Nestled in the lap of Himalayas with icy peaks like Nanda Devi in the northeast and the foothills of Himalayas in the southwest, the state of Uttarakhand is one of India’s most pristine states. Unbeknownst to many, the ‘Land of Gods’, as it is generally referred to, the state is also the home of some of the best military regiments of the Indian Army, the Garhwal Rifles and Kumaon Regiment. The two regiments trace their origins to the two distinct regions into which the state can be divided.

The state came into existence by slicing off the northernmost portion of Uttar Pradesh in November 2000. It comprises of two regions, Garhwal in the north and Kumaon in south, with each occupying approximately one half of the state. This division is not just metaphorical. Its origins can be traced back to around thirteenth century AD when they came to be ruled under different kings. After a series of dynasties ruling over them, they were brought together briefly in 1803, when the Gurkhas annexed both the regions. However, the Gurkha rule did not last long. In the aftermath of Anglo-Gurkha War of 1814, both these regions were ceded to the British, who converted them into administrative districts.

The British did not take long to identify the military traits of the people from the region. Although recruitment of troops from the region in British forces was happening even prior to the Anglo-Gurkha War but it was only after the area came under their administrative control that it began in the right earnest. Sir Henry Russel, the British resident in the court of Nizam of Hyderabad, established a brigade in 1814 which came to be known as Russel Brigade. This brigade primarily comprised of troops from the Kumaon region. Simultaneously, the Garhwalis were recruited to serve in the Gurkha battalions. These troops initially served under the East India Company, and under the British Viceroy after 1857.

Once the British had quelled the rebellion, they realised that they did not need such a large standing army and started a process of downsizing. Resultantly, in the next few decades, the process of recruitment of troops slowed down to a trickle in the entire Royal Indian Army. The two regions were also adversely affected. As part of the reorganisation of their forces, in 1891 the British separated the Garhwali troops from their Gurkha counterparts to establish a pure Garhwali Regiment, which can be seen as recognition of their martial traits. The Kumaonis continued to be part of Hyderabad Contingent.

The situation started undergoing a change with the onset of First World War, when the British realised the need for more troops. The recruitment from the region once again gained momentum. In the very beginning of the war in 1914, two battalions of the Garhwal Brigade were sent to Locons in northern France to fight against the Germans. Both the battalions fought valiantly against a determined enemy. In this battle alone they lost 14 officers, 15 VCOs and 405 sepoys. The battalions had the distinction of being awarded two Victoria Crosses, one to Naik Darwan Singh Negi and another to Rifleman Gabar Singh Negi (posthumous) for their bravery. The two battle-hardened battalions later also saw action against the Turks in modern-day Iraq, where they again displayed their military prowess and humbled their opponents. By this time two more Garhwali battalions had been raised and sent to Afghanistan and Northwest Frontier, where they too saw heavy action. By the end of the war, the Garhwalis had earned a total of 10 battle honours. A little late in the day but eventually, the Kumaonis too were reassigned to their own regiment, which was now called Kumaon Rifles.

The end of the war again saw a downsizing of the Royal Indian Army with similar implications to the two regiments. But this did not prevent the British from sending 4 Garhwal Rifles to fight the Masuds in Kohat in present day Pakistan. In the ensuing battle of the Ghara Ridge in 1919, the unit again displayed its valour and won the third Victoria Cross, which was awarded to Lt W D Kenny (posthumous).

Before the hostilities broke out in the Second World War, the two regiments had their own dedicated regimental centres, which were responsible for the recruitment as well as training of the troops. The centre for Garhwal Rifles was established at Landsdowne while the one for Kumaon Regiment was set up at Ranikhet. The two centres were instrumental in catering to the large requirement of troops to fight the war. Both these centres continue to operate from these locations even today. Apart from these two centres, Uttarakhand also has the distinction of being home to Indian Military Academy, which trains officers for the entire Indian Army today. The institute was established in 1932 by the Birtish at Dehradun in response to the demand of the nationalists during the freedom struggle. Officers passing out from the institute played a vital role for the British in the Second World War.

The war also gave an opportunity to the troops from the region to prove their battle worthiness once again. The seven battalions of Garhwalis saw action in all major theatres of the war, namely Burma, Malaya, Singapore, Abyssinia, Egypt, Iraq, Cyprus, Palestine and Italy. In all these theatres the Garhwalis showed exemplary courage despite suffering heavy casualties. The six battle honours and two theatre honors bear testimony to their valour and sacrifices.