List of wars involving India

This is a list of wars involving the Republic of India and its predecessors.

For simplicity, this list only includes major powers in the Indian Subcontinent.

Magadhan Empire(s)

List of conflicts involving the Mauryan Empire.

Name of conflict Mauryan Empire
and allies
Opponents Outcome
Nanda-Mauryan War Nanda Empire Chandragupta Maurya

Chanakya

Defeat
  • Formation of the Mauryan Empire over the annexed Magadha territories.
Seleucid-Mauryan War Mauryan Empire Seleucid Empire Victory
Kalinga War Mauryan Empire Kalinga Victory

Gupta Empire

List of conflicts involving the Gupta Empire.

Name of conflict Gupta Empire
and allies
Opponents Outcome
First North Indian Campaign of Samudragupta Gupta Empire Aryavarta Kingdoms Victory
South Indian Campaign of Samudragupta Gupta Empire Dakshinpatha Kingdoms Victory
Second North Indian Campaign of Samudragupta Gupta Empire Aryavarta Kingdoms Victory
Hunnic Wars Gupta Empire Alchon Huns Victory

British Indian Empire (c. 1857 to 1947 CE)

Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the rule of the British East India company came to end and the British crown began to rule over India directly as per the Government of India Act 1858. India was now a single empire comprising British India and the princely states.

  British Indian defeat
  British Indian victory
  Another result (e.g. a treaty or peace without a clear result, status quo ante bellum, result of civil or internal conflict, result unknown or indecisive)
Name of conflict India
and allies
Opponents Outcome
Second Opium War
(1856–1860)
British Empire

French Empire

 China Victory
  • Treaties of Tientsin.
Ambela Campaign
(1863–1864)
 India Afghan Pashtuns Defeat
  • Failure to subdue Afghan tribal area
  • Forced British withdrawal from Buner
Bhutan War
(1864–1865)
 India Bhutan Victory
  • Bhutanese territorial cessions to India.
British Expedition to Abyssinia
(1867–1868)
United Kingdom Ethiopian Empire Victory
  • British victory at the Battle of Magdala, Theodore II commits suicide.
Second Anglo-Afghan War
(1878–1880)
United Kingdom Afghanistan Victory
  • Treaty of Gandamak, British objectives attained.
  • Afghanistan's tribal frontier areas annexed into British India.
  • Afghanistan becomes a British Protectorate.
Mahdist War
(1881–1899)
Congo Free State
United Kingdom

Egypt
Ethiopia

Mahdist Sudan Victory
Anglo-Egyptian War
(1882)
United Kingdom

Tewfik Pasha

Ahmed Orabi Victory
  • Ahmed Orabi exiled, British occupation of Egypt.
Third Anglo-Burmese War
(1885)
 India Burmese Empire Victory
  • The province of Burma became part of India.
Third Black Mountain Expedition
(1888)
 India Yousafzai
  • Hassanzai
  • Akazai
Victory
  • Allaiwal village of Pokal occupied and destroyed.
Sikkim Expedition
(1888)
 India Tibet Victory
  • Tibetan forces expelled from Sikkim.
Hunza-Nagar Campaign
(1891)
 India Hunza
Nagar
Victory
Chitral Expedition
(1895)
 India Chitralis Bajouri and Afghan Tribesmen Victory
  • Fort of Chitral relieved.
Anglo-Zanzibar War
(1896)
 British Empire Zanzibar Sultanate Victory
Tochi Expedition
(1896)
 India Waziri Victory
  • Rebellion put down.
Siege of Malakand
(1897)
 India پشتون Pashtun tribes Victory
  • Rebellion defeated
First Mohmand Campaign
(1897–1898)
 India Mohmand Victory
  • Punitive expedition successful.
Tirah Campaign
(1897–1898)
 India Afridi
Orakzai
Tsamkani
Victory
  • Negotiations for peace were then begun with the Afridis.
Boxer Rebellion
(1899–1901)
Empire of Japan
Russia
United Kingdom

France
 United States
Germany
 Austria-Hungary
Italy

Yihetuan Movement
 China
Victory
  • The rebellion was suppressed.
  • Signing of the Boxer Protocol.
  • Provisions for foreign troops to be stationed in Beijing.
Second Boer War
(1899–1902)
 United Kingdom  Orange Free State
 South African Republic
Victory
  • Treaty of Vereeniging, British sovereignty over The Orange Free State and the Transvaal.
British expedition to Tibet
(1903–1904)
 India  Tibet Victory
Bambatha Rebellion
(1906)
United Kingdom Zulu people Victory
  • Rebellion suppressed
Bazar Valley Campaign
(1908)
 India Zakka Khel clan of the Afridi Victory
  • Rebellion suppressed
World War I
(1914–1918)
 France
United Kingdom

