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{{Infobox Military Award
|name= India General Service Medal
|image= [[File:India General Service Medal, clasp Burma 1885-7. Obverse.jpg|150px]][[File:India General Service Medal 1854-94, Reverse.jpg|148px]]
|caption= Obverse and reverse of the medal.
|presenter= [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]
|type= [[Campaign medal]]
|eligibility= British and Indian forces.
|awarded_for= Campaign service.
|campaign= India 1852–1895.
|status=
|description= Silver or bronze disk, 36mm diameter.
|clasps=
* ''Pegu''
* ''Persia''
* ''North West Frontier''
* ''Umbeyla''
* ''Bhootan''
* ''Looshai''
* ''Perak''
* ''Jowaki 1877–78''
* ''Naga 1879–80''
* ''Burma 1885-7''
* ''Sikkim 1888''
* ''Hazara 1888''
* ''Burma 1887–89''
* ''Burma 1887–9''
* ''Chin Lushai 1889–90''
* ''Lushai 1889–92''
* ''Samana 1891''
* ''Hazara 1891''
* ''NE Frontier 1891''
* ''Hunza 1891''
* ''Burma 1889–92''
* ''Chin Hills 1892–93''
* ''Kachin Hills 1892–93''
* ''Waziristan 1894–95''
|established= 11 March 1854
|total_awarded=
|image2= Image:India General Service Medal 1854 BAR.svg
|image2_size= 100px
|caption2= Ribbon: 32mm, three crimson and two dark blue stripes of equal width.
}}
__NOTOC__
The '''India General Service Medal''' ('''1854 IGSM''') was a campaign [[medal]] approved on 1 March 1854, for issue to officers and men of the [[British Army|British]] and [[British Indian Army|Indian]] armies. It was awarded for various minor military campaigns in India and nearby countries, between 1852 and 1895.

In 1852 [[James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie|Lord Dalhousie]] had suggested a general service medal for smaller Indian campaigns, in order to limit the number of individual medals awarded.<ref name=dorling>Dorling, page 63</ref>

[[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] units made up the majority of forces present for nearly all campaigns. While the expeditions covered by the medal included few formal battles, most were undertaken in difficult terrain against determined resistance from local tribesmen.<ref>Collett, page 92</ref>

In 1895, the [[India Medal]] was authorised to reflect service in further Indian expeditions, replacing the 1854 General Service Medal.<ref>Joslin, page 177</ref>

==Appearance==
The medal is {{convert|1.4|in|mm}} in diameter, and was struck at the [[Royal Mint]].<ref name=medals/> It was initially awarded only in silver. From the ''Burma 1885–87'' clasp, medals in bronze were awarded to authorised native followers who accompanied the troops, such as bearers, sweepers and drivers.<ref>Lord Roberts, [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16528''Forty-one Years in India''] 1897, page 533. Previously followers did not receive a medal, and introduction among measures to "improve the status of the native soldier".</ref><ref>Joslin, page 123</ref>

The [[Obverse and reverse|obverse]] bears a left facing effigy of [[Queen Victoria]] wearing a diadem. Surrounding the head is the inscription VICTORIA REGINA.<ref name=mayo>Mayo, page 337</ref> The reverse depicts [[Victory (mythology)|Victory]] crowning a seated warrior with a [[laurel wreath]]. In the [[exergue]] are lotus flowers and leaves.<ref name=mayo/> It was always issued with the recipient's rank, name and unit engraved or impressed on the rim.<ref name=Joslin/> The medal is suspended by a scrolled bar.

The {{convert|1.25|in|mm}} wide ribbon is divided into five stripes, three red and two dark blue, each {{convert|0.25|in|mm}} wide.<ref name=mayo/>

