History of the Indian Navy

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This article is about history of the navy of India. For a more general treatment of the maritime
history of India refer to Indian maritime history.

Contents
[hide]
• 1 Early History
○ 1.1 Chola Expeditions
• 2 Indian Navies of the Post-Classical Age
○ 2.1 Kozhikode
○ 2.2 Maratha Navy
• 3 Colonial Indian Navy
○ 3.1 Establishment of the Bombay Marine
○ 3.2 Expansion of Her Majesty's Indian Navy
○ 3.3 The Royal Indian Marine in World War I
○ 3.4 The Royal Indian Navy in World War II
• 4 Independence of India
○ 4.1 Partition of India
• 5 Indian Navy Operations
○ 5.1 Portuguese-Indian War
○ 5.2 Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
○ 5.3 Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
○ 5.4 Operations after 1971
• 6 References

[edit] Early History

India has a rich maritime history dating back 5,000 years.[1][2][3][4] The world's first[5][6] tidal dock
is believed to have been built at Lothal around 2300 BCE during the Indus Valley Civilization,
near the present day Mangrol harbour on the Gujarat coast.
The Rig Vedas written around 1400 BCE, credits Varuna with knowledge of the ocean routes
and describes naval expeditions. There is reference to the side wings of a vessel called Plava,
which give stability to the ship under storm conditions. A compass, Matsya yantra, was used for
navigation in the fourth and fifth century AD.[7]
The earliest known reference of an organization devoted to ships and sailing in ancient India is
from the Mauryan Empire of the 4th century BCE. Emperor Chandragupta Maurya's Prime
Minister Kautilya's Arthashastra devotes a full chapter on the state department of waterways
under navadhyaksha (Sanskrit for Superintendent of ships) [1]. The term, nava
dvipantaragamanam (Sanskrit for sailing to other lands by ships, i.e. Exploration) appears in this
book in addition to appearing in the Buddhist text, Baudhayana Dharmasastra using the term,
Samudrasamyanam (Sanskrit for sea voyage).

Chola territories during Rajendra Chola I, c. 1030

Sea lanes between India and neighboring lands were the usual form of trade for many centuries,
and are responsible for the widespread influence of Indian Culture on other societies, particularly
in the Indian Ocean region. Powerful navies included those of the Maurya, Satavahana, Chola,
Vijayanagara, Kalinga, Maratha and Moghul empires.[8] The Cholas excelled in foreign trade and
maritime activity, extending their influence overseas to China and Southeast Asia.
[edit] Chola Expeditions
The Imperial Cholas initiated their grand naval conquests during the reign of two of its most
illustrious monarchs, Raja Raja Chola (ruled 985-1014) and his son Rajendra Chola (ruled 1012-
1044). Under Rajendra Chola, the Cholas expanded their empire with the use of their strong navy
and subdued many kingdoms of South-East Asia and occupied the region which included
Myanmar, Malaya, Sumatra etc., and sent ambassadors to countries as far off as China.
[edit] Indian Navies of the Post-Classical Age
[edit] Kozhikode
Manavikraman, Samoothiri Raja of Kozhikode began the naval build-up in 1503 in response to
Portuguese attempts at extracting trading privileges. He commanded and appoited