Russia
 Italy
 United States
 Serbia
 Montenegro
 Belgium
 Japan
 Romania
 Portugal
Hejaz
China
 Greece
Brazil
Kingdom of Nepal

 Germany
 Austria-Hungary
 Ottoman Empire
 Bulgaria
Victory
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War
(1918–1920)
White Movement
British Empire

 Japan
 Czechoslovakia
 Greece
 Poland
 United States
France
 Romania
 Serbia
 Italy
China

 Russian SFSR
 Far Eastern Republic
Latvian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
Commune of Estonia
Mongolian communists
Withdrawal
  • Allied withdrawal from Russia.
  • Bolshevik victory over White Army.
Turkish War of Independence
(1919–1923)
 Greece
  • Pontic Rebels

France

Armenia
United Kingdom

Istanbul Government

  • Kuva-yi Inzibatiye

Italy
Georgia

Ankara Government
  • Kuva-yi Nizamiye

Kuva-yi Milliye

Defeat[1]
Third Anglo-Afghan War
(1919)
United Kingdom Afghanistan Armistice
  • Treaty of Rawalpindi
  • Afghan invasion repelled.
  • Afghanistan regains control of external affairs.
  • Reaffirmation of the Durand Line.
First Waziristan Campaign
(1919)
 India Waziristan Victory
  • Suppression of insurrection by independent Wazir tribes.
Kuwait–Najd War
(1919–1920)
United Kingdom

Kuwait

Sultanate of Nejd
  • Ikhwan
Victory
  • Ikhawan retreat.
Iraqi revolt
(1920)
United Kingdom Iraqi rebels Victory
Malabar rebellion
(1921)
 India Mappila Muslims Victory
  • Rebellion suppressed.
Pink's War
(1925)
 India Mahsud tribesmen Victory
  • Tribal leaders accept terms.
Second Mohmand Campaign
(1935)
 India Mohmand Victory
Second Waziristan Campaign
(1936–1939)
 India Waziri tribesmen Victory
  • Suppression of insurrection by independent Wazir tribes.
World War II
(1939–1945)
 Soviet Union
 United States
 United Kingdom
 China
France
 Free France
Poland
 Yugoslavia
 Greece
Republican Spain
 Netherlands
 Belgium
 Luxembourg
 Denmark
 Norway
 Czechoslovakia
FTM
 Canada
 Australia
 New Zealand
 India
 Ceylon
British Burma
Egypt
Sudan
Nigeria
 South Africa
Philippines
Ethiopia
Brazil
 Mexico
 Colombia
Cuba
 Chile
 Peru
Mongolia
 Tuva
Viet Minh
KLA
Kingdom of Nepal
 Germany
 Japan
 Italy
Vichy France
 Romania
Hungary
 Bulgaria
Slovakia
Bohemia and Moravia
 Croatia
 Finland
 Francoist Spain
Kingdom of Albania
German Albania
Thailand
 Iraq
Azad Hind
Japanese Burma
 Manchukuo
 Mengjiang
Victory
Western Desert Campaign
(1940–1943)
 United Kingdom

 Australia
 New Zealand
Egypt
 South Africa
 France
 Poland
Greece
Czechoslovakia

 Italy

Supported by:
 Germany

Victory
  • Allied Victory
East African Campaign
(1940–1943)
 United Kingdom

 Belgium

 Ethiopia
 Free France

  • French Equatorial Africa
 Italy

Supported by:
 Germany

Victory
  • Collapse of Italian East Africa
Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran

(1941)

 Soviet Union

United Kingdom

Iran Victory
Indonesian National Revolution
(1945–1947)
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Indonesia
  • British Indian withdrawal after Indian independence in 1947.
  • Independent India's entry into the revolution.
  • The Netherlands recognises Indonesian independence.
Operation Masterdom
(1945–1946)
United Kingdom

France
Japan

Viet Minh Victory


Independent India (c. 1947–present)

In 1947, the British Indian Empire split into the Dominion of Pakistan and the Dominion of India. The Indian Army, the Royal Indian Air Force and the Royal Indian Navy too, were divided between the two countries. In 1950, the Union of India became the Republic of India after abolishing monarchy.

