Sardar Bahadur

{{Short description|British Indian honorary title}}

Sardar Bahadur was a title of honour awarded to native Indian civilians and Viceroy's commissioned officers during British rule in India.{{Cite book |title=Medal Yearbook 2015 |publisher=Token Publishing Limited, Honiton, Devon |year=2015 |editor=John W. Mussell |page=305}} It was bestowed upon Sikhs,{{cite book |last1=Tagore |first1=Abanindranath |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uVZxDwAAQBAJ&q=SARDAR+BAHADUR+TITLE+AWARDED&pg=PT282 |title=Fantasy Fictions from the Bengal Renaissance: Abanindranath Tagore's The Make-Believe Prince (Kheerer Putul); Gaganendranath Tagore's Toddy-Cat the Bold (Bhondaṛ Bahadur) |last2=Tagore |first2=Gaganendranath |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-909217-8 |language=en |accessdate=6 August 2020}} and was awarded for faithful service or acts of public welfare. The title was used after any military rank, but before the title holder's name.{{Cite book |author=Captain H. Taprell Dorling. |title=Ribbons and Medals |publisher=A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London |year=1956 |page=111}} From 1911 holders of the title were also awarded a special Title Badge.

Members of the first class of the Order of British India could also use the title of Sardar Bahadur, with members of the second class using Bahadur.{{London Gazette

| issue = 34694

| date = 26 September 1939

| page = 6511

}} The title of Sardar Bahadur was part of a wider honours system put in place by British India: It was used for Sikhs or military officials.

First Class

• Dewan Bahadur, for Hindus;
• Nawab Bahadur, for Muslims;

Second Class

• Khan Bahadur, for Muslims;
• Rai Bahadur, (North India) or Rao Bahadur (South India), for Hindus;

Third Class

• Khan Sahib, for Muslims;
• Rai Sahib, (North India) or Rao Sahib (South India), for Hindus.

Those of other religions received the title considered most appropriate, for example native Indian Christians with a Hindu sounding name would receive a Hindu title.

In most cases a recipient proceeded from the lowest grade to a higher level, with only the most senior title used. Ranking below a knighthood, these titles were dropped by any holder who became a knight of a British Order, for example the Order of the Star of India or the Order of the Indian Empire.

Sardar Bahadur and similar titles issued during British Raj were dis-established in 1947 upon the independence of India.Sharma, B. K. Introduction to the Constitution of India, Published by Prentice-Hall, India, 2007, {{ISBN|8120332466}}, p. 83.