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{{short description|Honour bestowed during British rule in India}}

{{Infobox award
| name = Rai & Rai Bahadur
| image = Rao Bahadur Medal.jpg
| caption = [[Title Badge (India)|Title Badge]] for Rao Bahadur
| type = Civilian Honour
| country = {{flag|British India}}
| presenter = [[File:Flag of the Governor-General of India (1885–1947).svg|20px]] [[Viceroy of India]]
| ribbon =
| established =
| firstawarded =
| lastawarded =
| status = Discontinued {{small|(since 1947)}}
| total_awarded =
| description =
| eligibility = [[Hinduism in India|Hindu Indian]]
| higher = [[Dewan Bahadur]]
| lower = [[Rai Sahib]]
| same ={{ubl| [[Khan Bahadur]] | [[Sardar Bahadur]]}}
}}

'''Rai Bahadur''' (in [[North India]]) '''Roy Bahadur''' (in [[Bengal]]) and '''Rao Bahadur''' (in [[South India]]), {{small|abbreviated}} '''R.B.''', was a [[title of honour]] bestowed during [[British Raj|British rule]] in India to individuals for outstanding service or acts of public welfare to the [[British Empire|Empire]]. From 1911, the title was accompanied by a medal called a [[Title Badge (India)|Title Badge]].<ref name=Dorling>{{Cite book |author=H. Taprell Dorling.|title= Ribbons and Medals|page=111|publisher= A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London|year=1956}}</ref> Translated, ''Rai'' or ''Rao'' means "King", and ''[[Baghatur|Bahadur]]'' means "Brave". Bestowed mainly on [[Hindus]], the equivalent title for [[Muslim]] and [[Parsi]] subjects was ''[[Khan Bahadur]]''. For [[Sikh]]s it was ''[[Sardar Bahadur]]''.

The title was given to recognise and reward individuals who had made significant contributions in various fields such as public service, commerce, industry, and philanthropy.

Those awarded the Rai Bahadur title were usually drawn from the lower rank of [[Rai Sahib]], both of which were below the rank of [[Dewan Bahadur]].<ref name=j>{{Cite web |last=Jalan |first=Aditya |date=2009 |title=Dewan Bahadur 1944–1954 |url=http://www.quilahouse.com/dewan-bahadur.htm |publisher=Quila House and the Jalan Collection: A Brief Introduction |access-date=29 July 2018}}</ref> These titles were subordinate to the two orders of knighthood: the [[Order of the Indian Empire]] and the higher [[Order of the Star of India]]. A holder of a Rai Sahib, Rai Bahadur or Dewan Bahadur title came lower in the order of precedence.<ref name=Dorling/>

==Selected recipients awarded the Rai/Rao Bahadur title==


===Zamindars ===
* Rai Midhai Lal Saxena of MaharajGanj - Dharmpur Estate noted philanthropist, [[zamindar]] and icon of [[Indian Renaissance]]
* [[Rajchandra Das|Raja Ray Rajchandra Das Bahadur]], noted Bengali philanthropist, [[zamindar]] and businessman, icon of [[Bengal Renaissance]], [[Raja]] of [[Janbazar Raj]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Prabhananda |first1=Swami |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lg1jDwAAQBAJ&dq=rajchandra+das&pg=PT23 |title=More About Ramakrishna |last2=Math) |first2=Advaita Ashrama (A Publication House of Ramakrishna Math, Belur |date=2019 |publisher=Advaita Ashrama (A publication branch of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math) |isbn=978-81-7505-883-5 |language=en}}</ref>

* Nalini Kanta Ray Dastidar, Zamindar of [[Sylhet]]<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Journal & Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal |date=1930 |publisher=Asiatic Society |pages=CXXV |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-iF4eb8KtdEC&q=Dastidar+NALINI+KANTA+RAY |access-date=27 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

* [[Jagadindra Nath Roy|Maharaja Jagadindra Nath Moitra Roy Bahadur]] was a noted zamindar of [[Natore]] from Bengal.

