Dewan Bahadur

{{Short description|Title of honour awarded during British rule in India}}

File:Diwan Bahadur Title Badge, India.png awarded in reign of George V.]]

Dewan Bahadur or Diwan Bahadur was a title of honour awarded during British rule in India. It was awarded to individuals who had performed faithful service or acts of public welfare to the nation. From 1911 the title was accompanied by a special Title Badge.{{Cite book |author=H. Taprell Dorling.|title= Ribbons and Medals|page=111|publisher= A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London|year=1956}} Dewan literally means Prime Minister in Indian context and Bahadur means brave.

This title was above Rao Bahadur title and people with Rao Bahadur could be elevated to status of Diwan Bahadur.{{cite book|title=Role of Press and Indian Freedom Struggle: All Through the Gandhian Era By A. S. Iyengar|year=2001|page=280|isbn=9788176482561|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pAJDpBQhBlcC&q=Dewan+Bahadur+&pg=PA280|last1=Iyengar|first1=A. S.}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.quilahouse.com/dewan-bahadur.htm |title=as rewarded successively with the titles "Rai Sahab", "Rai Bahadur" and finally, towards the end of the Second World War, "Dewan Bahadur". |access-date=2013-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219014618/http://www.quilahouse.com/dewan-bahadur.htm |archive-date=2015-02-19 |url-status=dead }}

Further, the Prime Ministers of Indian Princely States were known as Dewan/Diwan. They were also given or promoted directly to the title of Dewan Bahadur by British authorities on being appointed Dewan, to suit their post.

The Dewan and other similar titles issued during British Raj were disestablished in 1947 upon independence of India.{{cite book|title=Introduction to the Constitution of India By Sharma, Sharma B.k.|year=2007|page=83|isbn=9788120332461|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=srDytmFE3KMC&q=Dewan+Bahadur+TITLE&pg=PA83|author1=Sharma|last2=Sharma|first2=B. K.}}