Rai Sahib

"Rao Saheb" redirects here. For 1985 film, see Rao Saheb (film).

Rao Sahib
Title Badge for Rao Sahib
Type	Civilian Honour
Country	British India
Presented by	Viceroy of India
Eligibility	Hindu Indian
Status	Discontinued (since 1947)
Precedence
Next (higher)	Rao Bahadur

Rai Sahib / Rao Saheb / Roy Sahib / Rao Sahib abbreviated R.S., was a title of honour issued during the era of British rule in India to individuals who performed faithful service or acts of public welfare to the nation.[1] From 1911 the title was accompanied by a special Title Badge. Translated, Rai means "King" Sahib means "Leader".[2] Awarded during the reign of George VI. For another image of the badge see link[3] This was the start level title usually awarded to civilians, which could later be upgraded to Rao Bahadur and then to Dewan Bahadur titles.[4]

The title styled Rai Sahib were awarded to Hindu people of North India, Rao Saheb in Maharashtra and styled Rao Sahib to Hindu people of South India, however, they were both of same category and spelling was altered to meet with regional differences of pronunciation.[5]

The Rai Sahib/Rao Sahib/Roy Sahib and other similar titles issued during the British Raj were disestablished in 1947 upon independence of India.[6]

Recipients awarded the title

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

• Rai Sahib Dina Nath, born on February 11, 1863, in Jhansi, belonged to the Nikhar sub -caste of Gadariya caste (Scythic origin, from the Pali branch of the Lunar line). He joined the Army's Supply and Transport Corps in 1886, serving in Burma (1886-88), Black Mountain (1891), Sikkim (1893–95), and South Africa during the Siege of Ladysmith (1899-1900). He was awarded the title "Rai Sahib" in 1909 for his distinguished service, both in peace and war, on the recommendations of Majors General R. A. Mahon and L. J. E. Bradshaw.[7]
• Rao Bahadur Satyendra Nath Mukherjee, awarded Rai Saheb on 4 June 1934. He was the first Indian Origin Deputy Commissioner of Police, Calcutta.[8][9][10][11][12]
• Rao Sahib Ayyathan Gopalan (Kerala, India) a.k.a. "Darsarji" – Doctor, chief surgeon, hospital superintendent and in charges, medical school professor who also served as the magistrate of Malabar region of Kerala (during British rule in India), social reformer of Kerala. Awarded on 17 November 1917 by British Government.
• Rai Sahib Bhagat Ram Sahni, founded the Arya Samaj movement in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.[13][14]
• Pandit Wazir Chand Trikha, Jhang, Pakistan (India) Chief Accounts Officer of Northern Railways.[15][16]
• Nagendra Kumar Bhattacharyya Commissioner of Berhampore 1932–1948, Murshidabad District, West Bengal.
• Rao Sahib Katragadda Pedha Achaiah, Landlord, Amruthalur which is presently located in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India.
• Rao Saheb Buddha Mahalakshmi Naidu, Landlord, Inamdar, Municipal Chairman of Anakapalle.
• Ramnath Goenka, Bombay – Newspaper editor and businessman.
• Mulji Jagmal Sawaria, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh – Miner.
• A. Y. S. Parisutha Nadar, Thanjavur – Politician and industrialist.
• Deep Chand Bahman – Awarded Rai Sahib for the best saang.[17]
• Abraham Pandithar – Tamil musicologist, composer and traditional medicine practitioner (2 August 1859 – 31 August 1919).
• Dinanath Atmaram Dalvi (1844–1897) Subordinate Judge Bombay Presidency, Senior Dakshina Fellow Elphinstone College Bombay, Fellow Bombay University and author of the book "An Examination of Sir Isaac Newton's Rule for Finding the Number of Imaginary Square Roots in an Equation".[18][19][20]
• Dukhan Ram – Indian ophthalmologist, legislator and Padma Bhushan recipient.[21]
• Mahabir Prasad Misra – Educator, Madhubani District, Dharbanga.[22]
• Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy – Telugu linguist.
• Ganpatrao Narayanrao Madiman – Businessman and banker from Hubli, Karnataka.
• Kashinath Krishna Kalkar – Deputy Collector of Amalner.[23]
• Koovarji Karsan Rathor – Industrialist from Cuttack.[24]
• Kuppusamy Kodandapani Pillai – Deputy Collector, Protector of Emigrants, Special Officer for South African Repatriates and Controller of Emigration from Madras.[25]
• Harilal Shamji – Philanthropist and industrialist from Raigarh.[26][24]
• Rai Sahib Nainmal Rupchand Khichia - Businessman and Merchant from Sheoganj, Sirohi State, Rajputana was awarded the title of Rai Sahib on 1 January 1944 by A.P. Wavell

