1860 | May 1860 | 19th Regiment of Foot |
| 3 | Lieutenant General Sir William R. Mansfield KCB | May 1860 | March 1865 | 53rd Regiment of Foot |
| 4 | Lieutenant General Lord Napier of Magdala GCB, GCSI | November 1865 | August 1869 | Bengal Engineers |
| 5 | Lieutenant General Sir Augustus A. Spencer KCB | August 1869 | October 1874 | 43rd Light Infantry |
| 6 | General Sir Charles W. D. Staveley KCB | October 1874 | October 1878 | Royal Irish Fusiliers |
| 7 | General Sir Henry J. Warre KCB | October 1878 | March 1881 | 54th Regiment of Foot |
| 8 | General Arthur E. Hardinge KCB, CIE | March 1881 | February 1886 | 41st Regiment of Foot |
| 9 | Lieutenant General Charles G. Arbuthnot KCB | February 1886 | December 1886 | Royal Artillery |
| 10 | Lieutenant General Duke of Connaught and Strathearn | December 1886 | March 1890 | Royal Engineers |
| 11 | Lieutenant General Sir George R. Greaves KCB, KCMG | March 1890 | April 1893 | N/A |
| 12 | Lieutenant General Sir John Hudson KCB | April 1893 | June 1893 | 64th Regiment of Foot |
| 13 | Lieutenant General Sir Charles E. Nairne KCB | September 1893 | April 1895 | Bengal Artillery |

### Bombay Command (1895–1904)

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Bombay Command :
| S.No | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Unit of Commission |
| 1 | Lieutenant General Sir Charles E. Nairne KCB | April 1895 | October 1898 | Bengal Artillery |
| 2 | General Sir Robert C. Low GCB | October 1898 | October 1903 | Bengal Army |
| 3 | Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Hunter KCB, DSO | October 1903 | October 1904 | 4th (King's Own Royal) Regiment |

### Western Command (1904–1908)

General Officer Commanding Western Command :
| S.No | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Unit of Commission | References |
| 1 | Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Hunter KCB, DSO | Oct 1904 | Jun 1907 | 4th (King's Own Royal) Regiment | |

### Western Command (1920–1938)

General Officer Commanding Western Command :
| S.No | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Unit of Commission |
| 1 | Lieutenant General Sir Walter P. Braithwaite KCB | Dec 1920 | Jun 1923 | Somerset Light Infantry |
| 2 | Lieutenant General Sir George M. Kirkpatrick KCB, KCSI | Jun 1923 | Jun 1927 | Royal Engineers |
| 3 | Lieutenant General Sir Charles H. Harington GBE, KCB, DSO | Jun 1927 | Jun 1931 | King's Regiment (Liverpool) |
| 4 | Lieutenant General Sir Torquil G. Matheson KCB, CMG | Jun 1931 | Jun 1935 | Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment |
| 5 | Lieutenant General Sir Ivo L. B. Vesey KCB, KBE, CMG, DSO | Jun 1935 | Mar 1936 | Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) |
| 6 | Lieutenant General Sir Walter W. Pitt-Taylor KCB, CMG, DSO | Mar 1936 | Nov 1938 | Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) |

### Western Independent District (1938–1942)

General Officer Commanding Western Independent District :
| S.No | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Unit of Commission |
| 1 | Major General Thomas J. Hutton CB, MC* | Aug 1938 | July 1940 | Royal Artillery |
| 2 | Major General John F. Evetts CB, CBE, MC | July 1940 | Feb 1941 | Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) |
| 3 | Lieutenant General Edward F. Norton DSO, MC | Feb 1941 | Apr 1942 | Royal Artillery |

### North-Western Army (1942–1945)

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief North-Western Army :
| S.No | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Unit of Commission |
| 1 | General Sir Cyril D. Noyes CB, CBE, MC* | Apr 1942 | May 1943 | Royal Scots Fusiliers |
| 1 | General Sir Edward P. Quinan KCIE, CB, DSO, OBE | May 1943 | Aug 1943 | Worcestershire Regiment |
| 3 | General Sir Henry Finnis KCB, CB, MC | Aug 1943 | May 1945 | Indian Staff Corps |
| Acting | Major-General Cecil Toovey CB, CBE, MC* | Jun 1945 | Oct 1945 | Indian Staff Corps |
| 4 | General Sir Richard N. O'Connor KCB, DSO*, MC | Oct 1945 | Nov 1945 | Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) |

### Delhi and East Punjab Command (1947–1948)

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Delhi and East Punjab Command :
| S.No | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Unit of Commission | References |
| 1 | Lieutenant General Dudley Russell CBE, CB, DSO, MC | 15 August 1947 | 19 January 1948 | 97th Deccan Infantry | |

