Medal for the Defence of Kelat-I-Ghilzie
Encyclopedia
The Kelat-I-Ghilzie Medal, is a campaign medal issued by the British East India Company
, to the defenders of the fort at Kelat-I-Ghilzie during the First Anglo-Afghan War
.
, the only forces left in Afghanistan were at Jalalabad
and Kelat-I-Ghilzie, a fort between Kabul
and Kandahar
. The garrison numbering 950 consisted of Shah Shoja's 3rd Infantry Battalion, three companies of the 43rd Bengal Native Infantry, forty European gunners, sixty Bombay Sappers and Miners, and eight British officers, all under the command of Captain John Halket Craigie. For most of the winter, the garrison was besieged under very difficult circumstances. Finally, on 19 May 1842, a force was sent to draw off the garrison and relive them from their post. Before the relief force arrived, the garrison repulsed one final major attack by some six thousand Afghans on 21 May 1842. A few days after this attack the garrison was finally relieved by the forces under Sir William Nott, on 26 May 1842. For the courage displayed by the garrison at Kelat-i-Ghilzie, the East India Company, on 4 October 1842, authorized the medal to be awarded to all troops who participated in the protracted siege. A testament to the distinguished service of the native troops is evident in the fact that the troops of Shah Shoja's 3rd Infantry Battalion were taken into the Bengal Army
as the The Kelat-i-Ghilzie Regiment
.
at the top of a shield with the inscription KELAT-I-GHILZIE. The reverse has a trophy
of arms on top of a plaque bearing the inscription 'INVICTA MDCCCXLII'. The medal is suspended by a pin, which passes through a steel clip attached to the top of the medal. The ribbon is the watered rainbow colored ribbon common to most East India Company medals. It is red on the left edge fading into white, which changed to yellow in the center, fading back to white, until finally changing to blue at the right edge. The medals were engraved with the name of the recipient in script on the edge for the medals issued to British personnel. The medals issued to the indigenous troops were not engraved with names.
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, to the defenders of the fort at Kelat-I-Ghilzie during the First Anglo-Afghan War
First Anglo-Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...
.
History
After the Massacre of Elphinstone's ArmyMassacre of Elphinstone's Army
The Massacre of Elphinstone's Army was the destruction by Afghan forces, led by Akbar Khan, the son of Dost Mohammad Khan, of a combined British and Indian force of the British East India Company, led by Major General William Elphinstone, in January 1842....
, the only forces left in Afghanistan were at Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
and Kelat-I-Ghilzie, a fort between Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
and Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
. The garrison numbering 950 consisted of Shah Shoja's 3rd Infantry Battalion, three companies of the 43rd Bengal Native Infantry, forty European gunners, sixty Bombay Sappers and Miners, and eight British officers, all under the command of Captain John Halket Craigie. For most of the winter, the garrison was besieged under very difficult circumstances. Finally, on 19 May 1842, a force was sent to draw off the garrison and relive them from their post. Before the relief force arrived, the garrison repulsed one final major attack by some six thousand Afghans on 21 May 1842. A few days after this attack the garrison was finally relieved by the forces under Sir William Nott, on 26 May 1842. For the courage displayed by the garrison at Kelat-i-Ghilzie, the East India Company, on 4 October 1842, authorized the medal to be awarded to all troops who participated in the protracted siege. A testament to the distinguished service of the native troops is evident in the fact that the troops of Shah Shoja's 3rd Infantry Battalion were taken into the Bengal Army
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
as the The Kelat-i-Ghilzie Regiment
12th Pioneers (The Kelat-i-Ghilzie Regiment)
The 12th Pioneers were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1838, when they were raised as the 3rd Battalion, Shah Shuja's Force. In 1842 the battalion distinguished itself at the battle of fort "Kelat-i-Ghilzie" for which it was allowed to retain the...
.
Description
The medal was minted of silver. The design of the obverse contained a laurel wreath with mural crownMural crown
-Usage in ancient times:In Hellenistic culture, a mural crown identified the goddess Tyche, the embodiment of the fortune of a city, familiar to Romans as Fortuna...
at the top of a shield with the inscription KELAT-I-GHILZIE. The reverse has a trophy
Trophy
A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...
of arms on top of a plaque bearing the inscription 'INVICTA MDCCCXLII'. The medal is suspended by a pin, which passes through a steel clip attached to the top of the medal. The ribbon is the watered rainbow colored ribbon common to most East India Company medals. It is red on the left edge fading into white, which changed to yellow in the center, fading back to white, until finally changing to blue at the right edge. The medals were engraved with the name of the recipient in script on the edge for the medals issued to British personnel. The medals issued to the indigenous troops were not engraved with names.