Kaisar-i-Hind
Encyclopedia
The Kaisar-i-Hind was a medal awarded by the British monarch between 1900 and 1947, to civilians of any nationality who rendered distinguished service in the advancement of the interests of the British Raj
.
The name literally means "Emperor of India
" in the vernacular
of the Hindi and Urdu languages. The word kaisar, meaning "emperor" is a derivative of the Roman imperial title Caesar
(via Persian, Turkish - see Kaiser-i-Rum - and the Greek Καίσαρ). The title is derived from the Roman general and dictator, Julius Caesar
, to whom the first Roman Emperors
were related. The latter used "Caesar" as a cognomen
to indicate the family relationship with him. Subsequently, it became an imperial title regardless of the Emperor's family origins. It is cognate
with the German title Kaiser
, which was borrowed from the Latin at an earlier date.
Kaisar-I-Hind was also inscribed on the obverse
side of the India General Service Medal (1909)
.
in a deliberate attempt to dissociate British imperial rule from that of preceding dynasties was taken by Queen Victoria
from 1 May 1876, and proclaimed at the Delhi Durbar
of 1877.
The medal was instituted by Queen Victoria
on April 10, 1900. The name translates as "Emperor of India", a name also used for a rare Indian butterfly Teinopalpus imperialis
. The Royal Warrant for the Kaisar-i-Hind was amended in 1901, 1912, 1933 and 1939. While never officially rescinded, the Kaisar-i-Hind ceased to be awarded following the passage of the Indian Independence Act 1947
. Recently discovered, this award has been given out a total of 142 times. The awards are published in the London Gazette
.
The medal consisted of an oval-shaped badge or decoration in gold, silver or bronze with the Royal Cipher and Monarchy on one side, and the words "Kaisar-i-Hind for Public Service in India" on the other. It was to be worn suspended from the left breast by a dark blue ribbon. The medal has no post-nominal initials.
Its most famous recipient is Mohandas Gandhi, who was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind in 1915 by Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst
for his contribution to ambulance services in South Africa
. Gandhi returned the medal in 1920 as part of the national campaign protesting the Jallianwala Bagh massacre
.
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
.
The name literally means "Emperor of India
Emperor of India
Emperor/Empress of India was used as a title by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II, and revived by the colonial British monarchs during the British Raj in India....
" in the vernacular
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...
of the Hindi and Urdu languages. The word kaisar, meaning "emperor" is a derivative of the Roman imperial title Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
(via Persian, Turkish - see Kaiser-i-Rum - and the Greek Καίσαρ). The title is derived from the Roman general and dictator, Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, to whom the first Roman Emperors
Julio-Claudian Dynasty
The Julio-Claudian dynasty normally refers to the first five Roman Emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula , Claudius, and Nero, or the family to which they belonged; they ruled the Roman Empire from its formation, in the second half of the 1st century BC, until AD 68, when the last of the line,...
were related. The latter used "Caesar" as a cognomen
Cognomen
The cognomen nōmen "name") was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary. Hereditary cognomina were used to augment the second name in order to identify a particular branch within...
to indicate the family relationship with him. Subsequently, it became an imperial title regardless of the Emperor's family origins. It is cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
with the German title Kaiser
Kaiser
Kaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
, which was borrowed from the Latin at an earlier date.
Kaisar-I-Hind was also inscribed on the obverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
side of the India General Service Medal (1909)
India General Service Medal (1909)
The Indian General Service Medal was a campaign medal approved on 1 January 1909, for issue to officers and men of the British and Indian armies. In 1925 it was also awarded to officers and men of the Royal Air Force....
.
History
Empress of India or Kaisar-i-Hind, a form coined by the orientalist G.W. LeitnerGottlieb Wilhelm Leitner
Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner or Gottlieb William Leitner M.A.,Ph.D.,L.L.D.,D.O.L. was an Anglo-Hungarian orientalist.-Early life and education:...
in a deliberate attempt to dissociate British imperial rule from that of preceding dynasties was taken by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
from 1 May 1876, and proclaimed at the Delhi Durbar
Delhi Durbar
The Delhi Durbar , meaning "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911, at the height of the British Empire. The 1911...
of 1877.
