This is a list of wars involving the Republic of India and its predecessor states.
It is a list of wars and conflicts that were fought in the historic Indian subcontinent.
Contents
- Ancient India
- Medieval India
- Mughal Empire (1526–1857)
- Maratha Empire (1674–1818, 1857)
- Company rule in India (1757–1858)
- British India (1858–1947)
- Azad Hind (1943-1945)
- Dominion of India (1947–1950)
- Republic of India (1950–present)
- See also
- Notes
- References
Ancient India
Name of conflict | India and allies |
Opponents | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Avanti-Magadhan Wars (510 BCE–400 BCE) |
Haryanka dynasty Shishunaga dynasty |
Pradyota dynasty | Magadha Victory
|
Magadha-Vajji war (484 BCE–468 BCE) |
Haryanka dynasty | VajjiConfederacy led by the Licchavis | Magadha Victory
|
Indian campaign of Alexander the Great (327 BCE–325 BCE) |
Macedonian Empire | Various Indian kingdoms | *Macedonia conquers much of the Indus Valley, yet has to stop the advance into the Ganges Plain. |
Conquest of the Nanda Empire (321 BCE–320 BCE) |
Maurya Empire | Nanda Empire | Maurya victory
|
Seleucid–Mauryan war (305 BCE–303 BCE) |
Maurya Empire | Seleucid Empire | Maurya victory
|
Kalinga War (262 BCE–261 BCE) |
Maurya Empire | Kalinga | Maurya victory
|
Medieval India
Name of conflict | India and allies |
Opponents | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Umayyad campaigns in India (712–740) |
Gurjara-Pratihara Chalukya dynasty Karkota Empire |
Umayyad Caliphate | Indian Victory
|
Chalukya–Chola wars (992–1120) |
Chola Empire | Western Chalukya Empire | Chola Victory |
Chola conquest of Anuradhapura (993–1017) |
Chola Empire | Anuradhapura Kingdom | Chola Victory |
Chola invasion of Srivijaya (1025) |
Chola Empire | Srivijaya | Chola Victory |
Chola invasion of Kadaram (1068) |
Chola Empire | Srivijaya | Chola Victory |
Mughal Empire (1526–1857)
Name of conflict | India and allies |
Opponents | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Mughal-Rajput Wars (1525–1750) |
Mughal Empire | Rajputs | Mughal victory
|
First Battle of Panipat (1526) |
Mughal Empire | Delhi Sultanate | Mughal victory
|
Battle of Ghaghra (1529) |
Mughal Empire | Sultanate of Bengal | Mughal victory
|
Ahom–Mughal conflicts (1615–1682) |
Mughal Empire | Ahom kingdom | Ahom victory
|
Mughal–Safavid War (1622–23) (1622–1623) |
Mughal Empire | Safavid Empire | Persian victory
|
Mughal–Safavid War (1649–53) (1649–1653) |
Mughal Empire | Safavid Empire | Persian victory
|
Mughal conquest of Chittagong (1665–1666) |
Mughal Empire | Kingdom of Mrauk U | Mughal naval and military victory
|
Tibet-Ladakh-Mughal war of 1679-1684 (1679–1684) |
Ladakh Mughal Empire |
Tibet Zungar Empire |
Mughal military victory
Tibetan victory in another attack in 1684 with the assistance of reinforcements from the Zungar Empire
|
Deccan Wars (1681–1707) |
Mughal Empire | Maratha Empire | Maratha victory
|
Child’s War (1686–1690) |
Mughal Empire | East India Company | Mughal victory
|
Nadir Shah’s invasion of India (1738–1739) |
Mughal Empire | Afsharid dynasty | Persian victory
|
Battle of Karnal (1739–February 13, 1739) |
Mughal Empire | Persian Afsharid Empire | Persian victory |
Siege of Trichinopoly (1741) (1741) |
Mughal Empire
|
Maratha Empire | Maratha victory
|
Expeditions in Bengal (1741–1748) |
Mughal Empire
|
Maratha Empire | Maratha victory
|
Seven Years’ War (1754–1763) |
France Austria Russia(until 1762) Spanish Empire (from 1761) Sweden(1757–62) Saxony Mughal Empire (from 1757) |
Prussia Great Britain Hanover Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Iroquois Confederacy Portugal(from 1761) Hesse-Kassel Schaumburg-Lippe |
Status quo ante in Europe, but transfer of colonial possessions between Britain, France and Spain
|
Indian Rebellion of 1857 (1857–1858) |
Mughal Empire Maratha Empire |
Company Raj | British victory
|
Maratha Empire (1674–1818, 1857)
Name of conflict | India and allies |
Opponents | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Deccan Wars (1681–1707) |
Maratha Empire | Mughal Empire | Maratha victory
|
Battle of Vasai (1739) |
Maratha Empire | Portuguese Empire | Maratha victory |
Siege of Trichinopoly (1741) (1741) |
Maratha Empire | Mughal Empire
|
Maratha victory
|
Expeditions in Bengal (1741–1748) |
Maratha Empire | Mughal Empire
|
Maratha victory
|
Maratha conquest of North-west India (1757–1758) |
Maratha Empire | Durrani Empire | Maratha victory
|
First Anglo-Mysore War (1767–1769) |
Company Raj Maratha Empire Nawab of the Carnatic Hyderabad |
Mysore | Mysore victory
|
First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) |
Maratha Empire | Company Raj | Maratha victory
|
Maratha-Mysore War (1785–1787) |
Maratha Empire | Mysore | Maratha victory
|
Third Anglo-Mysore War (1789–1792) |
Company Raj Maratha Empire Hyderabad Travancore |
Mysore | Maratha-Hyderabad-British victory
|
