In August 1947, the British departed from India after partitioning the country into two independent states. Two pillars of stability, the Indian Civil Service (ICS) and the Indian army were divided between the two countries with Pakistan inhering the north-western frontier of India and its associated tribal question. A tribal territory under British protection separated…
Not how well you see in a clear weather but how well you see in a foggy weather determines how better you are than others”. Mehmet Murat Ildan The failed coup of 15 July, 2016 was a watershed event of modern Turkish history. It was the final and unsuccessful attempt of a faction of the…
The introduction of every new major weapon requires reorganization of the army. The use of the machine gun in the First World War resulted in new organization. On the eve of the Great war, the British army had one machine gun section of two guns with each infantry and cavalry regiment. In October 1915 the…
This book by Major General Syed Ali Hamid is the most authoritative account of the history of Pakistan armoured corps. Major General Syed Ali Hamid is a second-generation Pakistani cavalry officer with keen interest in military history, he has compiled the most comprehensive account of the armoured corps starting with mechanization of Indian armoured corps…
“It is difficult to envisage some thirty or forty generals and a smaller number of admirals and air force commanders appointed solely by Providence to be the sole judges of what the nation needs”. The Times, April 6, 1961 In 2017, Pakistan is going through another cycle of severely strained civil-military relations. While a certain level…
“A tree won’t fall with a single blow”. Turkish proverb A failed coup attempt by some members of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in July 2016 made international headlines for a few days. The news quickly faded away and a firm clamp down and a purge inside Turkey prevented any detailed information about the dramatic changes…
‘In a western democracy, you lose touch with your people, you lose elections; in a monarchy, you lose your head’. Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, Former Saudi Ambassador to Washington. On In the last two years Saudi Arabia has gone through many changes. Absolute monarchies are not easy to decipher. There are many opacities and it is…
“Everyone is critical of the flaws of others, but blind to their own.” Arab Proverb On June 05, 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates (UAE) severed diplomatic relations with Qatar and also placed land and air embargo. This move came as a surprise to many as this immediately followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s…
Brigadier Jafar Khan passed away in May 2017. Jafar belonged to a family with long association with the army. His grandfather was Khan Bahadur Risaldar Major Malik Muhammad Gulsher Khan Gheba. Born in 1860, young Gulsher was an expert horseman. In 1880, he rode into Mardan with his horse and servant to join legendary Guides…
16th Light Cavalry was one of the first cavalry regiment of the Indian Army that was Indianized. 7th Light Cavalry was the second cavalry regiment that was Indianized and later 3rd Cavalry was also earmarked for Indianization. Disproportionately, a large number of future senior cavalry officers of Indian and Pakistani armies belonged to these three…
