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| 1808 obverse The Seringapatam Medal upload.wikimedia.org |
Above image: The Seringapatam Medal was designed by C H Kuchler at the Birmingham Mint and produced in gold, silver gilt, silver, bronze and pewter. A slightly smaller version in gold and silver only was produced at the Calcutta Mint of colonial India. Soho Mint, Birmingham produced 30 gold, 850 silver medals where as Calcutta Mint produced 83 gold, 2,786 silver medals
The obverse shows the British lion trampling a tiger, Sultan Tipu's emblem with a pennant above bearing the Arabic caption Asad Allah al-Ghalib which translates as The Victorious Lion of God. Below is the date of the fort's capture....................
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| Seringapatam Medal 1808 reverse upload.wikimedia.org |
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| The Seringapatam Medal collection.nam.ac.uk |
Above image: This gold medal was issued by the East India Company for award to both British and Indian troops.................
The British lion is shown triumphing over Tipu Sultan's tiger. The Arabic inscription on the pennon reads, 'The Victorious Lion of God'. On the reverse the fortress of Seringapatam is depicted under attack, with an inscription below in Persian, 'Seringapatam God given 28th day of the month Zikadah, 1213 of the Hegira'.
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| Tipu Sultan of Mysore st1.latestly.com |
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| 4th Angelo-Mysore war 1799, images.fineartamerica.com |
Above image: Final Angelo-Mysore War, 1900 at Serirengapatna. East India company Vs, Tipu Sultan (son of Sultan Hyder Ali) of Mysore. Painting by Granger .Engraving after a painting by Henry Singleton, c1800. Fine Art America
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| Tipu's Tiger emblem .facebook.com |
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| Last war Seringapatam (KA) i.ytimg.com |
The Seringapatam Medal, also known as the Sri Ranga Patanam Medal, is a notable campaign medal awarded by the Governor-General of India. This medal commemorates the British victory at the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799, a decisive event that concluded the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and resulted in the death of Tipu Sultan. This battle marked the transformation of Mysore into a princely state within British India. The issuance of this medal is a historical acknowledgment by the Honorable East India Company (HEIC) of the contributions made by both British and Indian troops in the conflict.
Criteria for Awarding the Medal
The Seringapatam Medal was awarded to all ranks of British and Indian soldiers involved in the siege and capture of Seringapatam. This includes those who participated directly in the battle and those who embarked on the campaign but did not engage in the final confrontation. Notably, this was the first HEIC campaign medal awarded equally to Indian and British troops.
Eligible Participants
- British and Indian soldiers of various ranks
- Swiss mercenaries from the Regiment de Meuron
Medal Distribution
The initial batch of medals was minted in England between 1801 and 1802, but distribution did not commence until 1808. These medals were categorized and distributed based on the rank and status of the recipients:
- Gold: High-ranking commanders, Indian princes, and dignitaries
- Silver-Gilt: Intermediate officers, majors, and senior HEIC officials
- Silver: Junior officers
- Bronze: Native commissioned officers, senior non-commissioned officers, European sergeants, and equivalents
- Tin/Pewter: Corporals and other ranks, both British and Indian
A second issue, minted in Calcutta in 1808, followed slightly different criteria for the Bengal Presidency, with gold awarded to native officers and silver to native non-commissioned officers and other ranks. The Presidency, unaware of the original award criteria, followed precedents set by earlier HEIC campaign medals for the Deccan and Mysore.
Formal Permission and Additional Rewards
Formal permission to wear the medal was granted to HEIC officers in 1815 and to British Army members in 1851, following the decision not to grant a separate Seringapatam clasp to the newly instituted Army of India Medal. Besides the medal, participants were awarded prize money, ranging from £100,000 for General Harris to £7 for each private soldier.
Medal Description
The medal, designed by Conrad Heinrich Küchler, features:
- Obverse: The British lion trampling a tiger (Tipu Sultan's emblem), with an Arabic caption translating to "The Victorious Lion of God" and the capture date "IV MAY MDCCXCIX."
- Reverse: The storming of Seringapatam Fort with the sun at its zenith, a Persian inscription marking the date in the Hijri calendar, and the word "Seringapatam."
Manufacturing Details
- Diameter: 1.9 inches (48 mm) for the Soho Mint medals; 1.8 inches (46 mm) for the Calcutta Mint medals
- Issuance: The original medals lacked suspension devices, while the Calcutta Mint medals had flattened loops for suspension.
- Ribbon: Typically worn with a pale orange ribbon, symbolizing tiger stripes, though variations included blue-edged red ribbons for officers and yellow cords for Indian soldiers.
Although there was no formal regulation, the medal was usually worn on the left chest. However, British officers frequently adopted the blue-edged red ribbon used for the Army Gold Medal, worn around the neck by general officers and on the left chest by more junior officers. Some native Indian soldiers wore the medal around the neck from a yellow cord, as was the practice for other HEIC medals.
While no clasps were authorized, some officers added an unofficial clasp bearing the word "Seringapatam."
Conclusion
The Seringapatam Medal is a historically significant award recognizing the bravery and contributions of soldiers from diverse backgrounds in the Battle of Seringapatam. Its detailed criteria, distinct design, and varying modes of distribution reflect the complex military and colonial history of British India.
Refer:
https://www.omsa.org/tipu-sultan-and-the-seringapatam-medal/
https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1988-01-20-1
https://www.omsa.org/tipu-sultan-and-the-seringapatam-medal/