The medal was instituted by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
on April 10, 1900. The name translates as "Emperor of India", a name also used for a rare Indian butterfly Teinopalpus imperialis
Teinopalpus imperialis
The Kaiser-i-Hind is a rare species of swallowtail butterfly found from Nepal and north India east to north Vietnam. The common name literally means "Emperor of India". The Kaiser-i-hind is much sought after by butterfly collectors for its beauty and rarity...
. The Royal Warrant for the Kaisar-i-Hind was amended in 1901, 1912, 1933 and 1939. While never officially rescinded, the Kaisar-i-Hind ceased to be awarded following the passage of the Indian Independence Act 1947
Indian Independence Act 1947
The Indian Independence Act 1947 was as an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that partitioned British India into the two new independent dominions of India and Pakistan...
. Recently discovered, this award has been given out a total of 142 times. The awards are published in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
.
Medal grades and design
The medal had three grades. The Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal for Public Service in India was awarded directly by the monarch on the recommendation of the Secretary of State for India. Silver and Bronze medals were awarded by the Viceroy.The medal consisted of an oval-shaped badge or decoration in gold, silver or bronze with the Royal Cipher and Monarchy on one side, and the words "Kaisar-i-Hind for Public Service in India" on the other. It was to be worn suspended from the left breast by a dark blue ribbon. The medal has no post-nominal initials.
Its most famous recipient is Mohandas Gandhi, who was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind in 1915 by Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, was a British diplomat and statesman who served as Viceroy of India from 1910 to 1916.-Background and education:...
for his contribution to ambulance services in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Gandhi returned the medal in 1920 as part of the national campaign protesting the Jallianwala Bagh massacre
Jallianwala Bagh massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre , also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place in the Jallianwala Bagh public garden in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, and was ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald E.H. Dyer...
.
Recipients
- The Rt Hon. Alice Isaacs, Marchioness of ReadingAlice Isaacs, Marchioness of ReadingAlice Edith Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading GBE CI , née Alice Edith Cohen, was the first wife of Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading and a prominent philanthropist in colonial India....
- HH Ayilyam Thirunal, Maharaja of Travancore
- Commander-in-Chief Gen. Maharajkumar Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana (KIH Gold Medal 1877) - son of Maharaja Jung Bahadur Rana of Lamjung and Kaski
- Dr. L. N. Virasinghe-Chinnappa, awarded twice Medal 1937 & Bar to the Medal 1941, Pioneered Maternity & Child Health on the Indian Sub-Continent
- HH Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, Maharaja of Lamjung and KaskiChandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur RanaField-Marshal Maharaja Sri Teen Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, , was the fifth Prime Minister of Nepal from the Rana dynasty. He served in this capacity from 27 June 1901, following the deposition of his brother Deva Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, to his death in 1929...
- Dr. Constance Whittaker received the Kaiser-i-Hind for public service during WW2
- Dr. Tongul Kuki Gangte, awarded on 14 June 1945 for his work during WW2 as a Red Cross Doctor.
- Dr. Margaret O'Hara awarded in 1932 for her long and valued service to India
- Dr. Lilian Arratoon, surgeon, awarded the silver medal in the New Year's Honours list 1945.
- HH Dungar Singh, Maharaja of Bikaner
- Edward SellEdward Sell (canon)Canon Edward Sell was an Anglican orientalist, writer and missionary in India.- Biography :Sell was born on 24 January 1839 in Wantage in Berkshire. He was educated at the Church Missionary College in Islington, London, completing his studies in 1862...
, missionary and Islamic scholar - Frederick Booth-TuckerFrederick Booth-TuckerCommissioner Frederick St. George de Lautour Booth-Tucker, was a senior Salvation Army officer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the son in law of General William Booth, the Army's Founder.-Early life:...
, Commissioner in the Salvation ArmySalvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries.... - HH Ganga Singh, Maharaja of Bikaner
- Herbert Frederick Mayes, Barrister-at-Law, Indian Civil Service, awarded 9 Nov 1901
- Gertrude Edith Mary Middleton-Stewart, awarded 6 May 1935
- HH Jashwant Singh, Maharaja of Bharatpur
- HH Jayajirao Scindia, Maharajah of GwaliorJayajirao Scindia|Jayajirao Scindia of the Scindia dynasty was the ruling Maharajah of Gwalior from 1843 to 1886 under the British rule.-Early life:...
