Page 267 - Leadership in the Indian Army

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L IEUTENANT G ENERAL S AGAT S INGH ,

PVSM

India’s Finest Combat Leader

Sagat Singh was one of India’s most brilliant and audacious military
leaders. Though not as well known as some of his contemporaries, his

record as a combat leader is unmatched. He not only succeeded in every
operation, but went beyond victory, always achieving more than he had
been asked to do. Imbued with an aggressive spirit and the ability to take
risks, he was the epitome of the combat leader who leads from the front. A
brilliant tactician and strategist, he was known for his unconventional and
creative manoeuvres, which are the key to success in battle. Tales about his
wartime exploits abound, and are studied by students in military training

institutions. Though he did not reach the top of the military ladder, he is
better known than many who did. He was the most successful corps
commander during the 1971 Indo–Pak War, but surprisingly, he was given
neither a decoration, nor a promotion. He was a difficult subordinate, and
his penchant for the unconventional and scant regard for rules and
regulations did not help his career. Viewed purely from the military angle,

Sagat’s performance as a combat leader was par excellence. His standing
among Indian military leaders is the same as that of Patton in the US Army,
and of Rommel in the Wehrmacht.
Sagat was born on 14 July 1919 in Bikaner. His father, Thakur Brij Pal
Singh, was a Rathore Rajput from the vassalage of Bikaner, which was one
of the two important Indian states ruled by the Rathores, the other being
Marwar (Jodhpur). He was with the famous Camel Corps of Bikaner, and

fought in World War I in Mesopotamia (now Iraq). Sagat was the eldest of
three brothers, and had his early education at Walter Nobles’ School in
Bikaner. After school, he joined Dungar College, also in Bikaner. However,
he did not finish his graduation, and after passing the Intermediate
examination, joined the Bikaner State Forces.