IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 141363 accession number: CM.1269-2009 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Monday 15 January 2024 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- 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. The North-West Frontier between British India and Afghanistan was a source of political tension for the length of the nineteenth century and beyond, as the precarious Imperial accommodations with local tribes required continual maintenance. In 1897 a particular crisis flared up when several parts of the Frontier rose in rebellion at once, all seeing an opportunity in the rising of the Pathan tribes which began the fighting. This rising left Imperial forces in the frontier forts of Chakdara and Malakand (both now in Pakistan) besieged against heavy odds until relief could reach them. At Malakand 1000 Sikhs successfully held off forces 10 times their number. British retaliation, due to the urgent situation, was unusually destructive, as despatches from the young Winston Churchill, in the force that relieved Chakdara, to the Daily Telegraph made clear at the time. This medal was awarded to Sapper Munisami of the Queen's Own Madras Sappers & Miners, who was wounded by gunshot in the defence of Malakand. Despite his wounds he also managed to take part in the arduous campaign against the Afridi rising around Peshawar later in 1897, earning him his second bar. Lester Watson purchased his medal at some point before 1928. title: India Medal (1895-1902) NOTES ----- type: history note value: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt before 1928 LICENSING --------- text license status: CC0 image license status: CC-BY-NC-SA OWNERSHIP --------- instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum department: Coins and Medals collection: Lester Watson Collection creditline: Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009 STABLE URL ---------- url: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141363 TECHNIQUES ---------- struck CATEGORIES ------ category: medal DATING ------ creation date: 1896 - 1902 creation date earliest: 1896 creation date latest: 1902 CREATORS -------- maker: Calcutta maker: Brock, Thomas maker: Saulles, George W. de maker: Victoria (1837-1901) maker: Victoria regina et imperatrix DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Diameter units: mm value: 36.2 dimension: Weight units: g value: 54.21 CITATIONS -------- British Battles and Medals 7th edn British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959) --- IMAGES surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0152_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 136 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0152_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 136 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0152_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 136 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0152_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 136 pixels surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0152_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 136 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0152_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 136 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0152_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 136 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0152_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 136 pixels