Sardar Bahdaur Title of Honorary Captain Sardar Bahadur Ranjit Singh

The Order of British India was an

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

of merit established in 1837 by the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sou ...

for "long, faithful and honourable service". The company's powers were removed after the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...

, and the Order was incorporated into the

British Honours System In the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories, personal bravery, achievement, or service are rewarded with honours. The honours system consists of three types of award: *Honours are used to recognise merit in terms of achievement a ...

in 1859. The order became obsolete in 1947, after the partition of British India into the

Dominion of India The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India,* Quote: “The first collective use (of the word "dominion") occurred at the Colonial Conference (April to May 1907) when the title was conferred upon Canada and Australia. New Zealand and N ...

and the

Dominion of Pakistan Between 14 August 1947 and 23 March 1956, Pakistan was an independent federal dominion in the Commonwealth of Nations, created by the passing of the Indian Independence Act 1947 by the British parliament, which also created the Dominion of ...

The Order

The Order of British India was awarded by the

Viceroy of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...

for long, faithful and honourable service by Viceroy's Commissioned (i.e. native Indian) Officers in the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...

. While the Order could be awarded for distinguished service on a particular campaign, it was more often awarded to selected serving officers of between 20 and 30 years service.

Establishment

When first ordered by

Lord William Bentinck Lieutenant General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (14 September 177417 June 1839), known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman who served as the Governor of Fort William (Bengal) from 1828 to 1834 and the First G ...

in April 1837, the Order was intended as a means of providing recognition for serving Indian officers in the

's military forces. These so-called "Native Officers" faced slow promotion under a system that was based on advancement through seniority. The 1st Class of the Order conferred the title of ''sirdar bahadoor'' on the 100

subedar Subedar is a rank of junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army; a senior non-commissioned officer in the Pakistan Army, and formerly a Viceroy's commissioned officer in the British Indian Army. History ''Subedar'' or ''subadar'' was t ...

s and

risaldar Risaldar, meaning the commander of a ''risala'' or ''risalah'' (a body of horse, regardless if troop or regiment) in Persian, is a mid-level rank in cavalry and armoured units of the Indian and Pakistan Army. In other arms, such as the infantry, t ...

s (senior Indian officer ranks) to whom membership was limited, plus an increase in salary of two

rupee Rupee is the common name for the currencies of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, ...

s a day. Appointments to the 2nd Class, limited to a further 100 Indian officers of any rank, entitled the recipient to the title of ''bahadoor'' and a more modest wage increase. In an article published in the Calcutta Review in 1856 Henry Lawrence however expressed the opinion that the Order had become "virtually the reward of old age" with its wearers mostly limited to retired pensioners.

Later history

In September 1939 eligibility was extended to include native officers serving in the

Indian States Forces The Imperial Service Troops were forces raised by the princely states of the British Indian Empire. These troops were available for service alongside the Indian Army when such service was requested by the British government. At the beginning of ...

, Frontier Corps and Military Police, and further extended in January 1944 to include native officers and Indian Warrant Officers in the Royal Indian Navy and the Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery, as well as foreign officers, who could be appointed honorary members of the Order.

Appearance

The Order was awarded in two classes, both worn from a neck ribbon:
First Class. The badge consisted of a gold star in diameter composed of rays of gold with in the centre the words ORDER OF BRITISH INDIA encircling a lion on a background of light blue enamel, surrounded by a laurel wreath, surmounted by a Crown. The enamel behind the wording was dark blue until 1939, when it was changed to the same light blue as appears behind the lion. Recipients of the first class were entitled to use the title ''

Sardar Bahadur Sardar Bahadur was a title of honour awarded to native Indian civilians and Viceroy's commissioned officers during British rule in India. It was bestowed upon Sikhs, and was awarded for faithful service or acts of public welfare. The title was used ...

'' (heroic leader).
Second class. The badge comprised a slightly smaller gold star in diameter of similar design to the first class, but without the crown and with the centre enamel in dark blue enamel. Recipients of the second class were entitled to the title ''Bahadur'' (hero). Holders of both classes could use the

post-nominal letters Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...

OBI. All initial awards to the Order were in the second class, with appointments to the first class made from existing members of the second class. The ribbon was originally sky-blue, but changed to dark red in 1838 after it was found that the hair oil favoured by Indian soldiers stained the ribbon. From September 1939 the first class ribbon had two thin light blue strips added towards the centre of the dark red ribbon, while the second class had one light blue stripe added to the centre of the ribbon. Pakistan awarded the Order to a small number of seconded British officers who rendered outstanding services at the time of independence.

Recipients

The following is an incomplete list of people appointed to the Order of British India:

First Class

* Sardar Bahadur Major General Bakhshish Singh OBI 1st Class 14 June 1912 (Military Secretary Patiala). * Sardar Bahadur Captain Gardhara Singh Minhas OBI, was awarded the OBI(First Class) for his contribution in the Great Wars and long meritorious service. *Sardar Bahadur Colonel Thakur Bahadur Singh Bagawas OBI awarded for contribution in the battle of Haifa during the world war 1 and long meritorious service. https://m.timesofindia.com/city/jaipur/remembering-kana-general-hero-of-the-1918-haifa-battle/amp_articleshow/77208542.cms * Honorary Captain Muhammad Khan, OBI (1st Class), 10th Baluch Regiment.