See also

• Rao Bahadur
• Dewan Bahadur
• Raj Ratna
• Title Badge (India)

References

1. H. Taprell Dorling. (1956). Ribbons and Medals. A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London. p. 111.
2. Hankin, Nigel B. (2003). Hanklyn-janklin By Nigel B. Hankin. India Presearch Press. p. 404. ISBN 9788187943044.
3. "Image of Rao Sahib Medal". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
4. "Quila House and the Jalan Collection: Dewan Bahadur". quilahouse.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
5. "British India: INDIAN TITLE BADGE (MYB # 327), RAO BAHADUR & RAO SAHIB MEDALS". worldofcoins.eu. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
6. Introduction to the Constitution of India By Sharma, Sharma B.k.. 2007. p. 83.
7. Imperial coronation durbar 1911. The Imperial Publishing, Lahore. 1911.
8. "Santi Priya Mukherjee vs Surendra Nath Chatterjee on 28 November, 1950". indiankanoon.org. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
9. Channa, Subhadra Mitra; Channa, Subhadra (5 September 2013). Gender in South Asia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-04361-9.
10. Gupta (IAS.), G. S. (1991). Free Masonry in India. G.S. Gupta.
11. India Supreme Court (1963). Indian Factories & Labour Reports. Law Publishing House.
12. Police, Calcutta Commissioner of (1933). Annual Report on the Police Administration of the Town of Calcutta and Its Suburbs. p. 2.
13. Gupta, Kanta, ed. (1986). Yoga Nidhi (in Hindi and English). Yoga Mandir Prakashan Delhi. p. 202.
14. The Arya Patrika Lahore: June - 1885–1886. Lahore: Vidya Prakashak Press. p. 7.
15. Kaur, Madanjit (2008). Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Unistar Books. ISBN 9788189899547.
16. Sikh Digital Library (1 April 1964). Three Letters of Maharani Jind Kaur – Dr. Ganda Singh. Sikh Digital Library. Sikh Digital Library.
17. Haryana (India) (1990). Haryana District Gazetteers: Sonipat. Haryana Gazetteers Organization. Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
18. Dalvi, Dinanath Atmaram (1 January 1869). An Examination of Sir Isaac Newton's Rule for Finding the Number of Imaginary Roots in an Equation: With Geometrical and Mechanical Theorems and a Trigonometrical Formula. Education Society's Press, Byculla – via Google Books.
19. The India Office and Burma Office List. 1888. p. 146.
20. "The India Office and Burma Office List". 1 January 1888 – via Google Books.
21. "Padma Bhushan Dr. Dukhan Ram". Association of Otolaryngologists of India. 2013. Archived from the original on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
22. Rao, C. Hayavando (1915). The Indian biographical dictionary (PAGE 30). University of California Libraries. Madras : Pillar.
23. Peter, Thomas (1937). The Royal Coronation Number and Who's who in India, Burma and Ceylon. Sun Publishing House. p. 584. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
24. Lewis, Sir Hawthorne (1954). Speeches Delivered by His Excellency Sir Hawthorne Lewis, ..., Governor of Orissa, 1941–1946. Government of Orissa. p. 191. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
25. Saint George (India), Fort (1943). Fort St. George Gazette. Madras. p. 4.
26. Pradesh (India), Madhya (1960). Madhya Pradesh Gazette. p. 9. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2020.

External links

• Image of Indian Title Badge, George V, first variety, 3rd class