Mohammed Kunjali as Marakkar (admiral) of his fleet. Over the course of the
next century, the Samoothiri Rajas successfully repelled various attempts by
the Portuguese to overthrow their rule, with each side enlisting various
allies over time. 4 generations of Kunjali Marakkars served the Samoothiri
Rajas.
However, over time differences between Mohammed Ali, Marakkar IV, and his masters
increased, culminating with his self-declaration as the "Lord of the Indian seas". The Samoothiris
then collaborated with the Portuguese to defeat Mohammed Ali in 1600. Later, they allied with
the Dutch East India Company to defeat the Portuguese.
[edit] Maratha Navy
The Maratha Empire was established by Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1674. From its inception, the
Marathas established a Naval force, consisting of cannons mounted on ships.
The dominance of the Maratha Navy started with the ascent of Kanhoji Angre as the Darya-
Saranga by the Maratha chief of Satara.[9] Under that authority, he was master of the Western
coast of India from Mumbai to Vingoria (now Vengurla) in present day state of Maharashtra,
except for Janjira which was affiliated with the Mughal Empire. Until his death in 1729, he
repeatedly attacked the colonial powers of Britain and Portugal, capturing numerous vessels of
the British East India Company and extracting ransom for their return.
On 29 November 1721 a joint attempt by the Portuguese (Viceroy Francisco José de Sampaio e
Castro) and the British (General Robert Cowan) to humble Kanhoji also failed miserably. Their
combined fleet consisting of 6,000 soldiers in no less than four Man-of-war ships led by Captain
Thomas Mathews failed miserably. Aided by Maratha naval commanders Mendhaji Bhatkar and
Mainak Bhandari, Kanhoji continued to harass and plunder the European ships until his death in
1729.
The 'Pal' was a three masted Maratha man-of-war with guns peeping on the broadsides.
[edit] Colonial Indian Navy
[edit] Establishment of the Bombay Marine
The British East India Company was established in 1612. In 1612, Captain Thomas Best
encountered and defeated the Portuguese at the Battle of Swally. This encounter, as well as
piracy, led the British East India Company to build a port and establish a small navy based at the
village of Suvali, near Surat, Gujarat to protect commerce. The Company named the force the
Honourable East India Company's Marine, and the first fighting ships arrived on 5 September
1612.
This force protected merchant shipping off the Gulf of Cambay and the rivers Tapti and
Narmada. The ships also helped map the coastlines of India, Persia and Arabia.
In 1686, with most of British commerce moving to Bombay, the force was renamed the Bombay
Marine. The Bombay Marine was involved in combat against the Marathas and the Sidis and
participated in the Anglo-Burmese Wars. The Bombay Marine recruited many Indians but
commissioned no Indian officers until 1928.
[edit] Expansion of Her Majesty's Indian Navy

Sailors of the Indian Navy breaching the Delhi gates during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
In 1830, the Bombay Marine became Her Majesty's Indian Navy. The British capture of Aden
increased the commitments of Her Majesty's Indian Navy, leading to the creation of the Indus
Flotilla. The Navy then fought in the China War of 1840.
Her Majesty's Indian Navy resumed the name Bombay Marine from 1863 to 1877, when it
became Her Majesty's Indian Marine. The Marine then had two divisions; the Eastern Division
at Calcutta and the Western Division at Bombay.
In recognition of the services rendered during various campaigns, Her Majesty's Indian Marine
received the title the Royal Indian Marine in 1892. By this time it consisted of over 50 vessels.[10]
[edit] The Royal Indian Marine in World War I
When mines were detected off the coasts of Bombay and Aden, the Royal Indian Marine went
into action with a fleet of minesweepers, patrol vessels and troop carriers. Besides patrolling, the
Marine ferried troops and carried war stores from India to Iraq, Egypt and East Africa.
The first Indian to be granted a commission was Sub Lieutenant D.N Mukherji who joined the
Royal Indian Marine as an engineer officer in 1928.
[edit] The Royal Indian Navy in World War II

A Punjabi seaman of the Royal Indian Navy holding twin Lewis Guns, in the Mediterranean
(1943), during the Allied invasion of Sicily.