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798–1799) |
Company Raj Maratha Empire Hyderabad Travancore |
Mysore | Maratha-Hyderabad-British victory
|
Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805) |
Maratha Empire | Company Raj | British victory
|
Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) |
Maratha Empire | Company Raj | British victory
|
Indian Rebellion of 1857 (1857–1858) |
Mughal Empire Maratha Empire |
Company Raj | British victory
|
Company rule in India (1757–1858)
Name of conflict | India and allies |
Opponents | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Battle of Plassey (1757) |
Company rule in India | Nawab of Bengal French East India |
Company Victory
|
Battle of Buxar (1764) |
Company rule in India | Mughal Empire | Company Victory
|
First Anglo-Mysore War (1767–1769) |
Company rule in India Maratha Nawab of the Carnatic Hyderabad |
Mysore | Stalemate
|
First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) |
Company rule in India | Maratha | Maratha Victory
|
Second Anglo-Mysore War (1779–1784) |
Great Britain
Hanover |
Mysore France Dutch Republic |
Mysore Victory
|
Third Anglo-Mysore War (1789–1792) |
Company rule in India Maratha Empire Hyderabad Travancore |
Mysore | Company Victory
|
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798–1799) |
Company rule in India | Mysore | Company Victory
|
Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805) |
Company rule in India | Maratha | Company Victory
|
Battle of Vizagapatam (1804) |
Company rule in India | French Navy | French Victory |
Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816) |
Company rule in India Garhwal Kingdom Patiala State |
Nepal | Company Victory
|
Capture of East India Company ship Nautilus (1815) |
Company rule in India | United States | American Victory
|
Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) |
Company rule in India | Maratha | Company Victory
|
First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826) |
Company rule in India | Burmese Empire | Company Victory
|
First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842) |
Company rule in India | Emirate of Afghanistan | Afghan Victory
|
First Opium War (1839–1842) |
Great Britain
|
Qing dynasty | Company Victory
|
First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846) |
Company rule in India Patiala |
Sikh Empire | Company Victory |
Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849) |
Company rule in India | Sikh Empire | Company Victory
|
Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852) |
Company rule in India | Burmese Empire | Company Victory
|
Anglo-Persian War (1856–1857) |
United Kingdom
Afghanistan |
Iran | Company Victory
|
Indian Rebellion of 1857 (1857–1858) |
Company rule in India British Army |
Mughal Empire Maratha |
Company Victory
|
British India (1858–1947)
Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the rule of the British East India company came to end and the British crown now began to rule over India directly as per the Government of India Act 1858 through the British Raj. India was now a single empire comprising British India and the Princely states.
Name of conflict | India and allies |
Opponents | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Second Opium War (1856–1860) |
British Empire
French Empire |
China | Victory
|
Ambela Campaign (1863–1864) |
India | Afghan Pashtuns Yusufzaitribes |
Victory
|
Bhutan War (1864–1865) |
India | Bhutan | Victory
|
British Expedition to Abyssinia (1867–1868) |
United Kingdom
|
Ethiopian Empire | Victory
|
Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880) |
United Kingdom
|
Afghanistan | Victory
|
Mahdist War (1881–1899) |
Congo Free State United Kingdom
Egypt |
Mahdist Sudan | Victory
|
Anglo-Egyptian War (1882) |
United Kingdom
Tewfik Pasha |
Ahmed Orabi | Victory
|
Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885) |
India | Burmese Empire | Victory
|
Third Black Mountain Expedition (1888) |
India | Hassanzaiand Akazaitribes. | Victory
|
Sikkim Expedition (1888) |
India | Tibet | Victory
|
Hunza-Nagar Campaign (1891) |
India | Hunza Nagar |
Victory
|
Chitral Expedition (1895) |
India | ChitralisBajouri and Afghan Tribesmen | Victory
|
Anglo-Zanzibar War (1896) |
British Empire
|
Zanzibar Sultanate | Victory
|
Tochi Expedition (1896) |
India | Waziris | Victory
|
Siege of Malakand (1897) |
India | پشتون Pashtuntribes | Victory
|
First Mohmand Campaign (1897–1898) |
India | Mohmands | Victory
|
Tirah Campaign (1897–1898) |
India | Afridis Orakzais Chamkanis |
Victory
|
Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) |
Empire of Japan Russia United Kingdom
France |
Yihetuan Movement China |
Victory
|
Second Boer War (1899–1902) |
United Kingdom
|
Orange Free State South African Republic |
Victory
|
British expedition to Tibet (1903–1904) |
India | Tibet | Victory
|
Bambatha Rebellion (1906) |
United Kingdom
|
