The Order of British India was an order of merit established in 1837 by the East India Company for "long, faithful and honourable service".[2] The company's powers were removed after the Indian Mutiny, and the Order was incorporated into the British Honours System in 1859. The order became obsolete in 1947, after the partition of British India into the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan.
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Order of British India
Insignia of the Order, Second Class (above) and First Class, prior to 1939, (below)
1st class Insignia of design awarded from 1939, with presentation case
The Order of British India was awarded by the Viceroy of India for long, faithful and honourable service by Viceroy's Commissioned (i.e. native Indian) Officers in the Indian Army. 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 in April 1837, the Order was intended as a means of providing recognition for serving Indian officers in the East India Company'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 subedars and risaldars (senior Indian officer ranks) to whom membership was limited, plus an increase in salary of two rupees 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, Frontier Corps and Military Police,[3] 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.[4]
Appearance
The Order was awarded in two classes, both worn from a neck ribbon:[5] First Class. The badge consisted of a gold star 1.7 inches (43mm) 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.[5] Recipients of the first class were entitled to use the title Sardar Bahadur (heroic leader).[3]
Second class. The badge comprised a slightly smaller gold star 1.5 inches (38mm) 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).[3]
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.[2]
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.[2]
Pakistan awarded the Order to a small number of seconded British officers who rendered outstanding services at the time of independence.[6][5]
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).[7]
Sardar Bahadur Captain Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Khan (1881-1953) Village Hassan Pathan District Gujrat, Punjab was awarded The Order Of British India (O.B.I) First Class and The Indian Distinguished Service Medal (I.D.S.M) for his contributions in Great Wars and long meritorious services in 5/1st Punjab Regiment.
Sardar Bahadur Captain Ranjeet Singh Rura Sirsa Distt Jalaun awarded as OBI 1st class and MBE (Member of British Empire) he is the subedar major in 1st field regiment
Sardar Bahadur Major Daud Khan, Commandant Alwar State Lancers. He attended the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, where a 2nd class Order of British India was conferred on him by British Government. The 1st class of the same Order was conferred on him in 1904.[9]
Sardar Bahadur Captain Gardhara Singh Minhas OBI, was awarded the OBI(First Class) for his contribution in the Great Wars and long meritorious service.[10]
Honorary Captain Muhammad Khan, OBI (1st Class), 10th Baluch Regiment.
Honorary Captain Muhammad Khan in the picture wearing OBI first class medalPortrait of honorary Subedar Major Bahadur MULTANI RAM with his medals(first class) and insignia.
Sardar Bahadur Raja Jeoraj Singh, of Sandwa, CBE, OBI, Major-General in the Bikaner State Forces, Member, Executive Council, Bikaner State, Rajputana.[13]
Sardar Bahadur Captain Raja Feroz Khan Chieftain of Gorha Rajgan Jhelum, O.B.I, Frontier Force Rifles.[14]
Honorary Lieutenant Pehlwan Khan OBI First ClassHonorary Captain 'Sardar Bahadur' Rewat Singh Chandawat Gotan War. Highly decorated for World War 1
Honorary Captain Sardar Bahadur Bhola Singh Gulia, OBI (1st Class), Indian Survey Regiment of Badli, Haryana, India.[16][full citation needed]
Subadar Major and Honorary Captain Sardar Bahadur Ghafur Khan OBI, IDSM late 4/15th Punjab Regiment.[17]
Subedar Major and Honorary Lieutenant Sardar Bahadur Pehlwan Khan MBE, OBI, Bronze Star Medal.[18]
Sardar Bahadur Tiku[19][20] Singh Thapa, OBI,[21] 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.
Honorary CAPTAIN JAWALA SINGH,sardar E bahadur mehsam DISTT GUJRAT OBI ,IOM,royal Victorian medal ,George VIth coronation medal 14 SIKH PENNIER
Second class
Subedar Major Purshotam Dass at the gate to his house in village Thural, Kangra DistrictRisaldar Nadir Ali Khan, Bamba Rajput, 9th Hodson's Horse.[22]
Risaldar-Major Prem Singh, 20th Deccan Horse (the Regimental War Diary states that it was awarded on 20 August 1916, notified to the Regiment on active duty in France on 26 August 1916)[23]
Subedar-Major Bahadur Jagindar Singh, OBI (2nd Class), IOM (2nd Class).[25]
Subedar Major Purshotam Dass OBI (2nd Class) of 74th Punjabis, (Village Thural, Kangra 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 (1887–1916), 82nd Punjabis (1916–21). IOM for gallantry at Chagra Kotal (Tirah, NWFP, Pakistan).[26]
The award of the OBI to him was gazetted in August 1897, as he was one of a special contingent that went to London to present a Guard of Honour to Queen Victoria, on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee. Naval and Army Illustrated August 1897; also see Indian Army Lists, 1902, 1911
Subedar-Major Bahadur Jagindar Singh, OBI "" O'Dwyer, Michael Francis (1918). War Speeches. Lahore, Punjab: Superintendent Government Printing. p.129. his conspicuous gallantry in action on 17 November 1914 when with a party of Sappers under the command of a British Officer he was always to the fore and led his men with great determination into the enemy's trenches. Subedar-Major Jagindar Singh, Saini Sikh of Kheri Salabatpur in Bupar, gained the 2nd Class Order of Merit at the battle of Loos in Belgium for striking leadership and conspicuous bravery in action after most of his company and all but one British Officer in his regiment had been killed or wounded. This officer was also awarded the 2nd Class of the Order of British India for distinguished conduct in the field.
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