==Clasps==
A total of 24 clasps were awarded for 23 campaigns<ref name=medals>Medals Yearbook 2016, page 141</ref> with 55 qualifying actions.<ref>A Dangerous Game - British Colonial Warfare on the Indian Sub-Continent 1854-1895. 'Reflections', Parritt & Waibel, Loose Page Publishing 2010.</ref> Those who qualified for a second or subsequent clasp received the new clasp only, to be attached to their existing medal. The medal was never issued without a clasp, with the maximum number known to be awarded to one individual being seven.<ref>This was [[William Lockhart (Indian Army officer)|General Sir W. Lockhart]]. However, unconfirmed claims that some native Indian soldiers had up to ten bars. See Joslin, page 120.</ref> 
The following clasps were issued:<ref name=Joslin>Joslin, pages 120-126</ref>
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* '''[[Second Anglo–Burmese War|Pegu]]''' ''(2nd Burmese War, 1853-54)''
* '''[[Anglo-Persian War|Persia]]''' ''(Persian War, 1856-57)''
* '''[[Military_history_of_the_North-West_Frontier#1849%E2%80%9358_(Second_Sikh_War_to_Sepoy_Revolt)|North West Frontier]]''' ''(Various small expeditions, 1848-68)''
* '''[[Umbeyla Campaign|Umbeyla]]''' ''(N. W. Frontier, 1863)''
* '''[[Bhutan War|Bhootan]]''' ''([[Bhutan]] War, 1864-66)''
* '''[[Lushai Expedition|Looshai]]''' ''(N. E. India, 1871-72)''
* '''[[Perak War|Perak]]''' ''([[Perak|Malayan coast]], 1875-76)''
* '''[[Jowaki Expedition|Jowaki 1877–78]]''' ''(N. W. Frontier)''
* '''[[Naga_people#Encounter_with_others|Naga 1879–80]]''' ''(N. W. Burma)''
* '''[[Third Burmese War|Burma 1885–7]]''' ''(3rd Burmese War).''
* '''[[Sikkim expedition|Sikkim 1888]]''' ''(N. E. India)''
* '''[[Hazara Expedition of 1888|Hazara 1888]]''' ''(Black Mountain Expedition, N. W. Frontier)''
* '''[[Burmese resistance movement 1885–95|Burma 1887–89]]''' ''(Some clasps inscribed'' '''Burma 1887–9''')''
* '''[[Khai_Kam#Chin_Hills_Expedition_(1888-1889)|Chin Lushai 1889–90]]''' ''(India-Burma border)''
* '''[[Lushai_Expedition#Aftermath|Lushai 1889–92]]''' ''(India-Burma border)''
* '''[[Samana Range|Samana 1891]]''' ''(Miranzai Expedition, N. W. Frontier)''
* '''[[Hazara Expedition of 1891|Hazara 1891]]''' ''(2nd Black Mountain Expedition, N. W. Frontier)''
* '''[[Anglo-Manipur War|NE Frontier 1891]]''' ''(Manipur, India-Burma border)''
* '''[[Hunza-Nagar Campaign|Hunza 1891]]''' ''(Northern Frontier)''
* '''[[Burmese resistance movement 1885–95|Burma 1889–92]]''' ''(Small local operations)''
* '''[[Khai_Kam#Sizang-Gungal_Rebellion_(1892-1894)|Chin Hills 1892–93]]''' ''(N. W. Burma)''
* '''[[Kachin_Hills#British_administration|Kachin Hills 1892–93]]''' ''(Northern Burma)''
* '''[[Waziristan#Overview and history|Waziristan 1894–95]]''' ''(N. W. Frontier)''
}}

After the first phase of the [[Second Anglo-Afghan War|Second Afghan War]] in May 1879, it was proposed that the India General Service Medal be issued with clasps for [[Second Anglo-Afghan War|'''Afghanistan''']], [[Battle of Ali Masjid|'''Ali Musjid''']] and [[Battle of Peiwar Kotal|'''Peiwar Kotal''']]. However then the war recommenced in September 1879, it was decided to award a distinct [[Afghanistan Medal (United Kingdom)|Afghanistan Medal]] instead to cover the whole Afghan War.<ref name=Mayo402>Mayo, page 402.</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Collett, D.W, ''Medals Yearbook'', (1981)
* Dorling, H. Taprell, ''Ribbons and Medals'', (1956), A. H. Baldwin & Son
* Joslin, Litherland, and Simpkin (eds), ''British Battles and Medals'', (1988), Spink {{ISBN|0907605257}}
* Mayo, John Horsley. ''[https://archive.org/details/medalsdecoration02mayouoft/page/337 Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Volume 2]'', (1897). A. Constable & Co
* Mussel, J et al (eds), ''Medals Yearbook'', (2016), Token Publishing, {{ISBN|9781908828248}}

{{British campaign medals}}

[[Category:British campaign medals]]
[[Category:Military of British India]]

India General Service Medal (1854) - Revision history

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