Ed_Haynes

How I wish! No such luck. Have just been trying to conjoin "job" and "hobby" in recent years. Not sure any one buys it, but 'tis fun.

Get there as often as humanly possible. Plan a trip in December (briefly) and then a longer and more useful -- though hotter -- time this summer. 'Tis my field of academic specialisation (and medal collecting), after all.

Let me check Paul. Most numbers quoted by "Third Reich" style sources are rubbish. I hope to be going through their debriefing reports from when they became British POWs at war's end, this summer in Delhi.

I think they do it because they can sell coins like this and make money. What is, after all, the major Manx source of foreign exchange? Isn't it philately and numismatics?

Thanks, Rick. Enquiring minds (and inquiring ones too) are at peace.

An interesting thread . . . on something about which Inknown absolutely nothing. Years ago, not even sur ehow, I acquired a pair of shoulderboards. Have always assumed they were "German", but never knew. If I never ask, I'll never know, I guess. Here they are. As I say, I have no clue. (Not the world's best scan, sorry.)

Rick: All sorts of research. Ranging from the narrow, roll- and archive-based digging on this individual and his service (though rolls for Indian civilians at Lucknow are fragmentary, in all senses of that word) to wider "academic" stuff. Some rolls are in London, some in Delhi, some eaten by white ants. Bob: How rare is Mutiny for defence of Lucknow? Very. The official numbers suggest that, among the original defenders (which I suspect Sirdar Peeroo to have been), there were 1,538 soldiers and 160 civilians, though I suspect those numbers are heavily biased toward Europeans and ignore Indians. Yet, I cannot imagine that, in the heady revolutionary climate of June-November 1857 there were very many Indian civilians who chose to ally themselves with the discredited and crumbling goras -- it was hard enough for Indians in the army to remain "loyal" and would usually net them and eventuial Order of Merit. Maybe poor Peeroo just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe there is another tale to tell. That, of course, is the interest in these things, not just chunks of silver and silk with a big price tag, but all that survives of a man and a moment. This, of course, is why we collect and study these silly things. And thanks for the visits and the comments. I know this is pretty exotic stuff for most of the bruderschaft here, but . . . ?

Thanks, Chris!

Actually, in today's corporatized universities, tenure and promotion are more about teaching-teaching-teaching (assembly line work and producing a body-count) and personal loyalty to the burgeoning administrations. At most universities, except the very best, scholarship really matters little (in teh sciences, you need to get grants, but thos emean money for the university). And nothing that Folks Like Us do matters AT ALL. Trust me. (Being considered for promotion even as I write.) Back to medals . . . .

I am one of them. And we make no money from our publications. Important, sure. Money-making, what a joke. Unless you write a mass-market textbook, but I am talking about scholarship here.

Any historian who thinks they can make money off their publishing, I have some beach-front property in Iowa to sell them.

Much wisdom, Rick. Thank you.

While, technically, there could be one more medal listed here (the medal for the Second China War was also paid for out of East India Company revenues), the "Indian" component of the tale of early Indian awards ends here. I hope it hasn't been too boring. If you want "the rest of the story", see: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/haynese/OMSA05.pdf (This was to have been presented as a seminar at this year's OMSA but got unprofessionally "cut" at the final moment. Color me unhappy, and much more.) And, if you aren't bored entirely to tears, drop in over at: http://sagongs.ipbhost.com/

Indian Mutiny Medal, 1857-58 The history of the Honourable East India Company and its phaleristic history in India came to an end in May 1857 as the complex rebellion of 1857 erupted across northern India. Far more than a military "mutiny" and perhaps falling short of the "First Indian War of Independence", these events gave birth to the finalmedal issued in the name of and (more importantly) paid for by the East India Company. The Mutiny Medal was issued without clasp and with five clasps. This medal, for the famous defence of Lucknow, is named to "Sirdar Peeroo, Lucknow Garrison". Most likely an Indian civilian in the defending garrison. Much research looms.

India Medal, 1854 The classic pattern would culminate in the second India general service medal series, the famous India Medal, 1854. While the first two clasps (Pegu and Persia) were for services outside India, the medal became identified with service on both frontiers. It would continue longer in the East India Company and would not be replaced until 1895, after a lifespan of 41 years and 24 clasps. This specimen, for Pegu, is named to "Sepoy Chyoung (2nd) Arracan Local Battn".

Punjab Medal, 1848-49 The established pattern was used for the Second Sikh War of 1848-49, in which indepndent Punjab was finally annexed into the expanding territories of the Honourable East India Company. A standard medal was awarded for service (which could be awarded without clasp if theire was no battle service), and clasps were added for specific battles. This example has clasps for Goojerat and Mooltan and is named to "PRIVATE. MAUN SING. SCINDE CAMEL. B. C."

Army of India Medal, 1799-1826 It was a simple matter to modify the pattern from the First Sikh War medal for the retrospective medal established in 1851 to cover a range of campaigns in India from 1803-1826 (despite the official dates, a Seringapatnam clasp was disallowed). A standard "general service" medal was established with clasps for each separate campaign. This, for Assye, was awarded to "DURMAJEE ROW 4th LIGHT CAVy".

