India Mutiny Medal, 1857 - 1859 with Bar "CENTRAL INDIA" to 2995 Pte Charles Coutts, 72nd Highlanders. Only 657 "Central India" bars were awarded to the 72nd Regiment of Foot. MEDAL The Indian Mutiny Medal was instituted on 18 August 1858 for award to British and Indian troops deployed against the Mutineers. The last of the Honourable East India Company's medals issued on behalf of the British Government. Description: Silver 36mm diameter with a swivelling cusped suspension. Obverse; the Diademed head of Queen Victoria and the legend "VICTORIA REGINA". reverse depicts a standing Britannia with a shield, presenting a wreath. Behind is a standing British lion, above is the word "INDIA" and in exergue the dates "1857 -1858". Bars: Five fish tailed bars with rosette separators were issued: DELHI - DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW - RELIEF OF LUCKNOW - LUCKNOW - CENTRAL INDIA. Naming: Impressed in Roman capitals. Official replacements turn up on a thicker flan with the naming in taller letters and showing the recipients service number. (service numbers are not impressed on the original issue.) Ribbon: White, with two red stripes. MUTINY The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the cantonment of the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to present-day Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, northern Madhya Pradesh, and the Delhi region. The rebellion posed a considerable threat to East India Company power in that region and was contained only with the fall of Gwalior on 20 June 1858. The rebellion is also known as India's First War of Independence, the Great Rebellion, the Indian Rebellion, the Indian Mutiny, the Revolt of 1857, the Rebellion of 1857, the Uprising of 1857, the Sepoy Rebellion and the Sepoy Mutiny. Other regions of Company-controlled India, such as Bengal, the Bombay Presidency, and the Madras Presidency, remained largely calm. In Punjab, the Sikh princes backed the Company by providing soldiers and support. The large princely states of Hyderabad, Mysore, Travancore, and Kashmir, as well as the smaller ones of Rajputana, did not join the rebellion. In some regions, such as Oudh, the rebellion took on the attributes of a patriotic revolt against European presence. Maratha leaders, such as Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, became folk heroes in the nationalist movement in India half a century later; however, they themselves "generated no coherent ideology" for a new order. The rebellion led to the dissolution of the East India Company in 1858. It also led the British to reorganize the army, the financial system and the administration in India. The country was thereafter directly governed by the crown as the new British Raj. 72nd HIGHLANDERS IN SEPOY MUTINY The 72nd arrive in India for the Mutiny Campaign, 1857-1858 In August-September 1857 the 72nd sailed from Portsmouth to Bombay, where it was complete by early January 1858. Although they fought in a separate theatre from the well known events in the Ganges valley, they did take part in the most successful subsidiary campaign in Central India, with the aim Of containing the spread of the mutiny and pursuing bands of rebels. The 72nd and the attack on Kotah 1858 Their first major engagement was the attack on Kotah, where the British resident and his sons had been murdered by mutineers, and the loyalty ofthe Rajah was suspect. The fortified town was attacked by three columns, the first of which included 260 men of the 72nd. They managed to storm through a gate blown in by the engineers, and to seize the bastion which was their objective. Then, exploiting this success, the column seized another gate and entered the city. The other columns were equally successful, and Kotah, with over 70 guns and a large magazine, was captured. The attack on Kotah was particularly memorable for the bravery of Lt Aylmer Cameron of the 72nd. When the second gateway was captured the column came under heavy fire from a strongly built house. Lt Cameron dashed into the house and reached the upper floor where he killed three of the rebel musketeers before being severely wounded. However he survived, and for his prompt and gallant action was awarded the Victoria Cross. It was the first VC to be won by the 72nd. The 72nd pursue the rebels In June 1858 the 72nd, after a month in barracks (Neemuch, was split up again among the columns formed to pursue the rebels. In October a column, which included the 72nd, marched 110 miles in just over three days to preventthe city of Bhopal falling to the rebels. The 72nd remained in the field until January 1859, with detachments on operations until May. One party was estimated to have marched over 3000 miles during the campaign. The 72nd remained in India after the Mutiny campaign until 1865 when the 72nd was posted to Edinburgh.