* Subedar Major Bahadur Multani Ram, OBI (First Class) 1920, IDSM, Faizabad Cantonment (Royal Army), WW1 participant. * Sardar Bahadur Unjur Tiwari, 1st Bengal Native Infantry. Spied for British forces during the

. *Colonel Rao Bahadur Thakur Balu Singh ji Inderpura, OBI, IDSM (1st Class) Col Rao Bahadur Balu Singh

*Nawab Mir Hashim Ali Khan, Col Hahsim Nawaz Jung, OBI SB, (1st Class 1897). * Sardar Bahadur Lieutenant Raja Paindah Khan O.B.I Chieftain of Mohrah Rajgan Jhelum, 1/14 Punjab Regiment. *Sardar Bahadur Captain Moovera kalappa, OBI, 71st Coorg Rifles, WW2 Burma Campaign. * Sardar Bahadur Raja Jeoraj Singh, of Sandwa, CBE, OBI, Major-General in the Bikaner State Forces, Member, Executive Council, Bikaner State, Rajputana. * Sardar Bahadur Captain Raja Feroz Khan Chieftain of Gorha Rajgan Jhelum, O.B.I, Frontier Force Rifles. Honorary Lieutenant Pehlwan Khan OBI First class

Honorary Lieutenant Pehlwan Khan OBI First class

Honorary Captain Sardar Bahadur Rewat Singh Chandawat

* Khan Bahadur General

Fateh Naseeb Khan Khan Bahadur Maj.Gen. Fateh Naseeb Khan, OBE KB (1888–1933), was the Commander-in-chief of Alwar State Forces. He was a close confidant and trusted aide of Maharaja Jai Singh Prabhakar Bahadur, who was the Maharaja of Alwar State. He p ...

OBI 1st Class 17 January 1929 ( Alwar State Forces). Capt

* Honorary Captain Sardar Bahadur Bhola Singh Gulia, OBI (1st Class), Indian Survey Regiment of Badli, Haryana, India. * Subadar Major and Honorary Captain Sardar Bahadur Ghafur Khan OBI, IDSM late 4/15th Punjab Regiment. * Subedar Major and Honorary Lieutenant Sardar Bahadur Pehlwan Khan MBE, OBI,

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. W ...

. * Sardar Bahadur Tiku Singh Thapa, OBI, KPM, CM, 2nd in Command, Gurkha Military Police. * 'Sardar Bahaudur' Honorary Captain Bakhshi Jagat Singh, OBI(1st class); enlisted in 5th Bengal Cavalry in 1857, participated in the 'Bhutan War' then served as a spy in Afghanistan providing valuable maps and sketches of routes; retired from the 16th Bengal Cavalry. * Honorary Captain Taj Mohammad Khan OBI, IDSM, Poona Horse

Second class

Risaldar Nadir Ali Khan, Bamba Rajput, 9th Hodson's Horse. * Subedar and Honorary Captain ''Bahadur'' Inayat Ullah Asmie, OBI (2nd Class), 10 Baluch Regiment. * Subedar-Major ''Bahadur'' Jagindar Singh, OBI (2nd Class), IOM (2nd Class). * Subedar Major Purushottam Dass "Bahadur" OBI (2nd Class) of 74th Punjabis, (Village Heb, Thural Kangra District (Then Jullundar District). awarded the Order of British India on 16 April 1911. * Subedar Major and Honorary Lieutenant Ram Singh Kaila, Bahadur, IOM, OBI, of

15th Ludhiana Sikhs The 15th Ludhiana Sikhs was an infantry regiment in the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1846, when they were known as the Regiment of Ludhiana (or the Loodiana Regiment). During the Indian Mutiny they were relied upon to hol ...

(1887–1916),

82nd Punjabis The 82nd Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1788, as the 29th Madras Battalion. It was designated as the 82nd Punjabis in 1903 and became the 5th Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was al ...

(1916–21). IOM for gallantry at Chagra Kotal (Tirah, NWFP, Pakistan). * Commandant Sardar ''Bahadur'' Narain Singh Hundal, OBI 2nd Class, Kapurthala State Forces. * Risaldar

Mir Dad Khan ''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to& ...

Tarin of 9th Hodson Horse. *Subedar (Hony Subedar-Major) Amar Nath Puri, ''Bahadur,'' OBI, of Indian Medical Department, posted in I.M.H Bakloh in 1942 . *Risaldar Major Ganga Dat Honorary Lieutenant 2nd lancer OBI 1917 France

Notes

References

* Peter Duckers, ''British Orders And Decorations'', Shire Publications, Buckinghamshire, 2004 * * * * * *"Indian Army List- July 1942. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.285000/page/n1460/mode/1up?view=theater {{DEFAULTSORT:Order of British India Orders, decorations, and medals of British India Civil awards and decorations of the United Kingdom Military awards and decorations of the United Kingdom Orders, decorations, and medals of the British Empire Orders, decorations, and medals of India Medals of the Honourable East India Company Awards established in 1837