  Indian defeat
  Indian victory
  Another result (e.g. a treaty or peace without a clear result, status quo ante bellum, result of civil or internal conflict, result unknown or indecisive)
  Ongoing conflict
Name of conflict India
and allies
Opponents Outcome
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
(1947–1948)
 India Template:Country data Dominion of Pakistan
Furqan Force
Ceasefire
Integration of Junagadh
(1947)
 India Junagadh Victory
  • Annexation of Junagadh into India
Operation Polo
(1948)
 India Hyderabad Victory
  • Annexation of Hyderabad into India
Korean War
(1950–1953)
 South Korea

United Nations
 United States
 United Kingdom
 Canada
 Turkey
 Australia
 Philippines
 New Zealand
 Thailand
 Ethiopia
 Greece
 France
 Colombia
 Belgium
 South Africa
 Netherlands
 Luxembourg Supported by:

 North Korea


 China
 Soviet Union Supported by:

Stalemate
  • Formation of the DMZ
Annexation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
(1954)
 India Portugal Victory
Congo Crisis
(1960–1964)
1960–63:

Republic of the Congo


Supported by:
 Soviet Union (1960)
ONUC[a]

1960–63:

 Katanga
Template:Country data South Kasai
Supported by:
 Belgium[b]


1960–62:
Stanleyville government
Supported by:
 Soviet Union

Victory
  • Debellation of the State of Katanga
Annexation of Goa
(1961)
 India Portugal Victory
  • Annexation of Goa, Daman and Diu into India
Sino-Indian War of 1962
(1962)
 India  China Defeat
Insurgency in Northeast India
(1964–)
 India
 Bhutan (joined in 2003)
 Bangladesh (joined in 1971)

 Myanmar (joined in 2018)

ATTF

BLTF
HuM
KLNLF
KLO
NDFB
NSCN
PLA
ULFA
UNLF
and others...

Ongoing
  • Ongoing low-level insurgency
  • Re-annexation of those areas of Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya held by militants.
  • Bhutanese victory in Operation All Clear
  • Introduction of AFSPA in seven north-eastern states, later repealed in Tripura[2] and Meghalaya.[3]
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
(1965)
 India  Pakistan Stalemate
  • United Nations mandated ceasefire
  • India had an upper hand in the war[4]
  • No permanent territorial changes (see Tashkent Declaration)
Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
(1967–)
 India
Full List

Communist Party of India (Maoist)

  • People's Liberation Guerrilla Army

Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Janashakti
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Naxalbari (until 2014)
Communist Party of United States of India
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) New Democracy
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) (Mahadev Mukherjee)
People's Liberation Army of Manipur
Purbo Banglar Communist Party
Centre of Indian Communists
Tamil Nadu Liberation Army


Supported by:
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
New People's Army[5]

Ongoing
  • Indian victory in Operation Steeplechase
  • Quelling of the insurgency on a large scale via Operation Green Hunt
Nathu La and Cho La clashes
(1967)
 India  China Victory
Bangladesh Liberation War
( From March 1971)
& Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
( From Dec 1971)
 India
Bangladesh

Supported by:
 Soviet Union[6][7]

 Pakistan

Supported by:
 United States[8][9]
 United Kingdom[10]
 China[10]
Template:Country data Pahlavi Iran[11][12]
 Ceylon[13][14][15][16]
 Saudi Arabia[17]

Victory
  • Pakistani surrender in East Pakistan
  • Independence of Bangladesh
The First JVP insurrection
(1971)
Template:Country data Dominion of Ceylon Ceylon
  • Template:Country data Dominion of Ceylon United Front (since May 15)
    • SLFP
    • CCP (Pro-Soviet)
    • LSSP

Australia
Egypt
India
Pakistan
Singapore
Soviet Union
United Kingdom
United States
Yugoslavia
China

JVP

Supported by:
 North Korea (alleged)
ASBPI
CCP (Maoist) (alleged)

Victory
  • Rebel forces surrender
  • Ceylonese government reestablishes control over entire island
Siachen conflict
(1984–2003)
 India  Pakistan Victory
  • Annexation of the Siachen Glacier into India following Operation Meghdoot
  • India captures Quaid Post / Bana Top during Operation Rajiv
  • Ceasefire since 2003
Operation Blue Star (1984)  India

Supported by:
 United Kingdom

 Soviet Union

Sikh militants Victory
  • Indian forces suffer high casualties
Insurgency in Punjab (1984–1995)  India

Supported by:
 United Kingdom

 Soviet Union

Sikh militants

Supported by:
 Pakistan

Victory
  • Militancy defeated
Operation Flowers are Blooming
(1986)
 India
 Seychelles
Military of Seychelles Victory
  • Aversion of the coup
  • Resignation of Berlouis
The Second JVP insurrection
(1987–1989)
Sri Lanka
India
 United States
 United Kingdom

