Zorawar Light Tank Named After Zorawar Singh Kahluria – Dogra General Who Conquered Ladakh, and Raided Tibet

Zorawar Light Tank

Zorawar is an Indian light tank named after Zorawar Singh Kahluria, the Dogra General who conquered Ladakh and raided Tibet in 1841 to reach Kailash Mansarovar. The tank is a cross between an armored fighting vehicle and an Indian light tank, with a high power-to-weight ratio and substantial firepower, protection, surveillance, and communication capabilities. It was designed to provide Indian Army with the versatility to execute operations in varying terrain against diverse threats and equipment profiles of its adversaries. Its requirement was felt after the 2020-2022 India-China skirmishes. As it happens in the extremely high altitudes of Ladakh, it is very difficult to operate T-72s and T-90s, let alone Arjun Mk1/Mk1A/Mk2.

When the Indian Army found out, that the Chinese had deployed the Type 15 light tank, which gave them a significant advantage over what the Indian Army was fielding at the extreme heights of Galwan valley. Indian Army wanted to operate light tanks in Himalayan theatres, where they are easy to operate, maintain, light and maneuverable without sacrificing firepower. Initially, Indian Army intended to procure these light tanks from Russia. On 16 September 2022, it was confirmed that L&T was selected to develop this tank which is to be rolled out by 2023.

So Who is Zorawar Singh Kahluria

Zorawar Singh Kahluria was a general of the Dogra dynasty of Jammu, which was actually the vassal state of the Sikh Empire. A subordinate to Dogra ruler Gulab Singh, his legacy of conquests in the Himalayan Mountains include Ladakh, Tibet, Baltistan, and Skardu. It is because of his exploits he is sometimes referred to as the "Napoleon of India".

Early Life and Career

He was born in September 1784 in a Hindu Kahluria Rajput family in the Kahlur (Bilaspur) state, of Himachal Pradesh. His family migrated to the Jammu region where, on coming of age, Zorawar Singh first took up service under Raja Jaswant Singh of Marmathi (modern Doda district), and then Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu. He was placed under the commandant of Reasi fort (Bhimgarh fort), he found about financial waste occurring in the fort administration and boldly presented to King Gulab Singh his scheme to effect savings. Gulab Singh was impressed by Zorawar's sincerity and appointed him commandant of Reasi, and later governor of Kishtwar and given the title of Wazir (minister).

Ladakh Campaigns

In 1834 the Raja of Timbus sought Zorawar's help against the Gyalpo of Ladakh. At that time Kishtwar had gone through a drought that caused a loss of revenue and forced Zorawar to extract money through war. Zorawar had no trouble in crossing mountain ranges and entering Ladakh through the source of the Suru River with 5000 men and defeated an army of local leaders. Then he moved to Kargil to subdue the landlords. Though he got Ladakhis to submit, but Tsepal Namgyal, the Gyalpo, sent his general Banko Kahlon to cut off Zorawar's communications. The general doubled back to Kartse, where he sheltered through the winter. In 1835 he defeated the large Ladakhi army of Banko Kahlon and marched his victorious troops toward Leh. The Gyalpo agreed to pay 50,000 rupees as war indemnity and 20,000 rupees as an annual tribute.

Alarmed the governor of Kashmir, Mehan Singh, incited the Ladakhi but Zorawar quickly marched back and subdued the rebels, forcing Raja of Zanskar valley to also pay a separate tribute to Jammu. In 1836 Mehan Singh instigated the Gyalpo to revolt but Zorawar force-marched his army in ten days to surprise the Ladakhis and forced them to submit again. He built a fort outside Leh with a garrison of 300 men under Dalel Singh, the Gyalpo was deposed and a Ladakhi general, Ngorub Stanzin, was made King. But the latter did not prove to be loyal hence the Gyalpo was restored to his throne in 1838.

