Ghuznee Medal | |
---|---|
Type | Campaign medal |
Awarded for | Campaign service |
Description | Silver disk 37 mm wide |
Presented by | Governor-General of India |
Eligibility | British Army |
Campaign(s) | Ghuznee 1839 |
Clasps | None |
Established | 1839 |
Total | 8,371 |
Ribbon: Two equal stripes of crimson and dark green |
The Ghuznee Medal is a British campaign medal awarded for participation in the storming of the fortress of Ghuznee in Afghanistan, on 21 to 23 July 1839 by troops of the British and Indian Armies. This action, the Battle of Ghazni, took place during the First Anglo-Afghan War.
This was the second medal awarded to all ranks of the British Army for a specific campaign, the Waterloo Medal being the first.[1] It was struck in 1839 on the orders of Shuja Shah Durrani, the Shah of Afghanistan, to show his appreciation to the British forces who had helped restore him to his throne by storming the fortress. As the Shah died before the medals could be distributed, it was finally bestowed by the Governor-General of India in the name of the Government of India.[2]