The Indian sloop HMIS Sutlej played a key role in Operation Husky.
In 1934 the Royal Indian Marine became the Royal Indian Navy (RIN). Ships of the RIN
received the prefix HMIS for His Majesty's Indian Ships. At the start of the Second World War,
the Royal Indian Navy was very small and had eight warships. The onset of the war led to an
expansion.
The sloops ‘HMIS Sutlej’ and ‘HMIS Jumna’ played a key role in Operation Husky – the
invasion of Sicily.[2]
Indian sailors started a rebellion also known as the The Royal Indian Navy mutiny, in 1946 on
board ships and shore establishments, which spread all over India. A total of 78 ships, 20 shore
establishments and 20,000 sailors were involved in the rebellion.
[edit] Independence of India
India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, but senior British officers
continued to serve with the navy of India. When India became a republic on 26 January 1950, the
name was changed to the Indian Navy, and the vessels were redesignated as Indian Naval Ships
(INS).
Vice Admiral R.D. Katari was the first Indian Chief of Naval Staff, appointed on April 22, 1958.
[edit] Partition of India
Upon the Partition of India, the Indian Navy was split between India and Pakistan, and the
vessels were divided between the two nations.
Vessel type India Pakistan
• HMIS Tir • HMPS Shamsher
Frigate
• HMIS Kukri • HMPS Dhanush
• HMIS Sutlej
• HMIS Jumna • HMPS Narbada
Sloop
• HMIS Kistna • HMPS Godavari
• HMIS Cauvery
Corvettes • HMIS Assam
• HMIS Orissa
• HMIS Deccan
• HMIS Bihar
• HMIS Kumaon
• HMIS Rohilkhand • HMPS Kathiawar
• HMIS Khyber • HMPS Baluchistan
Minesweeper
• HMIS Carnafic • HMPS Oudh
• HMIS Rajputana • HMPS Malwa
• HMIS Konkan
• HMIS Bombay
• HMIS Bengal
• HMIS Madras
Survey vessel • HMIS Investigator
• HMIS Nasik
• HMIS Calcutta • HMPS Rampur
Trawler
• HMIS Cochin • HMPS Baroda
• HMIS Amritsar
 • MMS 130
• MMS 132 • MMS 129
Motor minesweeper(MMS)
• MMS 151 • MMS 131
• MMS 154
Motor launch (ML) • ML 420 -
• HDML 1110 • HDML 1261
Harbour Defence Motor Launch • HDML 1112 • HDML 1262
(HDML) • HDML 1117 • HDML 1263
• HDML 1118 • HDML 1266
Miscellaneous All existing landing craft
[edit] Indian Navy Operations
[edit] Portuguese-Indian War
The first involvement of the Navy in any conflict came during the Liberation of Goa in 1961
with the success of Operation Vijay against the Portuguese Navy. Four Portuguese frigates - the
NRP Afonso de Albuquerque, the NRP Bartolomeu Dias, the NRP João de Lisboa and the NRP
Gonçalves Zarco - were deployed to patrol the waters off Goa, Daman and Diu, along with
several patrol boats (Lancha de Fiscalização).
Eventually only the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque saw action against Indian Navy ships, the
other ships having fled before commencement of hostilities. The NRP Afonso was destroyed by
Indian frigates INS Betwa and INS Beas. Parts of the Afonso are on display at the Naval Museum
in Mumbai, while the remainder was sold as scrap.
[edit] Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
There were no significant naval encounters during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
On September 7, 1965 a flotilla of the Pakistani Navy carried out a small-scale bombardment of
the Indian coastal town and radar station of Dwarka, 200 miles (300 km) south of the Pakistani
port of Karachi. Codenamed Operation Dwarka, it did not fulfill its primary objective of
disabling the radar station. There was no significant Indian retaliation, since 75% of the Indian
naval vessels were undergoing maintenance or refitting in the harbor. Some of the Indian fleet
sailed from Bombay to Dwarka to patrol the area and deter further bombardment. Operation
Dwarka has been described as an "insignificant bombardment"[11] of the town was a "limited
engagement, with no strategic value."[12] The Pakistani largely involved patrolling of the coast.
[edit] Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
INS Vikrant played a crucial role in the 1971 war by a successful blockade of East Pakistan