Zulu people | Victory
|
Bazar Valley Campaign (1908) |
India | Zakka Khel clan of the Afridi | Victory
|
World War I (1914–1918) |
France United Kingdom
Russia |
Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire Bulgaria |
Victory
|
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918–1920) |
White Movement British Empire
Japan |
Russian SFSR Far Eastern Republic Latvian SSR Ukrainian SSR Commune of Estonia Mongolian communists |
Withdrawal
|
Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923) |
Greece
France
Armenia
Istanbul Government
Italy |
Ankara Government
Kuva-yi Milliye |
Defeat
|
Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919) |
United Kingdom
|
Afghanistan | Armistice
|
First Waziristan Campaign (1919) |
India | Waziristan | Victory
|
Kuwait–Najd War (1919–1920) |
United Kingdom
Kuwait |
Sultanate of Nejd
|
Victory
|
Iraqi revolt (1920) |
United Kingdom
|
Iraqi rebels | Victory
|
Malabar rebellion (1921) |
India | MappilaMuslims | Victory
|
Pink’s War (1925) |
India | Mahsud tribesmen | Victory
|
Second Mohmand Campaign (1935) |
India | Mohmands | Victory
|
Second Waziristan Campaign (1936–1939) |
India | Waziri tribesmen | Victory
|
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 Gorkha Empire |
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 |
Italy
Supported by: |
Victory
|
East African Campaign (1940–1943) |
United Kingdom
Belgium
Ethiopia
|
Italy
Supported by: |
Victory
|
Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1947) |
Netherlands United Kingdom
|
Indonesia | Withdrawal
|
Operation Masterdom (1945–1946) |
United Kingdom
France |
Viet Minh | Victory
|
Azad Hind (1943-1945)
Azad Hind was the provisional government put in place in the British Raj by Japan during World War II.
Name of conflict | India and allies |
Opponents | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Azad Hind intervention in World War II (1944–1945) |
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 |
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 Gorkha Empire |
Defeat
|
Dominion of India (1947–1950)
Following Indian independence, merger of the princely states remained a major question. The partition resulted in the creation of Pakistan.
Name of conflict | India and allies |
Opponents | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 (1947–1948) |
India
|
Pakistan Furqan Force |
Ceasefire
|
Integration of Junagadh (1947) |
India | Junagadh | Victory
|
Operation Polo (1948) |
India | Hyderabad | Victory
|
Republic of India (1950–present)
India has fought many wars and minor conflicts during its period as a republic.
Name of conflict | India and allies |
Opponents | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Korean War (1950-1953) |
South Korea
United Nations
|
North Korea
China
|
Stalemate
|
Integration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1954) |
India | Portugal | Victory
|
Congo Crisis (1960–1964) |
1960–63: Republic of the Congo Supported by:
|
1960–63: Katanga South Kasai Supported by: Belgium 1960–62: |
Victory
|
Annexation of Goa (1961) |
India | Portugal | Victory
|
Sino-Indian War of 1962 (1962) |
India | China | Defeat
|
Insurgency in Northeast India (1954–) |
India Bhutan(joined in 2003) Bangladesh(joined in 1971) Myanmar(joined in 2018) |
show Full List
|
Ongoing
|
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 (1965) |
India | Pakistan | Inconclusive
|
Naxalite-Maoist insurgency (1967–) |
India |
show Full List
|
Ongoing
|
Nathu La and Cho La clashes (1967) |
India | China | Victory
|
Bangladesh Liberation War (incl. Indo-Pakistani War of 1971) (1971) |
India Bangladesh |
Pakistan | Victory
|
The First JVP insurrection (1971) |
Ceylon
Australia |
JVP
Supported by: |
Victory
|
Siachen conflict (1984–2003) |
India | Pakistan | Victory
|
Insurgency in Punjab (incl. Operation Blue Star) (1984–1995) |
India
Supported by: |
Khalistani militants
Supported by: |
Victory
|
Operation Flowers are Blooming (1986) |
India Seychelles |
Military of Seychelles | Victory
|
The Second JVP insurrection (1987-1989) |
Sri Lanka India United States United KingdomMilitary support:
|
JVP Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya IUSF Supported by:
|
Victory
|
Sri Lankan Civil War (1987–1990) |
India Sri Lanka |
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam | Withdrawal
|
Operation Cactus (1988) |
India Maldives |
PLOTE Maldivian rebels |
Victory
|
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: |
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
|
Nepalese Civil War (1996-2006) |
Gorkha Empire (Government of Nepal)
Supported by:
China |
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
Supported by: |
Defeat |
Kargil War (1999) |
India | Pakistan | Victory
|
2001 Bangladesh–India border clashes (2001) |
India | Bangladesh | No territorial changes
|
Operation Ocean Shield (2009-2016) |
NATO
Non-NATO:
|
Pirates | Victory
|