Subedar Major is the senior-most rank of

junior commissioned officer Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) is a term used for a group of military ranks which is higher than havildar (non commissioned officer) and lower than lieutenant (commissioned officer). The term is only used by Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Sen ...

in the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

and Pakistani Armies, formerly known as the Viceroy's commissioned officer in the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

History

During the British Raj, Subedar-Major was the highest rank natives could achieve. On 28 October 1817, the position was introduced by the East India Company (EIC) in the Native infantry of the

Bengal Army The Bengal Army was the army of the Bengal Presidency, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire. The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company (EIC) until the Govern ...

, one of the three EIC's

Presidency armies The presidency armies were the armies of the three presidencies of the East India Company's rule in India, later the forces of the British Crown in India, composed primarily of Indian sepoys. The presidency armies were named after the presidenc ...

. The

Madras Army The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire. The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government ...

adopted this rank on 2 February 1819. In 1825, the Bengal native cavalry established the equivalent rank of Risaldar-Major, which was soon adopted by the Presidency armies of Bombay and Madras. Both ranks would serve as a representative of their people to British officers, but could also command independent companies resp. troops of irregular regiments. Under British rule, in the

a subedar-major wore the

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

of a full major, a tradition which has continued with slight variation after independence. Subedar-Major or Risaldar-Major equated to a British Major and Subedar or Risaldar to captain, although junior to all British officers.

Post Independence

After independence, which came in 1947 with the

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

, the former British Indian Army was divided between

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Indian Army

In the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

, Subedar Major(SM) is junior only to a Lieutenant who is a

Commissioned Officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

and is accorded the highest respect by Commissioned Officers, JCO's, and NCO's, as they possess a high amount of experience and are referred to as ''SM Sahab'' by all. He can be the SM of a single unit or the SM of an HQ that has troops, under its command. Many times, they have been given honorary ranks such as Hon. Lieutenant and Hon. Captain, as a mark of respect for their exceptional service record. The Subedar Major's and other

Junior Commissioned Officers Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) is a term used for a group of military ranks which is higher than havildar ( non commissioned officer) and lower than lieutenant ( commissioned officer). The term is only used by Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Se ...

of the Indian Army is equivalent to Group-B Gazetted Officers in

The Subedar Major ranks now use Ashoka lions with a Gold National Emblem with a red-gold-red stripe below. These stripes separate subedar-majors from full commissioned

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

s. Subedar Major within the

is considered as the chief advisor of the Commanding Officer, responsible for advising him in critical service matters. Any incident which is affecting the unit administration, security, or morale of troops is reported by him, to the Commanding Officer. He is responsible for the security of troops, civilians, soldiers of other corps and services, posted in the unit, and troops who have come on outstation assignment to his unit. He also ensures the maintenance of unit & regiment traditions, ethos and customs, the upkeep, and the maintenance of religious places within the battalion. The Subedar Major is also the unit or regiment Cashier who handles all cash transactions. He is also responsible for the welfare of all his junior JCO's as well as NCO's and OR's. A unit's Subedar Major also acts as a mentor to young commissioned officers as well as soldiers and is responsible for maintaining the collective discipline of the unit.

Pakistan Army

Similar to other

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

countries,

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

inherited its rank structure from the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

. Sergeant Major is now the highest JCO/OR rank in the Pakistan Army, its equivalent to

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

OR-9 rank, with a wreathed star and crescent with green and red. These stripes separate subedar-majors from full commissioned

s. It is also known by other names such as Subedar Major or Risaldar Major. Battalion Subedar-Major (BSM) on the other hand is an appointment within a

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

. A Battalion Subedar-Major is responsible for advising the unit officers on matters pertaining to enlisted ranks. He is also responsible for maintaining enlisted ranks discipline. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the rank still holds significance in Pakistan Army culture, as the Sergeant Major in a battalion is regarded as an advocate for the enlisted ranks. Officers usually refer to senior enlisted ranks like Battalion Sergeant Major as 'Sahab', which translates to Sir or 'Staff', as terms of respect. Military colleges like

College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering The College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering (CEME) ( ur, ) is a constituent college of the National University of Sciences and Technology, located in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The campus is on the main Peshawar Road, near the M-2 motorway ...

Military College of Signals A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, Military College of Engineers,

Pakistan Military Academy Pakistan Military Academy ( ur, ), also referred to by its acronym PMA. PMA is an officers training school located near Kakul village in the city and district of Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa established in 1947. It is the sole service academy ...

and

Army Medical College Army Medical College ( ur, , also known as ''AM College'') is a military institute which was established in 1977 as a residential institution for imparting undergraduate medical education to selected cadets. The college also allows the civili ...

also use Battalion Sergeant Major as a

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

appointment reserved for senior year students.

References

{{Military of Pakistan Military ranks of British India Pakistan Army ranks Military ranks of the Indian Army