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Gwalior - Indian Princely State

Last modified: 2022-10-14 by ian macdonald
Keywords: indian princely state | gwalior | swallowtail | madhya pradesh | sindia |
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[Gwalior] image by Blas Delgado Ortiz

Source: Ziggiotto (1998).

The kingdom of Gwalior or Kingdom of Sindia, like all the main Marathi, carried the saffron flag. Such - with a swallowtail - was the flag of the army of Gwalior in 1726.

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About Gwalior

Gwalior was a former state, India, now part of Madhya Pradesh state; 26,367 square miles; capital Lashkar; one of the five chief Indian states, the dominion of the Sindhia family of Marathas; larger part between Rajputana on W and United Provinces and Central India on E, with Chambal river forming its N and NW boundary; other smaller sections in SW Central India. Gwalior was probably founded in the 3rd century AD, captured by the English in 1817, and measured 68.000 sq. km., where 3.000.000 inhabitants lived. The king of Gwalior had as title "maharaja". Presently it belongs to Madhya Pradesh.
Jarig Bakker, 11 November 1998, 23 April 2002

The shade of the flag

In my opinion, the shade of saffron in Baroda and Gwalior is the same (as is generally the case in the saffron monocolor flags because of their same origin).
Jaume Ollé, 23 March 1998


Princely State of Gwalior

[Gwalior] image by Blas Delgado Ortiz

[Gwalior] image by Blas Delgado Ortiz

Source: Ziggioto (1998), translated by Blas Delgado Ortiz:

"In the princely banner is a sun placed between two cobras. The emblematic figure of the cobra found its explanation in the kind second legend in which Ranoji Sindia, founder of the State, came defended - when he was still a child - by the fierce(?) rays of the sun from a cobra that spread its coils upon him. This old dynastic flag was changed by Javaya Rao (1843-86) into another, composed of two bands, perhaps that one described below. We may find reliable data in the "Central India State Gazette" of 1908, vol. I, "Gwalior State Gazette". A reproduction of the banner of the State ("State Banner"), used hanging as our gonfalons, is composed of a saffron field crossed by one great diagonal strip, upper left to lower right, red, loaded with three figures: in the center a great yellow sun figuring 16 rays (eight right and eight wavy) having to its flanks - and turned towards it - two cobras, white. The flag of the State was the same one, in normal position, and presumably serving as the model to the one cited above. Then three banners were used. The banner of the Kingdom was saffron (or red) with the royal arms in the center, while the royal banner was colored saffron with the figures (sun and cobra) of the flag of State, with three red edge sides separated from the saffron by a white fimbriation. The personal banner of the Maharaja corresponded to the central part of the royal banner, that is, it was all saffron with the three figures, similar to the old one of 1726."
Blas Delgado Ortiz, 23 April 2002


Gwalior's lancers

[Gwalior] image by Jarig Bakker

Filcher (1984) reports the regimental pennant for Gwalior's lancers is blue over red.
Ned Smith, 30 May 2002