M. Z. Kiani

Major General Mohammad Zaman Kiani an officer of the Indian National Army who went on to be appointed the Chief of General Staff. A keen Hockey player in his youth, Kiani joined the British Indian Army in 1931 at the Indian Military Academy at Dehra Dun, sitting for the entrance exam in preference over a trial for the Olympic Hockey trials at Calcutta.^[1] At the start of World War II, he was sent to the south-east Asian theatre and was stationed in the Malayan theatre during World War II when Singapore fell. He later enlisted in the Indian National Army when it was formed in 1942 and was put in charge of the INA at the time of its revival in February 1943. After the proclamation of Azad Hind under Subhas Chandra Bose, Kiani was appointed the commander of the first division, and later went on to be appointed the Chief of General staff.^[2] which had been earlier held by Lt. Col J.K. Bhonsle.^[3] At the time of the fall of Rangoon, Kiani led the personnel of the Indian National Army and the Azad Hind Government who, along with Subhas Chandra Bose, marched overland to Bangkok.^[2]

Kiani surrendered to the British 5th Division at Singapore on 25 August 1945 as the commander of the INA, along with the rest of his troops.^[4] and was repatriated to India and interened till 1946 before being cashiered and discharged from the army.^[5] Following the Partition of India, Kiani settled in Pakistan, and was later appointed the Political agent of the Government of Pakistan at Gilgit.^[5]

References

• Bose, Sugata. (2006), A Hundred Horizons:Indian Ocean in the age of Global Empire., Harvard University Press., ISBN 0674021576.
• Mercado, Stephen C (2002), The Shadow Warriors of Nakano: A History of the Imperial Japanese Army's elite intelligence school., Brassey's., ISBN 1574885383.
• http://soc.world-journal.net/indianoceansb2.html

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