Created by Julixei
Last edited September 12, 2025

The Jagatjit Singh Diamond Jubilee Medal, commonly referred to as the Diamond Jubilee Medal, was a commemorative decoration instituted in 1937 to mark the sixtieth anniversary of Jagatjit Singh’s accession to the throne of the princely state of Kapurthala in 1877.

Background[edit | edit source]

Upon the death of his father, Kharak Singh, in September 1877, Jagatjit Singh, then aged five, succeeded to the throne as the Maharaja of Kapurthala.[1][2] His formal installation took place on 16 October 1877 and was officiated by Robert Egerton, the then Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab.[3] In 1937, following his sixty years on the throne of Kapurthala, he celebrated his Diamond Jubilee.[4] To commemorate the occasion, this medal was issued.

Design[edit | edit source]

  • On the obverse, it features a full-face bust of Jagatjit Singh, depicted wearing a high-necked tunic, a turban, a sash, and his medals.[5] Along the surrounding border, the following inscription appears: H.H. MAHARAJA JAGATJIT SINGH OF KAPURTHALA.[5]
  • On the reverse, the medal bears a four-line inscription.[5] The first line, in Urdu, reads Akal Sahai (transl. With God's Grace); the second, in Gurmukhi, reads Ek Onkar (transl. one God); the third, in Persian, reads Jublee Ilmas (transl.Diamond Jubilee); and the fourth states Maharaja Jagatjit Singh Wali-i-Riyasat-i-Kapurthala (transl.Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, Ruler of the State of Kapurthala).[5]
  • The medal measures 33 mm in diameter and is made of silver.[5]
  • The ribbon is 38 mm wide and features white stripes at the centre and edges, each measuring 4 mm.[5] Between the outermost blue edges, which are 2 mm wide, there are two dark blue stripes, each measuring 11 mm.[5]
  • The ribbon is suspended from a plain bar.[5]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Vadivelu, A. (1915). The Ruling Chiefs, Nobles and Zamindars of India. G.C. Loganadham. p. 235.
  2. Hunter, Sir William Wilson (1881). The Imperial Gazetteer of India. Trübner & Company. p. 230.
  3. Solomon, R. V.; Bond, J. W. (2006). Indian States: A Biographical, Historical, and Administrative Survey. Asian Educational Services. p. 430. ISBN 978-81-206-1965-4.
  4. Reed, Sir Stanley (1945). Indian Year Book. Bennett, Coleman. p. 1278.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 McClenaghan, Tony (1996). Indian Princely Medals: A Record of the Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Indian Princely States. Lancer Publishers. pp. 189–190. ISBN 978-1-897829-19-6.