## List of GOC-in-C of Western Command (1948–present)

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command :
| S.No | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Unit of Commission |
| 1 | Lieutenant General Kodandera Madappa Cariappa OBE | 20 Jan 1948 | 14 Jan 1949 | Rajput Regiment |
| 2 | Lieutenant General Satyawant Mallana Shrinagesh | 15 Jan 1949 | 14 Jan 1953 | 19th Hyderabad Regiment |
| 3 | Lieutenant General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya DSO | 15 Jan 1953 | 31 Aug 1953 | 19th Hyderabad Regiment |
| 4 | Lieutenant General Kalwant Singh | 01 Sep 1953 | 24 Mar 1954 | 1st Punjab Regiment |
| 5 | Lieutenant General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya DSO | 25 Mar 1954 | 14 May 1955 | 19th Hyderabad Regiment |
| 6 | Lieutenant General Kalwant Singh | 15 May 1955 | 14 May 1959 | 1st Punjab Regiment |
| 7 | Lieutenant General Pran Nath Thapar PVSM | 25 May 1959 | 7 May 1961 | 1st Punjab Regiment |
| 8 | Lieutenant General Daulet Singh | 8 May 1961 | 22 Nov 1963 | Armoured Corps |
| 9 | Lieutenant General Sam Manekshaw MC | 04 Dec 1963 | 15 Nov 1964 | 12th Frontier Force Regiment |
| 10 | Lieutenant General Harbaksh Singh VrC | 16 Nov 1964 | 26 Sep 1969 | 5 Sikh Regiment |
| 11 | Lieutenant General Kunhiraman Palat Candeth PVSM | 27 Sep 1969 | 21 Oct 1972 | Royal Indian Artillery |
| 12 | Lieutenant General M. L. Thapan PVSM | 23 Oct 1972 | 26 Oct 1973 | Jat Regiment |
| 13 | Lieutenant General Tapishwar Narain Raina MVC | 27 Oct 1973 | 31 May 1975 | Kumaon Regiment |
| 14 | Lieutenant General Inderjit Singh Gill PVSM, MC | 10 Jun 1975 | 30 May 1979 | Royal Engineers |
| 15 | Lieutenant General Kotikalapudi Venkata Krishna Rao PVSM | 31 May 1979 | 31 May 1981 | Mahar Regiment |
| 16 | Lieutenant General Srinivas Kumar Sinha PVSM | 01 Jun 1981 | 31 Dec 1982 | 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) |
| 17 | Lieutenant General Krishnaswamy Sundarji PVSM | 01 Jun 1983 | 13 Feb 1985 | Mahar Regiment |
| 18 | Lieutenant General Hriday Kaul PVSM, AVSM | 14 Feb 1985 | 30 Sep 1986 | 2nd Lancers |
| 19 | Lieutenant General P. N. Hoon PVSM, AVSM, SM | 01 Oct 1986 | 31 Oct 1987 | Dogra Regiment |
| 20 | Lieutenant General V. K. Nayar PVSM, SM | 01 Nov 1987 | 31 Oct 1989 | Parachute Regiment |
| 21 | Lieutenant General Sunith Francis Rodrigues PVSM, VSM | 1 November 1989 | 30 June 1990 | Regiment of Artillery |
| 22 | Lieutenant General G. S. Grewal PVSM | 01 Jul 1990 | 31 Jul 1992 | 1st Horse |
| 23 | Lieutenant General Bipin Chandra Joshi PVSM, AVSM | 14 Aug 1992 | 30 Jun 1993 | 64th Cavalry |
| 24 | Lieutenant General R. K. Gulati PVSM | 01 Jul 1993 | 15 Apr 1995 | 9th Deccan Horse |
| 25 | Lieutenant General Arun Kumar Gautama PVSM | 16 Apr 1995 | 31 Oct 1996 | 16th Light Cavalry |
| 26 | Lieutenant General H. B. Kala PVSM, AVSM, SC | 01 Nov 1996 | 14 Oct 1999 | Jat Regiment |
| 27 | Lieutenant General Vijay Oberoi PVSM, AVSM, VSM | 15 Oct 1999 | 29 Sep 2000 | Maratha Light Infantry |
| 28 | Lieutenant General Surjit Singh Sangra PVSM, VSM | 1 Oct 2000 | 31 Mar 2002 | Dogra Regiment |
| 29 | Lieutenant General Shamsher Singh Mehta PVSM, AVSM, VSM | 5 Apr 2002 | 31 Jan 2004 | 63rd Cavalry |
| 30 | Lieutenant General Joginder Jaswant Singh PVSM, AVSM, VSM | 1 Feb 2004 | 31 Jan 2005 | Maratha Light Infantry |
| 31 | Lieutenant General S. Pattabhiraman,PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM | 1 Feb 2005 | 30 Sep 2005 | Bombay Sappers |
| 32 | Lieutenant General Daljeet Singh PVSM, AVSM, VSM | 1 Oct 2005 | 31 Oct 2007 | 8th Light Cavalary |
| 33 | Lieutenant General T. K. Sapru PVSM, YSM | 1 Nov 2007 | 30 Nov 2009 | 1st Gorkha Rifles |
| 34 | Lieutenant General S. R. Ghosh PVSM, AVSM, SM | 3 Dec 2009 | 31 May 2012 | Brigade of The Guards |
| 35 | Lieutenant General Sanjiv Chachra AVSM, VSM | 1 Jun 2012 | 30 Jun 2013 | Rajput Regiment |
| 36 | Lieutenant General Philip Campose AVSM, VSM | 1 Jul 2013 | 31 Jul 2014 | Mechanised Infantry Regiment |
| 37 | Lieutenant General Kamaljit Singh PVSM, AVSM | 1 Aug 2014 | 31 Jul 2016 | 63rd Cavalry |
| 38 | Lieutenant General Surinder Singh PVSM, AVSM, VSM | 17 Sep 2016 | 31 Jul 2019 | Brigade of the Guards |
| 39 | Lieutenant General Ravendra Pal Singh PVSM, AVSM, VSM | 1 Aug 2019 | 31 Oct 2021 | Mechanised Infantry Regiment |
| 40 | Lieutenant General Nav Kumar Khanduri PVSM, AVSM, VSM | 1 Nov 2021 | 30 June 2023 | Army Air Defence Corps |
| 41 | Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar AVSM | 1 July 2023 | Incumbent | Rajput Regiment |