Awards of the Indian "Princes"

[Ed_Haynes]

Just to spice things up a bit,. I'll post here a few SAMPLES of awards from the semi-independence Indian "Princely" States before 1947.

For more, see:

http://sagongs.ipbhost.com/index.php?showforum=30

(Sorry, but you'll need to sign up to see these -- helps to keep the information brigands and web-crawling spiders out.)

The "sacred text" on these awards is:

Tony McClenaghan, Indian Princely Medals: A Record of the Orders, Decorations and Medals of the Indian Princely States (New Delhi" Lancer Publishers. [1996]; ISBN 1-897829-19-1), pp. iii + 282

This is a masterful piece of work, representing decades of work when enough "old-timers" were alive who remembered how things were before Integaration in 1947. While the quality of production leaves a good bit to be desired (especially in how the illustrations are rendered), this is a must-have volume for anyone with any interest in this arcane field, although it is now rather hard to find.

McClenaghan resisted the temptation of any researcher to wait until the last bits of evidence come together and published his work in an effort to elicit expansions, corrections, and new information. The last privately-circulated updates I have seen are almost as lengthy as the original book. Some states, in particular Bharatpur and Indore, have had massive quantities of new information and specimens come forward. It is good news indeed that active negotiations are underway for a new, expanded, prettier, and more easily available edition. Cross your fingers!

(I would have posted a scan of the cover, but the size limit seems to have gone haywire.)

[Ed_Haynes]

BIKANER -- Order of the Sadul Star of Bikaner -- Grand Commander (class I) sash badge

This badge is slightly different from other badges reported for this same order and may be a collar badge or grand master's badge, though none has been previously reported.

Edited October 8, 2005 by Ed_Haynes

[Ed_Haynes]

PATIALA -- Long Sevice Medal (Military), Bhupendra Singh

McClenaghan, p. 227, no. 216.

[Ed_Haynes]

PATIALA -- Nishan-i-Phul (Family Order), 3rd class, commander

Numbered 19 on the reverse.

McClenaghan, # 205, pp. 212-15.

[Ed_Haynes]

JAMMU AND KASHMIR -- Chitral Medal, 1895

Awarded to J&K States' Forces for the defence and relief.

This one named: "49 HAVELDAR MAHAN SINGH 4TH KASHMIR RIFL"

McClenaghan, #169, pp. 172-73.

[Ed_Haynes]

MYSORE -- Public Service Medal

McClenaghan, #197, p. 202.

[Ed_Haynes]

JAIPUR -- Medal for Silver Jubilee of Manahara Man Singh II, 1947

For the silver jubilee of Lieutenant-General H.H. Saramad-i-Rajaha-i- Hindustan Raj Rajendra Shri Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Sawai Shri Sir Man Singh II Bahadur, Maharaja of Jaipur, GCSI, GCIE (b. 21 August 1911, r. 7 September 1922-24 June 1970, d. 24 June 1970).

McClenaghan, p. 164, no. 163.

[Ed_Haynes]

BAHAWALPUR -- Independence Medal 1947

[Ed_Haynes]

Enough for now - can post more if requested.

[Bob Hunter]

Please do, Ed. These are fascinating.

[Ed_Haynes]

BAHAWALPUR -- Great War Star 1914-18, first variety

Named: 1041 SILR. ILAHI BAKHSH BAHWLPR. TRANSPT. CPS.

Siladar, Bahawalpur Transport Corps. Camel transport, served in Middle East.

[Ed_Haynes]

BAHAWALPUR -- Great War Star 1914-18, second variety

Named: 493 Sepoy Jan Mohammed

Sepoy, no unit (Bahawalpur Mounted Escort/1st Bahawalpur Sadiq Infantry?).

[Ed_Haynes]

JAMMU AND KASHMIR -- War Medal, 1914-1918

First class (silver) for officers, and second class (bronze) for other ranks.

[Ed_Haynes]

BARODA -- Diamond Jubilee Medal (1875-1935), silver / Hirtak Mahotsava Medal (1875-1935), silver

Issued for the Diamond Jubilee in 1935 of Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia Maharaja Sir Sayaji Rao III Gaekwar Sena Khas Khel Shamsher Bahadur of Baroda.

Pin clasp marked Spink & Son, London.

[Ed_Haynes]

PATIALA -- Great War Medal, 1914-18

The ribbons are, alas, rarer than the medals. Apoloigies for the naked medal.

[Ed_Haynes]

BIKANER -- Golden Jubilee Medal, 1937, silver

For the golden jubilee of Maharaja Ganga Singh.

