Rao Bahadur
Rai Bahadur (also Rao Bahadur in South India), abbreviated R.B., was a title of honour bestowed during British rule in India to individuals for their service to the Empire. The title was accompanied by a medal called a Title Badge. Translated, Rao means "prince", and Bahadur means "brave" or "most honourable". The equivalent title for Muslim and Parsi subjects was Khan Bahadur. For Sikhs it was Sardar Bahadur.
Those awarded the Rai Sahib title were usually elevated to the next rank, that of Rao Bahadur, which was in turn below the rank of Dewan Bahadur.[1] All these titles were, however, subordinate to the two orders of knighthood then in vogue in India: the lesser Order of the Indian Empire and the higher Order of the Star of India. A holder of a Rai Sahib, Rai Bahadur or Diwan Bahadur title came lower in the order of precedence.
Some people awarded the Rao Bahadur title
- P. I. Chinnaswamy Pillai, first Municipal Chairman (in 1893) of Palakkad, Kerala.
- A. Veeriya Vandayar, zamindar, founder of the Sri Pushpam College (now A. Veeriya Vandayar Memorial Sri Pushpam College) at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.[2][3]
- Arcot Narrainsawmy Mudaliar, philanthropist, charity founder and social reformer.
- Rettamalai Srinivasan, revolutionary and Dalit politician.
- Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu, Chief Minister of Madras Presidency in 1937, lawyer, professor and politician.
- A. T. Pannirselvam, attorney and leader of the Justice Party.
- Janakinath Bose, lawyer and advocate, father of the independence leader Subhas Chandra Bose.
- Mohan Singh Oberoi, hotelier, founder of Oberoi Hotels & Resorts.
- Puttana Venkatramana Raju, civil engineer noted for his contributions to hydraulics engineering and engineering education.
- Gujarmal Modi, industrialist, co-founder of the Modi Group
- Kandukuri Veeresalingam, social reformer and scholar regarded as the 'father of the Telugu Renaissance movement', from Andhra Pradesh.
- Narayan Meghaji Lokhande, labour movement pioneer and social reformer, founder of the Bombay Mill Hands' Association, from Thane, Maharashtra.
- Arcot Dhanakoti Mudaliar, philanthropist and zamindar, member of the executive council of the Victoria Technical Institute.
See also
References
- ↑ Jalan, Aditya (2009). "Dewan Bahadur 1944–1954". Quila House and the Jalan Collection: A Brief Introduction. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- ↑ Vandayar, Veeriya (September 19, 2009). "Rao Bahadur A.Veeriya Vandayar death anniversary". The Hindu.
- ↑ Vandayar (October 1, 2014). "Vandayar -Poondi Zamindari family". Deccan chronicle.