Khan Bahadur


Khan Bahadur – a compound of khan and bahadur – was a formal title of respect and honour, which was conferred exclusively on Muslim and other non-Hindu natives of British India. It was a title one degree higher than the title of Khan Sahib.
The title was conferred along with a medal and a citation and the recipient was entitled to prefix the title to his name. The title was conferred on behalf of the Government of British India by the Viceroy and Governor-General of India.
The title "Khan Bahadur" was originally conferred in Mughal India on Muslim subjects in recognition of public services rendered and was adopted by British India for the same purpose and extended to cover other non-Hindu subjects of the India. Hindu subjects of British-occupied India were conferred the title of "Rai Bahadur".

Recipients

The following is a chronological list of selected recipients :