Delhi Durbar - Durbar of 1911

Durbar of 1911

The Durbar was held in December to commemorate the coronation in Britain a few months earlier of King George V and Queen Mary, allow their proclamation as Emperor and Empress of India--and, without public forewarning, the announcement of the move of India's capital from Calcutta to New Delhi. Practically every ruling prince, nobleman, landed gentry and other persons of note in India attended to pay obeisance to their sovereigns. The Sovereigns appeared in their Coronation robes, the King-Emperor wearing the Imperial Crown of India with eight arches, containing six thousand one hundred and seventy exquisitely cut diamonds, and covered with sapphires, emeralds and rubies, with a velvet and miniver cap all weighing 34.05 ounces (965 g). They then appeared at a darshan (a sight) at the jharoka (balcony window) of Red Fort, to receive half a million or more of the common people who had come to greet them. A feature film of the coronation titled With Our King and Queen Through India (1912) – also known as The Durbar in Delhi – was filmed in the early color process Kinemacolor and released on 2 February 1912.

A Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary and an Assistant Herald were appointed for the 1911 Durbar (Brigadier-General William Peyton and Captain the Hon. Malik Mohammed Umar Hayat Khan), but their duties were more ceremonial than heraldic.

There is a magnificent tiara belonging to the present Queen called the Delhi Durbar Tiara. The necklace was presented to Queen Mary by the Maharanee of Patiala on behalf of the Ladies of India to mark the first visit to India by a British Queen-Empress. At the Queen’s suggestion, it was designed to match her other emerald jewellery created for the Delhi Durbar. In 1912 Garrards slightly altered the necklace, making the existing emerald pendant detachable and adding a second detachable diamond pendant. This is an 8.8 carats (1,800 mg) marquise diamond known as Cullinan VII, one of the nine numbered stones cut from the Cullinan Diamond. The necklace was inherited by the Queen in 1953 and was recently worn by the Duchess of Cornwall to a ball where she met the Norwegian Royal Family.

During the Durbar, the Gaekwar of Baroda, Maharajah Sayajirao III caused a stir during the presentation of princes when he approached the royal couple without his jewellery on, and after a simple bow turned his back to them when leaving. His action was interpreted at the time as a sign of dissent to British rule.

King George V announced during the Durbar the moved of the capil of India from Calcutta to New Delhi and the he also laid the foundation Generally the Durbar achieved its purpose of cementing support for British rule among the ruling princes, as was demonstrated by the support given during the First World War.

Twenty-six thousand eight hundred (26,800) Delhi Durbar Silver Medals of 1911 were awarded to the men and officers of the British and Indian Armies who participated in the event. A hundred and two were also struck in gold, a hundred of which were for award to Indian princely rulers and the highest ranking government officers.

• Ex. Lt. Ahmad ud-Daulah Khan Sardar Bahadur, Khan Bahadur, I.O.M, O.B.I,I.M,D. Khillat, Sword of Honour,Sanads Holder,Jagirdar & Hon’y Magistrate Specially presented by H.E. the C in C to his most Imperial Majesty. George V King & Emperor of India under Royal Invitation,at Delhi Darbar 1911.

Today Coronation Park is a jealously guarded open space whose emptiness comes as a bit of a shock after the dense traffic and crowded shanty towns of northern Delhi’s urban sprawl. It is mostly overgrown, neglected and locked. The Park is sometimes used for big religious festivals and municipal conventions. The thrones used by King George V and Queen Mary are on display at Marble Hall Gallery and Museum at Rashtrapati Bhavan.