*Egypt, 1896, The Khedive’s Sudan Medal – 3474 Sepoy Rupa 26th Bengal Infantry Indian Army*
The Kedives Sudan Medal 1896-1908, no clasp, named to 3474 Sepy Rupa (?) 26th Bn Inf (26th Bengal Infantry) (Cursive script and naming is worn).
The Khedive’s Sudan Medal was a campaign medal awarded by the Khedivate of Egypt to Egyptian and British forces for their role in the reconquest of Sudan, the final phase of the Mahdist War. Established on 12 February 1897 by Khedive Abbas Hilmi Pasha, the medal initially commemorated the reconquest of Dongola province in 1896. It was later authorized for subsequent campaigns and actions until 1908.
Early medals were issued without a clasp, including those awarded in 1896 to an Indian Army force based at Suakin. In 1896, the 26th Bengal Infantry (also known as the 26th Punjab Infantry), a regiment of the Indian Army, was involved in the reconquest of Sudan, part of the broader campaign to suppress the Mahdist uprising and restore control over the region. The 26th Punjab Infantry was part of the Bengal Army, which was one of the three presidency armies of the British Indian Army before it was unified. The 26th Punjab Infantry’s deployment to Egypt and Sudan in 1896 exemplifies the global reach of the British Indian Army during the height of the British Empire. Their efforts in the harsh conditions of the Sudanese desert were integral to the success of the campaign to reassert control over the region.
The obverse of the medal displays an Arabic cypher of the Khedive, reading “Abbas Hilmi the Second,” along with the Hijri year “1314.” The reverse bears an Arabic inscription translating to “The Reconquest of the Sudan 1314.” The medal is suspended from a yellow ribbon with a broad blue center stripe, symbolizing the Nile flowing through the desert.
*Condition*
The medal is in good condition though the somewhat worn, particularly the cursive script designating the medal. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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