(present day Bangladesh.
The Indian Navy played a significant role in the bombing of Karachi harbour in the 1971 war.
On December 4, it launched Operation Trident during which missile boats INS Nirghat and INS
Nipat sunk the minesweeper PNS Muhafiz and destroyer PNS Khyber. The destroyer PNS
Shahjahan was irreparably damaged. Owing to its success, December 4 has been celebrated as
Navy Day ever since.
The operation was so successful that the Pakistani Navy raised a false alarm about sighting an
Indian missile boat on December 6. Pakistan Air Force (PAF) planes attacked the supposed
Indian ship and damaged the vessel before it was identified as being another Pakistani Navy ship,
PNS Zulfiqar which suffered numerous casualties and damage as a result of this friendly fire.
During Operation Python on December 8, the frigate PNS Dacca was severely damaged by INS
Veer and the oil storage depot of Karachi was set ablaze. On the western front in the Arabian
Sea, operations ceased after the Karachi port became unusable due to the sinking of Panamian
vessel Gulf Star. An Indian frigate, INS Khukri was sunk by submarine PNS Hangor.
On the eastern front, the submarine PNS Ghazi was sunk outside Vishakhapatnam harbor. Indian
naval aircraft, Sea Hawks and Alizés, from the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant were instrumental in
sinking many gunboats and merchant navy vessels in the Bay of Bengal. The successful
blockade of East Pakistan by the Indian Navy proved to be a vital factor in the Pakistani
surrender.
Type of Vessel Indian Navy losses Pakistan Navy losses
Destroyers 0 2, PNS Khaibar and Shahjahan*(damaged)
Frigates 1, INS Khukri** 3
Submarines 0 1, PNS Ghazi
Minesweeper 0 1, PNS Muhafiz
Navy Aircraft 0, (Alize) 0
Patrol boats and Gunboats 0 4 Gunboats and 3 patrol boats
Merchant navy and others 0 9 (including one US ammunition ship)
*PNS Shahjahan was presumably damaged beyond repair.
**The second frigate INS Kirpan was damaged although it was repaired and remained in service.
[edit] Operations after 1971
The Indian Armed Forces initiated Operation Cactus to prevent a coup attempt by a group of
Maldivians led by Abdullah Luthufi and assisted by about 200 Sri Lankan Tamil mercenaries
from the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) in Maldives in 1988. After
Indian paratroopers landed at Hulhule and secured the airfield and restored the democratically-
elected government at Malé, the Sri Lankan mercenaries hijacked the freighter MV Progress
Light and took a number of hostages, including the Maldivian Transport minister and his wife.
The Indian Navy frigates INS Godavari and INS Betwa captured the freighter, rescued the
hostages and arrested the mercenaries near the Sri Lankan coast.[13]
During the 2006 Lebanon War, the Indian Navy launched Operation Sukoon to successfully
evacuate 2280 persons from Lebanon, including Indian, 436 Sri Lankan and 69 Nepali and 7
Lebanese citizens.[14]
Since November 2, 2008 an Indian Navy frigate INS Tabar accompanied by the destroyer INS
Mysore has been on an anti-piracy mission off the Gulf of Aden.
[edit] References
1. ^ Interesting facts about India
2. ^ Maritime trade with the west
3. ^ Indus Valley Civilization
4. ^ Economics of the Indus valley civilization
5. ^ How to Build a Dock
6. ^ Indian seabed hides ancient remains
7. ^ Ancient India - Ship Building & Navigation
8. ^ History of the Indian Navy
9. ^ http://historion.net/j.biddulph-pirates-malabar-englishwoman-india/page-27.html
10. ^ http://indiannavy.nic.in/genesis.htm
11. ^ India's Quest for Security: defence policies, 1947-1965 By Lorne John Kavic, , 1967,
University of California Press, pp 190
12. ^ South Asia's Nuclear Security Dilemma: India, Pakistan, and China By Lowell Dittmer,
pp 77
13. ^ http://indiannavy.nic.in/cactus.htm
14. ^ http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=20224
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Categories: Military history of India | Indian Navy | Naval history by country