Capture of Ceylon Medal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Capture of Ceylon Medal
Obverse and reverse of a silver medal
Type	Campaign medal
Eligibility	Members of the Bengal Artillery
Campaign(s)	Invasion of Ceylon (1795)
Description	Circular medal, struck in gold and silver
Statistics
Established	15 May 1807
Worn round the neck on a yellow cord

The Capture of Ceylon Medal was a special award given to soldiers. It was created by the Governor-General of India for troops from the East India Company. This medal honored soldiers in the Bengal artillery units who helped capture Dutch Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1795–96.

Who Received the Medal?

The Capture of Ceylon Medal was officially started on May 15, 1807. It was given to soldiers from the Bengal Army artillery. These soldiers had served under the East India Company during the British takeover of Dutch Ceylon. This important event happened between July 21, 1795, and February 16, 1796. This was during a big conflict called the French Revolutionary Wars. The medals were finally ready and given out in 1811.

Only a small number of these medals were made.

• Two medals were made of gold. These were likely given to two officers, Captains Barton and Clarke.
• 121 medals were made of silver. These were for the Indian non-commissioned officers and soldiers, also known as Gun Lascars, in the Bengal Artillery.

It's important to know that other soldiers who took part in the invasion did not get this medal. This included other East India Company troops and British Crown forces.

What the Medal Looked Like

The medals were made at the Calcutta Mint in India. They were round and measured about 2 inches (51 mm) across. The design was simple, with words on both sides.

• The front side had English words that said: For Services on the Island of Ceylon A.D. 1795/6.
• The back side had words in Persian. These words translated to: This medal was given by way of acknowledgment of services in Ceylon in the year of the Hijrah 1209-1210.

The medals did not have the recipient's name engraved on them. They were worn around the neck on a yellow cord. The East India Company did not start using ribbons for medals until 1826.

See also

• Invasion of Ceylon (1795)
• Ceylon Medal
• Military awards and decorations of Sri Lanka