[Ed_Haynes]

PATIALA - Order of Merit, 3rd class, commander, military / Nishan-i-Iftikhar, 3rd class, commander, military

Membership limited to seven.

[Ed_Haynes]

INDORE -- Order of Ahliya Holkar Saltanat, Rai Ratan

Class four of civil division of state order.

[Ed_Haynes]

JAMMU AND KASHMIR -- Darel Campaign Medal, 1866

From the online 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica:

" . . . . Gulab Singh would not again cross the Indus, but after his death (in 1857) Maharaja Ranbir Singh longed to recover lost prestige. In. 1860 he sent a force into Gilgit. Gaur Rahman just then died, and there was little resistance. The Dogras after that took Yasin twice, but did not hold it. They also, in 1866, invaded Darel, one of the most secluded Dard states, to the south of the Gilgit basin, but withdrew again. In 1889, in order to guard against the advance of Russia, the British government, acting as the suzerain power of Kashmir, established the Gilgit agency; in 1901, on the formation of the North-West Frontier province, the rearrangement was made as stated above. . . ."

(Emphasis added.)

Part of the elusive and very poorly documented series of early Jammu and Kashmir medals that include the better known Medal for Gilgit and Chilas 1854 (McClenaghan #166) and Medal for Yasin and Darel 1863 (McClenaghan 167).

As very little in this area now exists, this medal is posted, in part, in commemoration of the earthquake victims.

Edited October 11, 2005 by Ed_Haynes

[David S]

Thanks for showing these, they are fascinating.

I have had the McClenaghan book for a number of years.

[Michael Johnson]

Not a medal, but he may be entitled.

I have a dress blue tunic, U.K. tailor. Staff tabs, GVIR buttons. It has bullion Lt. Col. epaulettes of the post 1947 variety (Lions of Ashoka and Star).

The name tag is "Lt. Col K.S.B. Ahluwalia". General Chand Das confirmed that there was no regular Indian Army officer by that name and rank.

"Ahluwalia" is the family name of the royal family of Kapurthala. In Genealogy I found a fourth son of the Raja - Karamjit Singh.

Now the tunic has loops for a medal bar - about 6" apart end to end, and the pocket has loops for a breast star. While I could see a serving officer having a string of medals, you don't find Lt. Cols. with that high a class of an order.

So, I'm wondering if I've got a prince's tunic.

[Ed_Haynes]

Well, . . . .

The 1 Jan 1946 Indian States' Forces List shows but one Ahluwalia, a Major C. S. Ahluwalia, Bahawalpur Supply Department. There are no likely matches in Kapurthala or Patiala (the most likely places to look for him), but Ahluwalia is scarcely an uncommon name.

While there are lots of Alhuwalias in the Sept 1952 Indian Army List (the next data point I have), there's no "K.S.B."

I cannot imagine any post-1950 Indian Army officer wearing (lion badges of rank after 1950, crown 1947-50) a breast star of any sort. Cariappa did it just because he was Cariappa and thought he could flount even presidential orders. It would have been vaslty contrary to regulations and standards. Gen. Das got in enough trouble for wearing his O.B.E., even if he was not allowed to use the postnominals.

I can check full army lists at USI-I in December and ask H.H. Kapurthala, but I doubt your man is out of that family. Ultimately, there is no substitute for actually checking the records, even if the army lists are often flawed.

[Michael Johnson]

There is, of course, no way to tell whether the epaulettes are original to the tunic. The tailor's label has a 1950 date, if I remember correctly, so the GVIR buttons are correct.

And now that I think of it, the name on the label is Colonel Sardar K.S.B. Ahluwalia.

[Ed_Haynes]

Bikaner Miniature Group

1- Order of the Badge of Honour (missing, removed)

2- Rao Bahadur, George VI

3- Ganga Singh Household Medal in silver

4- Ganga Singh Jubilee Medal in silver

5- Sadul Singh Accession Medal (missing, never there)

A shame the Badge of Honour is missing, for it might narrow the recipient. Ongoing research suggests attribution to either:

Kanwar Rao Bahadur Jaswant Singh of Dausdar, Public Works Minister, Bikaner State, Rajputana (Rao Bahadur, 1 January 1944)

or

Kanwar Rao Bahadur Prem Singh, Revenue Minister, Bikaner State, Rajputana (Rao Bahadur, 1 January 1946)

[Ed_Haynes]

BIKANER -- Medal for Commendable Conduct

McClenaghan, #92, p. 103.

Edited November 25, 2005 by Ed_Haynes