===Academics and education===
* Pt. Sadashiva Jairam Dehadrai, Professor of Sanskrit, Jabalpur College.<ref name="Who's Who in India, 1911 Coronation Edition, p 27">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.209992 Who's Who 1911 Coronation Edition], Lucknow, Newul Kishore Press, 1911 (page 27)</ref>
* Priya Nath Dutt, assistant registrar, Punjab University<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* S.N (Satya Nand) Mukarji, the sixth, and longest-serving ({{as of|2023|lc=y}}) principal of [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi]] from 1926 to 1945. (St. Stephen's is a foundation constituent college of [[Delhi University]].) [[Wrangler (University of Cambridge)|Wrangler]] in the [[Mathematical Tripos]] from [[Queens' College, Cambridge]]. Member, Lindsay Commission on Higher Education<ref>Several sources:
* Linsay Commission:
** {{cite journal |last1=Mayhew |first1=Arthur |title=The Commission on Christian Higher Education in India |journal=International Review of Mission |date=October 1931 |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=512–524 |doi=10.1111/j.1758-6631.1931.tb04099.x}}
* St Stephens, Cambridge University and the Mathematical Tripos, and general background:
** {{Cite web |url=https://www.ststephens.edu/visionaries/|title=VISIONARIES – St. Stephen's College, Delhi|website=St Stephen's}}
** {{Cite web|url=https://ase.tufts.edu/chemistry/kumar/ssc/html/sschis.html#:~:text=Satya%20Nand%20Mukarji,started%20in%201948.|title = St. Stephen's College, Delhi, India: HISTORY|website=Tufts.edu}}
** {{cite magazine |last1=Bhattacharji |first1=Jaya |title=Remembering Principal Mukarji |url=http://www.jayabhattacharjirose.com/remembering-principal-mukarji |access-date=15 July 2021 |magazine=The Stephanian |volume=CIII |issue=1 |date=April 1995 |pages=1–5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628195524/http://www.jayabhattacharjirose.com/tag/the-stephanian/ |archive-date=28 June 2021}}</ref>

===Activists and politicians===
* Ghasiram Gathwal Malik, he was the head of Gathwala Khap (Khap of [[Malik (clan)|Gathwala clan]]) and a freedom-fighter.
* [[S. A. Saminatha Iyer]], Indian independence activist.
* Manik Lal Joshi, chief minister of Bundi, Rajputana<ref name="Hayavando, p 27" />
* [[Motilal Nehru]], Indian independence activist, he later surrendered it during the non-co-operation movement of 1921.
* H.H Dr. Rai [[Rajeshwar Bali|Rajeshwar Bali Bahadur]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]], [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] Taluqdar Raja of Rampur Dariyabad, Honorary Magistrate, Barabanki, Minister of Education, Medical Relief & Public Health and Local Self-Government of the UP Assembly
* [[Mahadev Govind Ranade]], Indian scholar, social reformer, judge and author. He was one of the founding members of the [[Indian National Congress]].
* [[Jaswantraj Mehta]]{{citation needed|date=July 2021|reason=His WP article makes no mention of Rao Bahadur award}} Indian politician, elected to the [[Lok Sabha]]; elected to Jodhpur State Legislative Assembly in 1947
* [[C. Jambulingam Mudaliar]] (1857–1906), Indian politician and freedom-fighter
* [[Gopal Hari Deshmukh]], Indian writer, activist, and thinker from [[Maharashtra]], popularly known as ''Lokhitwadi''
* [[T. M. Jambulingam Mudaliar]] (1890–1970), philanthropist and freedom fighter who gave {{convert|620|acre}} of land to establish [[NLC India Limited]]
* [[Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu]], Chief Minister of Madras Presidency.
* [[Seth Vishandas Nihalchand]], [[Sindhi Hindus|Sindhi]] politician, social reformer, philanthropist
* [[Chhotu Ram]], Minister for Agriculture and Home Affairs, erstwhile Punjab, 1945. First Indian-origin Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly
* [[Cruz Fernandez]], businessman, and municipal chairman. He was the longest-serving chairman of [[Tuticorin]] municipality and is considered the father and architect of modern Tuticorin (now called [[Thoothukudi]])
* [[Shyam Nandan Sahay]], Founder vice chancellor of [[Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University]], Member of the [[1st Lok Sabha]]

