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The major exception here was the northern border State of Jammu and Kashmir. In this state, there was a long tradition of awarding medals to the state forces for campaign service, dating back at least to the 1840s. Several campaign medals (at least three) had been awarded by the maharaja to his troops before the 1880s. So it was not totally out of character when Maharaja Pratap Singh (1848-1925, ruled 1885-1925) established a campaign badge for his troops who were engaged in actions at Hunza in 1891. This badge, a cumbersome, rectangular, brass badge, was to be worn at the throat and was very unpopular since it was said to have been immensely uncomfortable to wear (and was later somewhat unofficially converted for wear from a ribbon). His troops were engaged again in the famous defense of the fort at Chitral in 1895. For this action, he awarded a “kidney-shaped” silver (for officers) and bronze (Figure 8) campaign medal for his troops. These Chitral medals are often named on the edge in crudely impressed capital letters. Again, during the World War I he established silver (for officers) and bronze medals for the Jammu and Kashmir troops that served in that conflict.

World War I was the great watershed for the issuance of campaign medals by the Princes. At least Bahawalpur, Bhavnagar, Gwalior, Jammu and Kashmir, and Patiala awarded campaign medals for service in that war. For example, there are the medals from Bahawalpur (Figure 9) which exist in two varieties, and the medal from Gwalior which exists in silver (Figure 10) and bronze. In the interwar-years, Bahawalpur awarded campaign medals for services on the Baluchistan frontier in 1914-1919 and 1930-1931 and Patiala issued campaign medals

for the Third Afghan War in 1919 and the suppression of civil unrest in the Punjab in that same year. World War II saw Princely State campaign medals from at least Bahawalpur, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Pudukkotai, Tripura, and Udaipur (Mewar). For example, Bahawalpur awarded the War Star 1939-1945 (Figure 11) as a victory medal for that conflict.

Commemorative Medals

By the early twentieth century, it had become common for British monarchs to issue awards for their coronations and jubilees and such awards were not viewed as especially

Figure 8: Jammu and Kashmir Medal 1895.

Figure 9: Bahawalpur World War I Service Medal.

Figure 10: Gwalior World War IVictory Medal.

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unusual for the Indian rulers to emulate. For example, Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan of Bahawalpur (1904-1966, ruled 1907-1966) issued a medal in 1931 for the silver jubilee of his coronation (Figure 12). Somewhat confusingly, this same medal with minor differences was reissued for the silver jubilee of his attaining full ruling powers in 1949. Maharaja Sayaji Rao III Gaekwar of Baroda (1863-1939, ruled 1975-1939) awarded a medal

Figure 11: Bahawalpur War Star 1939-1945.

Figure 12: Bahawalpur Silver JubileeMedal, 1931.

in gold, silver (Figure 13) and copper-nickel for his diamond jubilee on the throne (1935). In the Punjab State of Kapurthala, Maharaja Jagajit Singh (1872-1949, ruled 1877-1949) awarded a medal for his diamond jubilee on the throne in 1937 (Figure 14). In the Rajputana State of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II (1911-1970, ruled

Figure 13: Diamond Jubilee Medal of the Gaekwar of Baroda, 1935.

Figure 14: Diamond Jubilee Medal of Maharaja Jagajit Singh of Kapurthala.

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1922-1970) issued a medal in copper-nickel for his silver jubilee in 1947 (Figure 15).

Some states, such as Bahawalpur and Dhrangadhra,

Figure 15: Silver Jubilee Medal of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, 1947.

Figure 16: Patiala Long Service Medal.

actually issued medals to commemorate the ending of the limited independence of their states in 1947, as they were joined, respectively, into Pakistan and India.

Long Service Medals

Many of the States also issued medals for long service in both the military and the police. For example, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala awarded this medal (Figure 16) for long service in the State army.

The Aftermath

In the years after 1947, many of the states, especially Bahawalpur in Pakistan, continued to create and award new awards. In India, however, the terms of the constitution made this difficult, although their awards from before 1947 continued to be worn both as medals and in ribbon bars, following in the order of wearing the awards of the Republic, but coming before foreign awards, which were almost entirely “Commonwealth” awards for services before independence. In a sense, the struggle of the Princes against British phaleristic policy had resulted in victory since, for example, the jubilee medal of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur would now be worn with precedence over any British awards.

Reference:

McClenaghan, Tony. Indian Princely Medals: A Record of the Orders, Decorations and Medals of the Indian Princely States. New Delhi: Lancer Publishers, 1996.

MEET THE AUTHORS (Continued from page 3):

supplies and troops from Cau Viet to Dong Ha on the Cau Viet River. He then went to diving/salvage school in Washington, D.C. and was then assigned to the USSCurrant (ARS-22) out of Pearl Harbor. During a second tour to Vietnam he assisted in repairing POL lines, salvaging Swift boats and raising the SS Green Bay which had been sunk at a pier in Qui Nhon. He went to dental school at Ohio State University graduating in 1975 and then spent two years serving at the Navy Dental Corps at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Steven has been active in the dental society, in which he served as president in 2003. He is an Eagle Scout and has been awarded the Silver Beaver for his over 60 years service to scouting. He teaches dental assistants two days a week in Youngstown, Ohio. A collector since the age of 11 when his uncle gave him some patches, he now collects dental insignia, patches and uniforms. Steve has been responsible for selling OMSA publications and back issues for many years.