Baltistan Campaign

Muhammad Shah, the son of Raja Ahmad Shah, the ruler of Skardu, Baltistan. fled to Leh and sought the help of Ladakh Gyalpo and Zorawar against his father. But some Ladakhi nobles helped Ahmad Shah imprison his son and sought help against Dogras. Zorawar invaded Baltistan in 1839/40, with a large contingent of Ladakhis in his army. when the advance party under Nidhan Singh lost its way in the cold and was surrounded by the enemy; Zorawar got Mehta Basti Ram, to help them. They defeated a contingent from Skardu and chased to the fort of Skardu. After some fighting, he captured the fort and then began firing at the main fort and forcing Raja to surrender. Zorawar Singh built a fort on the banks of the Indus with a contingent of Dogra soldiers. He then placed Muhammad Shah on the throne for an annual tribute of 7000 rupees and later sent a Dogra contingent under Wazir Lakhpat to conquer the fort of Astor. The raja who was taken prisoner was tributary to Mehan Singh, governor of Kashmir, who complained to Lahore after which Raja Gulab Singh ordered the Darad Raja to be released.

Tibet Campaign

Zorawar Singh then turned his energies towards Tibet and in May 1841, with 6000 he marched into Ladakh, then invaded Tibet having trained his soldiers and horses on the frozen Pangong Lake before invading Tibet’s Kailash-Mansarovar area. While one column under Ladakhi prince, Nono Sungnam, followed the course of the Indus River towards Tashigang (Zhaxigang), another column of 300 men under Ghulam Khan, marched along the mountains leading up to Kailash Range Zorawar Singh leading 3,000 men along the Pangong Lake swept all resistance passing Lake Manasarovar to towards Rudok capturing it and later converged at Gartok, where they defeated the small Tibetan force. He then stormed the Taklakot fort on 6 September 1841.

Zorawar Singh then invoked the historical claims of Ladakh to western Tibet up to the Mayum Pass (originally called Maryul of Ngari), which were exercised prior to the 1648 Treaty of Tingmosgang. All the captured forts including Suru Fort were garrisoned, while the main force was encamped at Tirthapuri, west of Lake Manasarovar. The administration was set up to rule occupied territories, and Minsar (now called Menshixiang), a Ladakhi enclave by the 1648 Treaty, was used to store supplies.

He then went on a pilgrimage to Mansarovar and Mount Kailash. He extended his communication and supply line in the inhospitable terrain by building small forts and pickets along the way. The huge fort of Chi-T’ang was built near Taklakot, where Mehta Basti Ram was put in command of 500 men, with cannons.

 

 

                                           Samadhi

Debacle & Death

After complaints by the British, Lahore Durbar ordered Zorawar Singh to return to Ladakh. He withdrew officers and troops from "advance posts" and from the British border and promised to carry out the rest of the withdrawal after winter. However, winter meant supplies for the Dogra army failed. Many soldiers lost their fingers and toes to frostbite., some starved to death, while some burnt the wooden stock of their muskets to warm themselves. The Tibetans and Chinese regrouped to give battle and about 10,000 troops bypassed Mayum Pass at Matsang retaking Taklakot on 9 November 1841. Reconnaissance missions sent by Zorawar Singh were wiped out forcing him to risk recapturing Taklakot. To cut supply lines of Tibetan forces at Taklakot, his forces marched on a side route from Minsar, along the upper course of Ghaghara River, and encamped at Kardung (Kardam). Tibetans intercepted them at To-yo slightly to the north of Taklakot, on 12 December 1841 where the great general Zorawar Singh was wounded and killed early in the battle. He was cremated at Taklakot, near Mansarovar lake.

Summary

General Zorawar Singh under Raja Gulab Singh had extended the frontiers of India and the Dogra Empire across the Himalayas to include Ladakh and parts of China and Tibet, up to 550 miles deep from Ladakh. Based on his exploits the Chinese think that the only worthwhile offensive by the Indian Army can be staged only from eastern Ladakh/eastern Himachal Pradesh and northeast Uttarakhand, which is why they are so hell-bent on stopping India from developing infrastructure in Ladakh and Aksai Chin.