===Civil servants and government officials===
* Pushkar Thakur, District Magistrate and Collector of Champaran. Title awarded in 1945 in recognition of his outstanding service as Special Officer for War Risks Insurance for Bihar and Orissa, covering an area larger than that of the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands combined. The Viceroy Lord Wavell personally wrote a letter congratulating Pushkar Thakur on the contribution of Bihar and Orissa in the National War Effort, which had been the highest in the country.<ref>MM Thakur, Myself Surprised, pg 88, https://linguae.weebly.com/uploads/3/6/5/7/3657496/myself_surprised.pdf</ref>
* Jagan Nath Bhandari [[Raj Ratan]], [[Dewan]] of [[Idar (princely state)|Idar State]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=xacSAAAAIAAJ&q=Dewan++Idar Bhandari Jagan Nath Rai Bhadur, Raj Ratan, Dewan of Idar State], The Times of India directory and year book including who's who, Volume 32, 1945</ref>
* Lada Damodar Das, extrajudicial assistant commissioner in the Punjab<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* [[E.K Govindan|Dewan E.K. Govindan]], writer, civil servant and ruled the first malayali man Pudukotta administratively, then served as [[Dewan Bahadur|Dewan of Pudukotta]]<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ykHVAAAAMAAJ&q=e+k+govindan+pudukkottai |title=The Who's who in Madras: ... A Pictorial Who's who of Distinguished Personages, Princes, Zemindars and Noblemen in the Madras Presidency |date=1939 |publisher=Pearl Press |language=en}}</ref>
* Dewan Jaggatnath, secretary to the municipal committee and district board, Dera Ismail Khan<ref name="Hayavando, p 27">[https://archive.org/details/indianbiographic00raoc/page/27 The Indian biographical dictionary], by C. Hayavando Rao, 1915 (page 27)</ref>
* Sahu Parsotam Saran Kothiwala, member of the district board, Moradabad<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* Lala Jai Lal, member of the Municipal Committee, Simla<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* A. Savarinatha Pillai, Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, Madras Presidency; winner of King's Coronation Award for Distinguished Public Service, London<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft88700868&chunk.id=d0e18141&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d0e17927&brand=ucpress|title = Caste and Capitalism in Colonial India}}</ref>
* Akshey Kumar Sarkar, superintendent, Department of Commerce and Industry, Government of India<ref name="Hayavando, p 27"/>
* Betharam Sarma, sub-deputy collector, Tezpur, Assam<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* Rai Bahadur Pandit Ram Prasad Tewari (Darbari) – The first [[Indian people|Indian]] officiating [[Garrison engineer]] in the [[Military Engineer Services (India)|Military Engineer Services]] of [[ British India]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://preprints.readingroo.ms/tewari/Copy_Of_Testimonials_Services_And_Recommendations_Of_Rai_Bahadur_Pandit_Ram_Prasad_Tewari.pdf|title=Testimonial and Services of Rai Bahadur Pandit Ram Prasad Tewari, G. E., M. E. S., Darbari (1880-1920)}}</ref>

