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Indian General Service Medal (1908-35): CM.1272-2009

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Mint: London
Ruler: George V (1910-36)
Artist: Garbe, Richard
Ruler: GEORGIVS V KAISAR. I. HIND (With the title of)

Entities

Categories

Description

The India Medal of 1895 having needed alteration for its last issues due to the death of Queen Victoria, in 1908 it was decided to replace it entirely with a new medal of Edward VII, which was first issued in 1909. When the first issue was made under King George V, in 1911, Richard Garbe designed a new obverse but the medal was otherwise unaltered.
The state of Kerala, on what is called the Malabar coast in the south-west of India, was in the early twentieth century economically controlled by the British and by a wealthy Hindu landowning class whose labourers were mostly Muslims. A rise in Islamic fundamentalism in the area around the time of the Great War managed to combine racial, political, religious and economic resentments into a full-blown uprising in 1921 which is known as the Moplah Rebellion. Accusations still fly from both sides of the historiography of this conflict, as with any episode in Indian history which can be viewed as a conflict between Hindu and Muslim. It is certain that the rising was suppressed by British forces and a rapidly-raised (and mostly Hindu) militia called the Malabar Special Police, and that a great many deaths occurred.
Among the regular forces involved in the suppression of the revolt was Sapper Gabriel of the 2nd Battalion, Queen Victoria's Own Sappers and Miners, whose medal this is. Lester Watson purchased it from the London dealers Baldwin before 1928.

Notes

History note: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Baldwin before 1928

Legal notes

Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 36.2 mm
Weight: 43.86 g

Place(s) associated

  • London

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (2009) by Watson, Lester

Dating

1924 - 1935

Materials used in production

Silver

Techniques used in production

Struck

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: Bust of George facing left

  • Text: GEORGIVS V KAISAR-I-HIND
  • Location: Obverse
  • Type: Design

Inscription present: Jamrud fort overlooking Khyber Pass with mountains behind

  • Location: Reverse
  • Type: Design

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: CM.1272-2009
Primary reference Number: 141366
Watson Catalogue: 173
Ordering: M-0155
Previous object number: LW.0155
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 15 January 2024 Last processed: Monday 15 January 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Coins and Medals

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Indian General Service Medal (1908-35)" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141366 Accessed: 2024-10-15 03:32:16

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141366 |title=Indian General Service Medal (1908-35) |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-10-15 03:32:16|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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