Delhi Durbar Medals were instituted by the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
to commemorate the
Delhi Durbar
The Delhi Durbar ( lit. "Court of Delhi") was an Indian imperial-style mass assembly organized by Britain at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was he ...
where the new
Emperor of India
Emperor (or Empress) of India was a title used by British monarchs from 1 May 1876 (with the Royal Titles Act 1876) to 22 June 1948 Royal Proclamation of 22 June 1948, made in accordance with thIndian Independence Act 1947, 10 & 11 GEO. 6. CH ...
was proclaimed, in
1903
Events January
* January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India.
* January 10 – The Aceh Sultanate was fully annexed by the Dutch forces, deposing the last sultan, marking the end of the Aceh War that have lasted for al ...
for
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910.
The second child ...
, and in 1911 for
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
George w ...
. On both occasions the medals were one and a half inches in diameter and were awarded in both gold and silver. They were worn in date order alongside Coronation and Jubilee medals on the left chest, suspended from a ribbon one and a quarter inches wide. These Royal commemorative medals were worn before campaign medals until November 1918, after which the order of wear was changed, with them now worn after campaign medals and before long service awards.
Delhi Durbar Medal, 1911
Obverse: The conjoined crowned busts of King George V and
Queen Mary facing left within a floral wreath of roses.
Reverse: A legend in Persian, which translates as ''The Durbar of George V, Emperor of India, Master of the British Land''.
The medal was awarded unnamed.
Two hundred gold medals were struck for award to ruling chiefs and high-ranking officials. 30,000 silver medals were struck, with 26,800 awarded to civic dignitaries, government officials, and including 10,000 to officers and men of the British and Indian armies. The medal was distributed, not only to those present at the Durbar, but to others throughout India who contributed to the Raj.
The ribbon was similar as for the
medal for King George's Coronation light blue with two thin red stripes in the middle, and while the obverse design is the same, the Durbar Medal is larger, being 1½ inches in diameter, compared with 1¼ inches for the Coronation Medal. Both medals could not be worn together, and those eligible for both wore a clasp bearing the word 'Delhi' on the ribbon of the Coronation Medal.
Durbar clasp for Coronation Medal ribbon
Issuance
From the British forces present, 905 silver medals were awarded to officers and only 3266 to British
other ranks
Other ranks (ORs) in the Royal Marines (RM), the British Army, and the Royal Air Force (RAF), along with the navies, armies, and air forces of many other Commonwealth countries and Ireland, are those personnel who are not commissioned officers, bu ...
– so that approximately a quarter of the British troops actually having participated in the Durbar celebrations received a medal.
Duckers notes there must have been disappointment that a minority of men in a regiment got the medal whereas the majority did not, despite also having been participated in the same event. One consequence is that medal collectors often come across Delhi Durbar medals in medal groups, not documented on the medal roll as officially issued, that have been self-awarded by those who were present at the Durbar, and felt that they had a right to wear the medal.
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See also
* Delhi Durbar Medal (1903)
Delhi Durbar Medals were instituted by the British Raj, United Kingdom to commemorate the Delhi Durbar where the new Emperor of India was proclaimed, in 1903 for Edward VII, and in Delhi Durbar Medal (1911), 1911 for George V. On both occasions t ...
* Delhi Durbar
The Delhi Durbar ( lit. "Court of Delhi") was an Indian imperial-style mass assembly organized by Britain at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was he ...
* British colonial India
The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent,
*
* lasting from 1858 to 1947.
*
* It is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
* or dire ...
* Empress of India Medal
The Empress of India Medal, also referred to as KIH Medal, was a commemorative medal awarded to mark the occasion of the proclamation of Queen Victoria as Empress of India in 1877. It was the first wearable medal issued to mark a commemorative o ...
References
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External links
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{{Commonwealth Coronation and Jubilee medals
Orders, decorations, and medals of British India
Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom
1911 establishments in the United Kingdom
1911 disestablishments in the United Kingdom