===Commerce and industry===
* [[Jamnalal Bajaj]], industrialist; Bajaj later returned the title<ref>{{cite web |title=Jamnalal Bajaj |url=https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/jamnalal-bajaj-the-gandhian-capitalist-who-was-the-mahatmas-merchant-prince/189694/ |website=The Print |date=11 February 2019 |access-date=14 June 2020}}</ref>
* Dewan Bahadur P. Somasundaram Chettiar, Coimbatore - industrialist and pioneer in textiles.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Govindarajulu|first=Rajesh|date=2015-07-03|title=Pioneers in textile|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/pioneers-in-textile/article7382889.ece|access-date=2021-01-23|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* [[Jagmal Raja Chauhan]] (1887–1974), better known as "Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja", industrialist and railway contractor, private banker, aviation pioneer and philanthropist
* [[Jairam Valji Chauhan]] {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}} (or "Chouhan"; 1892–1956), better known as "Rai Bahadur Jairam Valjee", was a [[Kutchi people|Kutchi]] railway contractor, mill-owner, miner and philanthropist, at [[Jairamnagar]] and [[Raigarh]]
*Devraj Daya of [[Jharsuguda]] — a [[Mistris of Kutch|Kutchi]] railway contractor, philanthropist.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=Sir Hawthorne |title=Speeches Delivered by His Excellency Sir Hawthorne Lewis, ..., Governor of Orissa, 1941–1946 |date=1954 |publisher=Government of Orissa |pages=13, 35 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rDTU2NdUOTgC&q=devraj+daya+ |access-date=10 April 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Seth Hukumchand|Seth Sarupchand Hukamchand]] (1874–1959) of Indore, [[Holkar State]], merchant–industrialist and a prominent leader of the [[Jain]] community <ref name="Hayavando, p 27"/>
* [[Gujar Mal Modi]], founder of the Modi Group
* [[Mohan Singh Oberoi]], founder of [[Oberoi Group]]
[[File:Rai Sahib & Rai Bahadur Jamuna Das Choudhury 1.jpg|thumb|Rai Sahib and Rai Bahadur title badges of [[Jamuna Das Choudhury]] ]]
* Jamuna Das Choudhury of [[Sahebganj, Muzaffarpur]], industrialist<ref>{{cite book |last1=Datta |first1=K. K. |title=History of the Freedom Movement in Bihar (1942–1947) |volume=3 |date=1958 |publisher=Government of Bihar |location=Patna, India |page=237}}</ref>
* [[Hariram Goenka]] (1862–1935), businessman and cofounder with his brothers, including Badridas Goenka, of Goenka group of Kolkata
* [[Badridas Goenka]] {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CIE}} (1883–1973), industrialist and business tycoon; cofounder of the original Goenka Group from Kolkata, of which the [[RPG Group]] is a successor; first chairman of the [[State Bank of India]]

===Engineering, science and medicine===
* [[Kailash Chandra Bose]] {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CIE|OBE}}, first knighted Indian physician.<ref>{{Cite journal|pmc = 5197519|year = 1927|title = Sir Kailas Chandra Bose|journal = The Indian Medical Gazette|volume = 62|issue = 4|pages = 235–237}}</ref>
* [[Upendranath Brahmachari]] {{postnominals|country=GBR|FRSM|FRS}} (1873–1946), Bengal-born physician and scientist. Synthesised urea stibamine, determining its effectiveness as a treatment for the disease [[Kala Azar]]
* Balkishen Kaul, surgeon, lecturer, and superintendent of Lahore Medical college<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* [[Puttana Venkatramana Raju]] (1894–1975), civil engineer, industrial advisor to government of India, educationist
* Ram Dhan Singh, pioneer agricultural scientist, principal, College of Agriculture, Lyallpur, erstwhile Punjab, 1947<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.drramdhansingh.org/biography|title = Biography of Ch. Ram Dhan Singh|website = Dr Ramd Dhan Singh|access-date = 2019-12-21|archive-date = 2019-01-03|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190103164328/http://www.drramdhansingh.org/biography|url-status = dead}}</ref>

===Law and justice===
* Babu Ram Sadan Bhattacharji, deputy magistrate, Bengal<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* [[Chaudhary Dewan Chand Saini]] {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}}, (born 1887) of [[Gurdaspur]], [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]], distinguished lawyer of Punjab High Court, leader of the criminal bar; elected member of Legislative Council of colonial Punjab
* Rajendranath Dutt, judge, Bengal<ref name="Hayavando, p 26">[https://archive.org/details/indianbiographic00raoc/page/26 The Indian biographical dictionary], by C. Hayavando Rao, 1915 (page 26)</ref>
* Soti Raghubans Lal, subordinate judge, Shahjehanpur<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* Sadh Achraj Lal, honorary magistrate and member of the municipal board, Mirzapur<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* Jwala Prasad, government pleader<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* Raghunath Sharan, District Judge in Bihar<ref name="Former District Judges since the Creation of the Judegship">{{Cite web|url=https://districts.ecourts.gov.in/node/186112|title = Former District Judges since the Creation of the Judgeship |website= District Court in India | Official Website of District Court of India}}</ref>
* Babu Bahadur Singh, honorary magistrate, Pilibhit<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* Babu Shuhrat Singh, Zemindar of Chandpur and honorary magistrate, Basti<ref name="Hayavando, p 26"/>
* N S Nanjundiah (1879–1953), of [[Nanjangud]] distinguished advocate of [[Karnataka High Court|Chief Court of Mysore]] and a sheristadar.

