Order of the Medjidie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Order of the Medjidie |
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Arms of the Order of the Medjidie
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| Country | Ottoman Empire |
| Type | Order |
| Eligibility | Civilians and military |
| Awarded for | Outstanding services to the state by foreign nationals |
| Status | No longer awarded |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 1851 |
 Ribbon bar of the medal |
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The Order of the Medjidie was a special award from the Ottoman Empire. It was given to both military people and regular citizens. Sultan Abdulmejid I started this award in 1851. It was given out until 1917.
A Special Award from the Ottoman Empire
The Order of the Medjidie was created in 1851. It had five different levels, with the First Class being the highest honor. Sultan Abdülmecid gave out many of these awards. He wanted to thank people who had done great things for the Ottoman Empire.
Many British Army and Royal Navy members received this award. French Army members also got it. They helped the Ottoman Empire during the Crimean War against Russia. Later, British people serving in Egypt or Sudan also received it. In Britain, people wore it after their British medals. But they wore it before other foreign medals.
This award was usually given to officers. But some regular soldiers and sailors also received it. They got it in a lower class. During World War I, some German, Austrian, and Bulgarian officers also received this honor. Many people who were not Turkish also received this award.
What the Order Looked Like
The award looked like a star. It had the Sultan Abdülmecid's royal symbol on it. This symbol was inside a red circle with a gold edge. The star itself had seven points. Small crescents and five-pointed stars were placed between the points.
The star hung from a red crescent and star shape. This shape had green edges. The words on the front of the award meant:
- To the left: "You have crossed."
- To the right: "You are proven to be correct."
- At the top: "You have provided protection."
- At the bottom: "Year 1268" (this is a date in the Islamic calendar).
- In the middle: "In the name of God, the forgiver, the merciful."
The Order had five different levels, called classes. The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Classes were made of gold. The Fifth Class, which was the lowest, was made of silver.
Here is how many people could receive each class:
- First Class Order (Gold) - 50 people (given by the Sultan himself)
- Second Class Order (Gold) - 150 people (given by the Sultan)
- Third Class Order (Gold) - 800 people
- Fourth Class Order (Gold) - 3,000 people
- Fifth Class Order (Silver) - 6,000 people
Famous People Who Received the Order
Many well-known people received the Order of the Medjidie. These awards recognized their important work and service.
Here are some of them:
- Abdelkader El Djezairi: An Algerian Islamic scholar and military leader. He fought against the French invasion.
- Abraham Ashkenazi: A chief rabbi in Palestine.
- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: An Ottoman Army officer who later became the first president of Turkey.
- Lucien Baudens: A French military surgeon.
- Mohammed Shitta Bey: A famous Muslim trader in the Lagos Colony.
- Edward Wilmot Blyden: A Pan-Africanist and statesman from Liberia.
- Eugène Chauffeur: A French Army officer. He was wounded during the Siege of Sevastopol.
- Charles Doughty-Wylie: An English army officer. He was later killed fighting against Ottoman forces.
- Arthur Conan Doyle: A famous Scottish author, known for creating Sherlock Holmes.
- Richard England: A British soldier.
- Emanuele Luigi Galizia: A Maltese architect and civil engineer.
- Rafael de Nogales Méndez: A Venezuelan soldier, adventurer, and writer.
- George Alfred Henty: An English officer and author.
- Theodor Herzl: A journalist and important leader in the Zionist movement.
- Auguste Lumière: A French industrialist and biologist.
- Helmuth von Moltke the Elder: A Prussian Army officer.
- Napoleon III: The Emperor of France.
- Major-General Charles George Gordon: Known as Gordon of Khartoum, a British Army officer.
- Lord Blyth James Blyth, 1st Baron Blyth: A British businessman and politician.
- General Sir William Parke: A British soldier.
- Pedro II of Brazil: The Emperor of Brazil.
- Louis Pasteur: A famous French chemist and microbiologist.
- Yosef Navon: A businessman from Jerusalem. He was important in building the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway.
- Field Marshal Sir Frederick Paul Haines: A high-ranking British military officer.
- Charles Pomeroy Stone: An American soldier who later served the Ottoman Empire.
- Perestu Kadın: A powerful Valide Sultan (mother of the Sultan) of the Ottoman Empire.
- Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia: A German princess.
- Oswald Longstaff Prowde: An English civil engineer who worked on the Aswan Low Dam.