Military support:

JVP
Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya
IUSF

Supported by:

Victory
  • Emergency conditions in South-western and Central provinces of Sri Lanka lifted
  • Insurgency declined following the fall of the Eastern bloc
Sri Lankan Civil War
(1987–1990)
 India
 Sri Lanka
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Withdrawal
  • Withdrawal of Indian peace-keeping forces from Sri Lanka
  • Continuation of the Sri Lankan Civil War
Operation Cactus
(1988)
 India
Maldives
PLOTE
Maldivian rebels
Victory
  • Restoration of government rule in Maldives
Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
(1989–)
 India Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami

Lashkar-e-Taiba
Jaish-e-Mohammed
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
Al-Badr
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front


Supported by:
 Pakistan[18]
Taliban[19]
al-Qaeda[19]

Ongoing
Tajikistani Civil War (1992–1997) UNMOT

Non-UNMOT:

United Tajik Opposition
Taliban
Victory
United Nations Operation in Somalia II
(1993–1995)

(Part of the Somali Civil War)
(1991–)

UNOSOM II Somali National Alliance Inconclusive/Other Result
Kargil War
(1999)
 India  Pakistan

Victory

Operation Ocean Shield
(2009–2016)
 NATO

Non-NATO:

Pirates

Victory

  • Number of Somali pirate attacks have been reduced dramatically.
China–India skirmishes
(2020–21)
 India  China

Stalemate

  • Both sides pulled back their troops from the face-off points.[22][23]
  1. ONUC, the United Nations Operation in the Congo, included troops from Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco, Ethiopia, Ireland, Guinea, Sweden, Mali, Sudan, Liberia, Canada, India, Indonesia and the United Arab Republic among others.
  2. The secession of Katanga and South Kasai was also supported by South Africa, France and the neighbouring Central African Federation. However, it was never officially recognised by any other state.

References

  1. Chester Neal Tate, Governments of the world: a global guide to citizens' rights and responsibilities, Macmillan Reference USA/Thomson Gale, 2006, p. 205.
  2. http://www.asianage.com/debate/age-debate-after-tripura-it-time-revoke-afspa-jammu-and-kashmir-922 Archived 2015-07-01 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "AFSPA removed from Meghalaya, eight police stations in Arunachal Pradesh". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on 2018-04-23.
  4. "Are India's plans to celebrate 1965 war 'victory' in 'bad taste'?". Geeta Pandey. BBC News. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  5. Asia Times Online :: Southeast Asia news and business from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. Atimes.com (2010-04-22). Retrieved on 2014-05-21.
  6. "Cold war games". Bharat Rakshak. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  7. "Birth of a nation". The Indian Express. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  8. VSM, Brig Amar Cheema (2015-03-31). The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective. Lancer Publishers. ISBN 9788170623014. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  9. Rajagopalan, Rajesh; Mishra, Atul (2015). Nuclear South Asia: Keywords and Concepts. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-32475-1.
  10. 10.0 10.1 "Role of Russia, America, China and Britain". Archived from the original on 1 November 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  11. Alvandi, Roham (2016). Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah: The United States and Iran in the Cold War. Oxford University Press. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-19-061068-5. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  12. Mudiam, Prithvi Ram (1994). India and the Middle East. British Academic Press. ISBN 9781850437031. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  13. "India and Its Neighbors: Cooperation or Confrontation?" (PDF). CIA. p. 7.
  14. "The Island".
  15. "Brief Overview of Sri Lanka's Foreign Relations to Post-Independence". Foreign Ministry – Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  16. "Pak thanks Lanka for help in 1971 war". Hindustan Times. 11 June 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  17. Bowman, Martin (30 January 2016). Cold war jet combat. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473874633. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  18. Ganguly, Sumit; Paul Kapur (7 August 2012). India, Pakistan, and the Bomb: Debating Nuclear Stability in South Asia. Columbia University Press. pp. 27–28. ISBN 978-0-231-14375-2.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Gall, Carlotta (2007-01-21). "At Border, Signs of Pakistani Role in Taliban Surge – New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  20. "Pakistani opposition presses for Sharif's resignation". Wsws.org. 1999-08-07. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
  21. "New Zealand joins NATO's counter-piracy mission Ocean Shield". NATO. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  22. "India-China border dispute: Can the peace last?". DW News. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  23. "How India and China pulled back from a border war — and why now". Federica Marsi. Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 22 Oct 2024.