IDENTIFIERS
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id:	141364
accession number:	CM.1270-2009

DATE AUDIT
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created:	Saturday 6 August 2011
updated:	Monday 15 January 2024

DESCRIPTIVE DATA
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object type: By 1895 it was beginning to be considered that the 23 bars issued to the India General Service Medal implied a need for its replacement, and in 1896 the new India Medal was first issued.
Chitral (now at the very northern edge of Pakistan) was a small border state between British India and Afghanistan, and thus the focus of considerable British attention. Considerably expanded under the Great Mehtar Aman ul-Mulk, the country was riven with a bloody succession crisis after his death in 1892, seeing five different rulers in the course of the next three years. Afghan interference in this conflict led the British to negotiate the emplacement of a garrison at Chitral in 1895 to safeguard their position. Amir al-Mulk, one of the rivals for the succession, thereupon seized Chitral and demanded recognition. When this could not be obtained Amir's support dwindled and a previously defeated rival, Shir Afzal Khan, returned from Afghanistan and besieged the British garrison in Chitral. They held out for a month until two separate relief expeditions could reach them, the second of which captured Shir Afzal, and deported both him and Amir al-Mulk to India, emplacing Shujah al-Mulk as Mehtar, who would rule until 1936.
This medal was awarded to Sepoy Zar Kash of the Gilgit Levy, a militia unit which was one of those faced with defending the besieged Chitral fort. Lester Watson purchased the medal at some point before 1928.
title:	India Medal (1895-1902)

NOTES
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type: history note
value: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt before 1928


LICENSING
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text license status:	CC0
image license status:	CC-BY-NC-SA

OWNERSHIP
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instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum
department: Coins and Medals
collection:	Lester Watson Collection
creditline: Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009

STABLE URL
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url:	https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141364





TECHNIQUES
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struck

CATEGORIES
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category: medal

DATING
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creation date:	1896 - 1902
creation date earliest:	1896
creation date latest:	1902

CREATORS
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maker: Calcutta
maker: Brock, Thomas
maker: Saulles, George W. de
maker: Victoria (1837-1901)
maker: Victoria regina et imperatrix

DIMENSIONS
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dimension: Diameter
units: mm
value: 36.3

dimension: Weight
units: g
value: 48.4



EXHIBITIONS HISTORY
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title:	Imagery of War
CITATIONS
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British Battles and Medals 7th edn
British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)
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