Orders, decorations, and medals of British India

With the inception of Company rule in India by the East India Company in 1757, the tradition of giving medals also began. Campaign medals and awards were given to soldiers who fought in the Company's presidency armies (Bengal Army of Bengal Presidency, Madras Army of Madras Presidency and Bombay Army of Bombay Presidency). After 1895, with the formation of British Indian Army, soldiers were awarded with gallantry awards alongside Imperial Service Troops of the princely states. Awards were also bestowed upon the personnel of Royal Indian Navy and of Royal Indian Air Force with its incorporation in 1932. Indian Imperial Police were also eligible for the police honours.
The company's powers were removed in 1858 after the Indian Mutiny, and the British Crown assumed direct control of India and monarch took the title of Emperor of India in 1876. During the British Raj, new medals and orders were established and were awarded for the services to the Crown and the Indian Empire by Europeans and Indians of British India and the princely states. After 1914, Indians also became eligible for British Honours. The following is a list of orders, decorations and medals related to British in India:^[1][2]

Orders

Orders of chivalry

• Order of the Star of India (1861–1947)
• Order of the Indian Empire (1878–1947)
• Order of the Crown of India (1878–1947)

Order of merit

• Order of British India (1837–1947)

Medals

Civil medals

• Kaisar-i-Hind Medal (1900–1947)

Military medals

• Indian Order of Merit (1837–1947)
• Indian Distinguished Service Medal (1907–1947)

Service medals

• Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army) (1848–1873)
• Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army) (1848–1873)
• Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for Indian Army) (1848–1873)
• Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Indian Army) (1888–1947)
• Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies (1894–1899)
• Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies (1896–1930)

Police medals

• Indian Police Medal (1932–1950)

Commemoration medals

• Empress of India Medal (1877)
• Delhi Durbar Medal (1903)
• Delhi Durbar Medal (1911)

Campaign medals

Battle honours

• Mysore (1789–91)
• Egypt (battle honour) (1801)
• Assaye (battle honour) (1803)
• Abyssinia (battle honour) (1868)

Titles

• Title Badge (India)

First class

• Nawab Bahadur / Sardar Bahadur
• Diwan Bahadur

Second class

• Khan Bahadur
• Rai Bahadur / Rao Bahadur

Third class

• Khan Sahib / Sardar Sahib
• Rai Sahib / Rao Sahib

See also

• Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom

References

External links

• Medals of British India
• British India Historical Medals

• v
• t
• e

Campaign medals of the Honourable East India Company

18th Century

• Monghyr Mutiny Medal (1766) (Unclear if awarded)
• Deccan Medal (1778-4)
• Mysore Medal (1790-2)
• Capture of Ceylon Medal (1795–6)
• Seringapatam medal (1799)

1801 – 1837

• Egypt Medal (1801)
• Army of India Medal (1803–26)
• Medal for capture of Rodrigues, Isle of Bourbon and Isle of France (1809-10)
• Java Medal (1811)
• Nepal Medal (1814-16)
• Ceylon Medal (1818)
• Burma Medal (1824-6)
• Coorg Medal (1837)

1st Afghan War

• Ghuznee Medal (1839)
• Jellalabad Medals (1841–2)
• Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul Medal (1842)
• Medal for defence of Kelat-I-Ghilzie (1842)

1843 – 1858

• Scinde Medal (1843)
• Gwalior Star (1843)
• Sutlej Medal (1845–6)
• Punjab Medal (1848–9)
• Indian Mutiny Medal (1857–8)

Note: Where no ribbon is shown, the medal was suspended around the neck by a cord:

This Indian history-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This article related to the British Empire (1497–1997) is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This article related to orders, decorations, and medals is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e