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Gwalior Campaign Star (Maharajpoor): CM.1509-2009

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Mint: Calcutta
Issuer: East India Company
Ruler: Victoria (1837-1901) (Struck in the rule of)

Entities

Categories

Description

The Kingdom of Gwalior, whose capital lies south of Agra in the north of modern India, was ruled along with Ujjain by the Maratha Scindia dynasty from 1731, although after the defeat of the Maratha states in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818 it was forced to recognise British suzerainty. Its native rulers however continued to hold local power until the creation of independent India in 1947.
In 1843 however Maharaja Jankojirao II Scindia died, with his appointed heir Jayajirao still an infant of 10 years, and the Maharaja's widow, not Jayajirao's mother, was party to the instalment of a regency under the Prime Minister, Dada Khasgee Wala, that opposed the succession of the British-supported Jayajirao. A contemporary account exists by the later Baron of Aliwal of the subsequent British campaign that ousted Dada Khasgee Wala and emplaced the young Maharajah on his throne; it culminated in a decisive battle at Maharajpur.
For participation in that battle, or another the same day at Punniar, this star was issued by the Honourable East India Company. The main star was common to both awards; the inner star that specifies the battle for which the award was made is held in by nuts on the reverse.
This medal was awarded to Captain Lawrence Fyler of the 16th Lancers, whose medal group has come entire into the Watson Collection and shows a career spent in India and the East fighting for the Crown from the 1830s to the 1850s.
This medal is attached to two others and the catalogue of the Watson Collection considers it as part of Group 8 (this comprising two assemblages and two loose medals). For provenance of the group see those entries.

Notes

History note: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection. bt Seaby 1929. Left to James Fyler (nephew) on recipient's death 1873.

Legal notes

Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 43.7 mm

Place(s) associated

  • Calcutta

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

Production date: AD 1844

Materials used in production

Bronze

Techniques used in production

Struck

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: Inscriptions on small six-pointed star mounted on larger one

  • Text: MAHARJPOOR / 1843
  • Location: Obverse
  • Type: Design

Inscription present: Six-pointed star engraved with recipient's name

  • Location: Reverse
  • Type: Design

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: CM.1509-2009
Primary reference Number: 141608
Watson Catalogue: 222
Ordering: M-0397
Previous object number: LW.0366d2
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Saturday 22 January 2022 Last processed: Tuesday 13 June 2023

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) "Gwalior Campaign Star (Maharajpoor)" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/141608 Accessed: 2024-11-08 20:56:58

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/141608 |title=Gwalior Campaign Star (Maharajpoor) |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-08 20:56:58|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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