===Literature and arts===
* [[Appu Nedungadi]], author of [[Kundalatha]], the first novel published in Malayalam
* [[M.V. Dhurandhar]] {{Postnominals|country=GBR|FRSA}}, noted painter and postcard artist who was an alumnus of the [[Sir J.J. School of Art]] in Mumbai, where he was also later a professor

===Philanthropy, religion and charity===
* [[T. Rattinasami Nadar]], founder of Nadar Mahajana Sangam efforts of T. Ratnasamy Nadar, in 1910. There are several schools and colleges under the control of [[Nadar Mahajana Sangam]]
* [[Ranchhodlal Chhotalal]], textile mill pioneer and philanthropist
* Dharmarathnakara [[Arcot Narrainsawmy Mudaliar]], philanthropist
* [[Amba Prasad (businessman)|Amba Prasad]], philanthropist of Delhi
* [[Salig Ram|Salig Rām]] (1829–1898), Postmaster-General for North-Western Provinces; disciple of [[Shiv Dayal Singh]], later succeeding him as guru. Often known by the honorific "Huzur Maharaj"
* [[Ranadaprasad Saha]], philanthropist
* [[Yele Mallappa Shetty]] (1815–1887), philanthropist who constructed Bangalore's first obstetrics hospital, funded Vani Vilas Hospital construction, and restored Kaadu Malleshwara Temple, Bangalore. The name of the [[Yele Mallappa Shetty Lake]] commemorates his contribution to the construction of drought-relieving water storage in the Bangalore region<ref name="Hayavando, p 27"/>
* Sardar Bahadur [[Jagat Singh (Sant)]] (1884–1951), [[Faisalabad|Lyallpur]], pre-partition [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] Surat Shabd Yoga practitioner and guru
* [[Gubbi Thotadappa]], businessman, philanthropist, founded Dharmachathra (free lodging places for travellers) and free hostels for students throughout [[Karnataka]]

=== Police and emergency services ===
* [[Tirath Singh Bakshi]], Deputy Inspector General of Police, [[United Province]]
* [[Purna Chandra Lahiri]], Indian Police officer, [[Calcutta]]
* [[P. K. Monnappa]], South Indian Police Chief of three states, Madras, Hyderabad and Mysore.
* Jacob Devasahayam, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Madras<ref>London Gazette, Friday, 4th June, 1948</ref>
* Satyen Nath (S.N.) Mukherjee, First Indian-origin Deputy Commissioner of Indian Police, Calcutta<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Channa|first1=Subhadra Mitra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qak0AAAAQBAJ&q=Rai+Bahadur+S.N.+Mukherjee&pg=PA79|title=Gender in South Asia|last2=Channa|first2=Subhadra|date=2013-09-05|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-04361-9|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Gupta|first=G. S.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=76ZIAAAAYAAJ&q=S.N.+Mukherjee|title=Free Masonry in India |date=1991 |language=en|id=G. S. Gupta (IAS) }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|id=Supreme Court of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a4M2AAAAIAAJ&q=Deputy+commissioner+S.N.+Mukherjee|title=Indian Factories & Labour Reports: Deputy Commissioner S. N. Mukherjee |date=1963|publisher=Law Publishing House|language=en}}</ref>

===Other===




==See also==
* [[Nawab Bahadur (disambiguation)]]
* [[Rai (Indian)]]
* [[Raj Ratna]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Titles in India]]
[[Category:Titles in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Orders, decorations, and medals of British India]]
[[Category:Men's social titles]]
[[Category:Awards disestablished in 1947]]
[[Category:Rai Bahadurs| ]]

Rai Bahadur - Revision history

Mohitjikumar32: New - done