Writer: Brigadier Ghulam Jilani, Retired

In October 1914, 129th Duke of Connaught’s Own (DCO) Baluchis, part of 20,000 Indian troops of British Expeditionary Force, was deployed in Ypres, Belgium. Who would have thought that this unit, which was fathered by Stringer Lawrence (first Commander-in Chief after superseding Clive in 1752), would become such an asset for the British Empire?

Soldiers of 129th DCO Baluchis, officered by the British, kept falling on that day in the face of German attacks, but not Khudadad Khan, who as commander of his machine gun (MG) provided the leadership which was perhaps intrinsic, because in all fairness to the British system of training at that time, he was not trained as a leader. He held the German attack with his sole MG, being injured, while seeing other colleagues fall. This saved the day and sufficiently delayed the Germans, allowing the British to bring in reinforcements to prevent the Germans from reaching the vital ports of Boulogne in France and Nieuport in Belgium.

Khudadad was awarded the highest British military award, the Victoria Cross, by King George V, for his bravery. This valiant action of Subedar Khudadad Khan brings certain queries to mind, which require definitive answers. Khudadad was not a clairvoyant to know how he would be rewarded for his action, which definitely was beyond the call of duty. There are always different strands of motivation to fight on the battlefield, some of which are ideology, religion, love for the land and as of ancient times, fighting for supremacy of the clan. None of these was applicable to Khudadad Khan, and most of the Indian Army soldiers of different caste, religion, colour and creed, fighting in an alien land for their master’s army. What indeed, was the inspiration for Indian soldiers to fight? Not to forget that the same Indian soldiers seldom successfully resisted foreign invader on its land, either coming from north or south, sea or mountains.

Men may join the colours for pay. But it is not for pay that they earn the Victoria Cross. There are some fundamental questions - why did the Indian soldiers in erstwhile Indian Army, fighting under the banner of Britain, give such rich services? Was it for personal honour, fear or shame of cowardice? Respect for their command? Or fear of iron discipline and long inculcated habit of endurance?

Time and again India was invaded, however it was beyond doubt that Indian soldiers were very skillful in the art of soldiery. They were as brave as any other soldiers who fought against them, were physically and mentally very robust, and also held as good equipment as any of their enemies, including long range artillery in 17th and 18th centuries. Yet they still lost on the battlefield to any and every invader of Indian territory. According to a fair analysis, perhaps they were not as organized, because the local armies were cobbled together from different areas, under different local chieftains who would raise their troops according to their status. The second most important failing was their inability to operate in a disciplined fashion on the battlefield, which is ingrained into each soldier through regular drill.

Identifying these two major concerns, initially the East India Company organized them into platoons and companies with a hierarchical system, and then converted them into battalions. After 1857 War of Independence, three armies created by East India Company went under the crown and became part of British Indian Army. Later under British Indian Army, the same battalions followed organizational structure of the army. However, every soldier would still take pride in the unit and company that he served in. This genetic engineering of the Indian soldier to love his battalion and live for his battalion, became the only ideology which prepared a soldier to lay down his life. And it is for this reason that the Indian Army produced envious results in both World Wars.

The first lesson drawn from the extraordinary and valiant action of Khudadad Khan in today’s environment, is that for a junior leader and soldier to hold his ground in the face of enemy’s attack, he needs to develop an innate love for the battalion wherein he serves, lives and has his small problems taken care of. Iman, Taqwa and Jihad fi Sabillillah, while reinforcing his ideology, but the Pakistani soldier placed in different ideological environment needs to go back to the basics and concept of “love and live for my unit,” which can still, and has, produced desired results.

The second important lesson from Khudadad Khan’s action is the personification of the word leadership. There is no point in explaining Eisenhower’s theory of “string and the one who pulls the string is leader”. Essentially, leadership qualities can be created. A leader must have an ideology, character, unflinching trust of those under his command and taking responsibility. In this case Khudadad Khan, VC, despite being just an MG commander, provided leadership akin to a great warrior and commander, had an ideology of fighting for 129th DCO Baluchis (11 Baloch), showed tremendous character and unflinching trust in his superior officers, organization, his colleagues and above all himself. Finally, a leader does not wait for orders all the time, but takes responsibility. Khudadad Khan did not budge from his position in the absence of orders, when his British officer Captain Dill was also wounded, but took charge of the situation when others were falling, and continued to fight.

There are two take away points for us from this great action of Khudadad Khan, VC. One, regimental spirit and love for the battalion, still holds the key to our locks of different internal and external ideological challenges that Pakistan Army confronts. And second, the most virtuous attribute of leadership is to act in the absence of orders and take full responsibility for all actions, irrespective of the step of the ladder you are standing on, to produce extraordinary results.

Notes

• “A Matter of Honour”: An Account of the Indian Army, its Officers and Men by Philip Mason.
• https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/ww1-pakistani-vc-recipient-khudadad-khan, accessed on 10 May 2019.