Sutlej Medal, 1845-46 The medal for the First Sikh War represents a deviation from the established pattern in several significant ways: 1- The medals were routinely named. 2- A new ribbon was used. (All those repetive "India Ribbons" had come to be seen as boring.) 2- A medal was issued for each battle (there were four), but subsequent battle participation was represneted by a clasp added to the ribbon, rather than a combined medal. This is revolutionary! A new pattern is established here. The specimen shown is for Moodkee with clasp for Ferozeshur, named to "Sepoy Ramjecawun Singh 73rd N. I.".

Gwalior Stars, 1843 Similar problems arose with the campaign stars for the Gwalior Campaign of 1843, when two stars were struck for the major battles of that conflict: 1- Maharajapoor 2- Punniar The stars were struck from cannon captured in the battle (anticipating what would be done later for the Victoria Cross) and were issued for both battles. Originally, they were to be worn directly on teh tunic, but most stars wera later adapted for wear on the "India Ribbon". This specimen shown, for Punniar, was awarded and named to "Sepoy Hunnoommun Sing, 50th Native Infy.".

Scinde Campaign, 1843 Continuing the earlier pattern, the Britist conquest of Sind in 1843 (giving rise to the famous one-word telegram from the conquering British general: "Peccavi") gave rise to a set of overlapping battle-specific medals: 1- Meanee 2- Hyderabad 3- Meanee/Hyderabad One thing was becoming clear in this campaign, however, that issuing three distinct medalds for the same campaign was very expensive. The well-loved and well-polished medal shown here, for Meanee/Hyderabad, is named to "JOODDEE JADDOO CAMEL BATY".

While it was issued by the Honourable East India Company, paid for by them, and could be seen as an "Indian Medal", the medal for the Opium War in China, 1841-42, seems so far afield that I'll do no more than make passing reference to it here.

Medals for the First Afghan War, 1841-42 As the First Afghan War was complex (as would be true for successor wars in that area), so were the medals for the conflict complex (as would be true for successor wars in that area). In general, and grossly simplified, a set of conflict-specific medals emerged, growing out of the earlier patterns. A set of seven medals were awarded for individual battles/campaigns: 1- Candahar [Kandahar] 2- Cabul [Kabul] (also spelled as "Cabvl") 3- Ghuznee [Ghazni] and Cabul 4- Candahar, Ghuznee, and Cabul 5- Jellalabad [Jalalabad] (in two varieties) 6- Khelat-i-Ghizie [Khelat-i-Ghilzai] This set of medals was also important, for it was the first to use what would become the ubiquitous "India Ribbon", the rainbow pattern ribbon that would be used on so many medals, through the Secoind Afghan War. Said to represent the colors of an Indian sunrise, the ribbon proved to be immensely expensive to manufacture and was subject to fast fading once that Indian sun got in the sky. For an example, I show a Cabul Medal below. For more information, see: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/haynese/medals/Afghan/first.html

Ghuznee Medal, 1839 Although originally established in the summer/fall of 1839 by Amir Dost Muhammad of Afghanistan for award to both Afghan and British troops for participation in the assault on the fortress at Ghazni on 23 July 1839 (the fortress was invested on 21 July), the medal was "adopted" by the East India Company on 23 November 1842 after Dost Muhammad's fall and is treated here as if it were a British medal. The Queen had extender her permission for Crown troops to wear the Afghan medal in March 1841. It was the first of the Company's medals to be occasionally (thought not routinely) named. This one is named to "Dost Kumal, Bengal Sappers and Miners" (the 2nd and 3rd companies of Bengal Sappers and Miners served in the Bengal Column, under Maj-Gen. Sir W. Cotton).

Order of Merit Not a campaign medal, but it must be mentioned here. Among the "inventions" of the East India Company (at least in terms of British phaleristics) is the idea of rewarding others than the most senior officers for gallantry. In 1837 (seventeen years before the DCM and nineteen years before the VC) teh Order fo Merit was established in three classes. The Order of Merit (later renamed as the "Indian Order of Merit" after Edward VII unknowingly invented another award of the same name) was awarded to all Indians in Company service for gallantry in combat. In usual cases, a person would be admitted to the third class for his initial act of bravery and advanced to the second and first classes for subsequent acts of gallantry; the Russian Cross of St. George was the conscious model here. An IOM 1st class was, therefore, the equivalent of a VC with two bars; the VC would not be extended to Indians of the Indian Army until 1911. The IOM presence a fascinating and complex story, one that has yet to be fully told. (Work is underway, though.) Even more complex is the Order of British India, created at the same time to reward long and meritorious service by Indian officers. Both awards would continue until 1947.

Coorg Medal, 1837 Awarded not as a campaign medal to the troops involved, but to Coorgi (Karanese) leaders ("chiefs") who supported the Company in its suppression of a "rebellion" in the region in April-May 1837. Awarded in a range of sizes and weights but, roughly, in gold (44) and silver (300). Bronze medals are seen, but they have no official standing; they are probably mint test pieces and the medal proved to be very hard to manufacture.