- John Nisbet (b 1852), author and professor of botany
- HH Kalb Ali Khan, Nawab of Rampur
- Khan Bahadur Raja Jahandad KhanKhan Bahadur Raja Jahandad KhanKhan Bahadur Raja Jahandad Khan, was a descendant of Sultan Sarang and a Chief of Gakhars.Raja Jahandad was conferred the title of Khan Bahadur on 24 May 1881 and was made an Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire on 1st Jan, 1904...
- Khan Bahadur Sher JangKhan Bahadur Sher JangKhan Bahadur Sher Jang was born at Dhok Aziz near Chhab, a small village in Attock District, Pakistan. His father, Aziz Khan was a farmer. Khan Bahadur Sher Jang joined Coke's Rifles in 1887. He joined the Survey of India as a Soldier-Surveyor in 1895...
(Second Class) (1916) - HH Khengarji III, Maharao of KutchKhengarji III of KutchMaharajadhiraj Mirza Maharao Sri Sir Khengarji III Sawai Bahadur, GCSI, GCIE, KIH was a progressive and one of the longest ruling, Maharao of the Princely State of Cutch from 1875 to 1942....
- Kulsoom Shahid Husain Member Legislative Assembly great aunt of Dr. Ali M. MIr
- Laxmidas Pitambardas Adodra (Second Class)
- HH Madho Rao Scindia, Maharaja Scindia of GwaliorMadho Rao ScindiaMadho Rao Scindia , was the 5th Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior. He acceded to the throne in 1886 and ruled to his death in 1925. He was noted by the British Government as a progressive ruler of a princely state. He was twice married, but had only issue by his second marriage in 1913, one son and one...
- HH Bhagvatsingh, Maharaja of GondalBhagvatsingh of GondalMaharaja Bhagvatsingh Sahib was the ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Gondal from 1869 till his death in 1944, in whose reign the state was raised to 11-gun salute state...
- HH Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Maharaja of BarodaMaharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III165454565Sayajirao Gaekwad III was the Maharaja of Baroda State from 1875 to 1939, and is notably remembered for reforming much of his state during his rule....
- HH Pratap Singh, Maharaja of IdarPratap Singh of IdarLieutenant-General Maharaja Sri Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur of Idar, GCB, GCSI, GCVO, KIH was a career British Indian Army officer, Maharaja of the princely state of Idar and heir to Ahmednagar from 1902 to 1911, when he abdicated in favor of his adopted son.-Early Life 1845-1878:The prince...
- HH Asaf Jah VI, Nizam of Hyderabad
- Major Herbert Edward Deane, R.A.M.C., awarded 9 Nov 1901
- Reverend Herbert Anderson, Baptist Missionary, awarded 3 Jun 1918
- Mary Barrington-Smith, engaged in counter-propaganda at G.H.Q. in India and awarded for her work as Diversional Therapy Officer during WW2.
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (returned 1921)
- HH Muhammad Mushtaq Ali Khan, Nawab of RampurMuhammad Mushtaq Ali Khan of RampurNawab Muhammad Mushtaq Ali Khan Bahadur, KIH, was a Nawab of the princely state of Rampur from 1887 to 1889, succeeding his father Sir Kalb Ali Khan Bahadur. Owing to continued ill-health, he was unable to properly rule the state and so left its affairs in the hand of an administrative council...
- Pandita RamabaiPandita RamabaiPandita Ramabai was a social reformer and activist. She was born as Hindu, started Arya Mahila Samaj and later converted to Christianity to serve widows and helpless women of India....
- HH Partab Singh, Maharaja of KashmirPartab Singh of KashmirPratap Singh was the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, and head of the Jamwal Rajput clan.Some elements in the British Empire made an attempt to implicate the Dogra Maharaja in a conspiracy case involving the Russian Empire...
- Parukutty Nethyar Amma
- Rachel Emanuel (according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission record of the death of her son, Flt Lt William Vernon Emanuel, RAFVR).
- Raja Ravi Verma (1904)
- HH Ram Singh, Maharaja of Bharatpur
- HH Nihal Singh, Rana of DholpurRana Nihal SinghRana Nihal Singh, was the Jat ruler of Dholpur state in Rajasthan, India. He was from Bamraulia gotra of Jats. He was born on 4 May 1863 as son of Kulender Singh and succeeded Rana Bhagwant Singh on 9 February 1873 after his death...
- HH Ranbir Singh, Maharaja of Jammu and KashmirRanbir SinghGeneral Shriman Rajrajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Sri Sir Ranbir Singhji, Indar Mahindar Bahadur, Sipar-i-Sultanat, Mushir-i-Khas-i-Kaiser-i-Hind GCSI, CIE, Kaiser-i-Hind was the son of Maharaja Gulab Singh, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir and head of the Jamwal Rajput clan.The trans-Himalayan territories...
- Renaudip Singh BahadurRenaudip Singh BahadurMaharaja Sir Renaudip Singh Bahadur also spelt Ranodip or Ranadip, KCSI, Kaiser-i-Hind , was the second Prime Minister of Nepal from the Rana dynasty....
- Sir Robert StanesRobert StanesSir Robert Stanes was a British businessman and philanthropist in India who founded United Nilgiri Tea Estates in Coimbatore....
- Shankar Madho Chitnavis, Deputy-Commissioner, Central Provinces (1901)
- HH Shivaji IV, Raja of KolhapurShivaji IVShivaji IV was a Raja of Kolhapur from 1871 to 1883. A distant relation of the main family line, he was born as Shrimant Narayanrao Dinkarrao Bhonsle, and was adopted at the age of eight by the widow of Rajaram I. Owing to his youth, he reigned under a regency until he had attained his majority...
- Sir Vasudeva Raja Ravi Verma, Rajah of KollengodeKollengodeKollengode is a small town in Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India.Kollengode, 19 km from Palakkad town, has endless green paddy fields, an ancient Vishnu temple and the Kollengode Palace, built in the traditional Kerala architectural style....
, awarded 1925 - Sir Vicar-ul-UmraSir Vicar-ul-UmraSir Viqar ul-Umara, Iqtidar ul-Mulk, Iqbal ud Dowla, Secundar Jung, Nawab Muhammad Fazl ud-din Khan Bahadur, served as the Prime Minister of Hyderabad from 1893 to 1901 and Amir e Paigah 1881 to 1902....
- HH Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of BhopalSultan Shah Jahan, Begum of BhopalSultan Shahjahan Begum GCSI CI KIH was the Begum of Bhopal for two times: 1844–60, and secondly during 1868–1901....
- Dr. Thomas Franklin Pedley, a Doctor in Rangoon
- HH Tukojirao Holkar II, Maharaja of Indore
- Vadasseri AmmaveetilAmmaveeduAmmaveedus were the residences of the consorts of the Maharajahs of Travancore in Trivandrum. The descendants of the Maharajahs were considered as members of these Ammaveedus, with a status next only to royalty...
Srimathi Karthyayani Pillai Bhagavathy Pillai Kochamma, daughter of Maharajah Moolam Thirunal of TravancoreTravancoreKingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of... - HH Visakham Thirunal, Maharaja of TravancoreVisakham ThirunalVisakham Thirunal Rama Varma was the Maharaja of the erstwhile Indian kingdom of Travancore from 1880-1885 AD. He succeeded his elder brother Maharajah Ayilyam Thirunal to the throne of Travancore.-Early life:...
- Sir William James WanlessWilliam James WanlessSir William James Wanless, M.D., F.A.C.S. was a Canadian born surgeon, humanitarian and Presbyterian missionary who founded a medical mission in Miraj, India in 1894 and led it for nearly 40 years...
- William Egerton (First Class)
- William Stokes (First Class)
- Kizhakkethara Chandu(1921), Station Master of Tirur, Station unscathed during mappila rebellion, Kerala
- Walter Samuel Sharpe, Director of Telegraphs, Bombay, 1st Class Medal awarded 1 Jan 1916
- Major M.Subramanyam, Health Officer Sholapur, awarded in 1938
- Dr N K Guha, Dacca, Bangladesh (formerly East Bengal) in recognition of his philanthropic and humanitarian work during the 1940s.
- Rev. Alan Gordon MacLeod, Presbyterian missionary, for relief work in the Bengal famine of 1943.
- Reverend Ernest Bell Sharpe for his work as a missionary and superintendent of the Purulia Leper Asylum. Awarded the First Class Medal in 1929 for services to India.
- Rev. William Summers Sutherland, K.I.H., M.A., D.D., Missionary in India.
- Charlotte Melina Viall Wiser, co-author of Behind Mud Walls with husband, William H. Wiser, nutritionist, Presbyterian missionary