Historical flags
editPre-colonial states
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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590 B.C.-1600 A.D. | Flag of the Pandya dynasty | According to legend, the goddess Meenakshi was born as the daughter of a Pandya king. Her eyes had the shape of a fish and resemble the emblem of the Pandyas. |
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500 B.C.-1102 A.D. | Flag of the Chera dynasty | The Chera kings had the title Villavar Kon, the Villavar clan founded the ancient Chera Kingdom. Villavar means archer in Tamil. |
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300 B.C.-1279 A.D. | Flag of the Chola dynasty | The tiger flag of Chola is mentioned in Periya Puranam. |
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275-897 | Flag of the Pallava dynasty | The Pallava royal insignia was the (lion) and (bull) which was changeable. Narashimavarman used the lion as his emblem and Nandivarman preferred the Nandi. Under the reign of Parameswaravarman was Khatvanga (Skull mace) added to Pallava emblem. |
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1193-1808 | Flag of the Kingdom of Porbandar | A yellow-orange flag with a purple border with the draw of a red swallowtailed flag inside. |
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1206–1526 | Flag of the Delhi Sultanate | A dark green flag with a black strip left of center. |
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1336–1646 | Flag of the Vijayanagara Empire | Yellow coloured flag of the Vijayanagara Empire which ruled over South India. |
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1399–1950 | Flag of the Kingdom of Mysore | Red and Brown coloured flag of the Kingdom of Mysore which ruled over most of Karnataka and at its zenith most of South India. |
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1490-1636 | Flag of The Ahmadnagar Sultanate | A green swallowtail flag with a Quranic verse engraved. |
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1518–1687 | Flag of Kingdom of Golconda | Cyan coloured flag of the Qutb Shahi dynasty which ruled over the Kingdom of Golconda. |
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1526–1858 | Flag of the Mughal Empire (Alam) | A flag that was primarily moss green.[1] |
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1545-1700 | Flag of the Arakkal Kingdom | A red banner with a crescent and star. |
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1674–1818 | Flag of the Maratha Empire (Bhagwa Dhwaj)[2] | A saffron-coloured swallowtail flag. |
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1699-1818 | Flag of The Jaipur Kingdom | Similar to the Flag of Nepal, with 5 stripes of red, yellow, white, green and blue. |
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1700-1819 | Flag of the Arakkal Kingdom | A white banner with a border of 22 red triangles. |
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1700-1900 | Flag of The Hyderabad State | An orange triangular flag with a green crescent. |
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1716-1799 | Flag of The Sikh Confederacy | |
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1729–1949 | Flag of the Kingdom of Travancore | Red flag with a dextrally-coiled silver conch shell (Turbinella pyrum) at its centre. |
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1799–1849 | Flag of the Sikh Empire (Nishan Sahib)[3] | |
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1799–1849 | Flag of the Sikh Empire (variant) | |
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1877-1914 1962-1967 |
Flag of the Kingdom of Sikkim | The flag of Sikkim used from 1877 to 1914 and re-introduced from 1962 to 1967 depicted a Buddhist prayer wheel with a fanciful border and religious pictograms surrounding the wheel. |
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1900-1947 | Flag of The Hyderabad State | 2 striped green and red flag with a white crescent and star |
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1914-1962 | Flag of the Kingdom of Sikkim | The flag of Sikkim used from 1914 to 1962 is similar to the previous flag. |
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1947-1948 | Flag of The Hyderabad State | An orange flag with 6 black stripes and 4 white stripes. The script along the top reads Al Azmatulillah meaning "All greatness is for God". The bottom script reads Ya Uthman which translates to "Oh Osman". The writing in the middle reads "Nizam-ul-Mulk Asif Jah". |
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1967–1975 | Flag of the Kingdom of Sikkim | The flag of Sikkim used between 1967 and 1975 depicted a Buddhist prayer wheel in gold on a white field with a red border. |
Company rule in India
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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1600–1707 | Flag of the East India Company | A striped banner with Saint George's Cross in the canton. |
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1707–1801 | Flag of the East India Company | A striped banner with the Union Jack of Great Britain in the canton. |
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1801–1858 | Flag of the East India Company | A striped banner with the Union Jack in the canton. |
British India
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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1858–1947 | The official state flag of the British Empire used in India | The Flag of the United Kingdom. |
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1885–1947 | Flag of the Viceroy and Governor-General of India | The Union Jack defaced with the insignia of the Order of the Star of India beneath the Tudor Crown. |
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1880–1947 | Civil Ensign of British India used to represent British India internationally. | A Red Ensign with the Union Jack at the canton, defaced with the Star of India emblem displayed in the fly. |
Indian Army
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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1895-1947 | Ensign of the British Indian Army | Red field emblazoned with Star of India crossed by two swords and beneath the Tudor Crown. |
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1878-1947 | Flag of the Indian Army Service Corps | A Blue Ensign with the Union Jack at the canton, and the Star of India crossed by two swords displayed in the fly. |
(Royal) Indian Air Force
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
.svg) |
1945-1947 | Ensign of the Royal Indian Air Force | A field of air force blue with the United Kingdom's flag in the canton and the Royal Indian Air Force's roundel in the fly. |
(Royal) Indian Marine/(Royal) Indian Navy
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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1863–1947 | 1877–1892 Ensign of Her Majesty's Indian Marine 1892–1928: Ensign of the Royal Indian Marine 1928–1934 Naval jack of the Royal Indian Marine 1934–1947: Naval jack of the Royal Indian Navy |
A Blue Ensign with the Union Jack at the canton, and the Star of India displayed in the fly. |
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1884–1928 | 1884–1892 Naval jack of Her Majesty's Indian Marine 1892–1928: Naval jack of the Royal Indian Marine |
The Union Jack with blue border. |
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1928–1950 | 1928–1934: Ensign of the Royal Indian Marine 1934–1950: Ensign of the Royal Indian Navy |
The White Ensign of the Royal Navy. |
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1954–1955 | 1954–1955: Flag of the Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy 1955: Flag of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy |
The St George's Cross. Ensign of an Admiral in the Royal Navy. |
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1934–1958 | 1934–1948: Flag of the Flag Officer Commanding, Royal Indian Navy 1948–1950: Flag of the Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy 1950–1954: Flag of the Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy 1955–1958: Flag of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy |
Ensign of a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy. |
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1928–1958 | 1928–1932: Flag of the Flag Officer Commanding and Director, Royal Indian Marine 1934–1950: Flag of a Flag Officer, Royal Indian Navy 1950–1958: Flag of a Flag Officer, Indian Navy |
Ensign of a Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy. |
Dominion of India
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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1947–1950 | Flag of the Dominion of India | A horizontal tricolour of saffron at the top, white in the middle, and green at the bottom. In the centre is a navy blue wheel with twenty-four spokes, known as the Ashoka Chakra. |
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1947–1950 | Flag of the Governor-General of India | Dark blue field emblazoned with the royal crest (a Tudor Crown surmounted by the lion of England, itself wearing the crown), beneath which was the word 'India' in gold majuscules. Similar to flags used by other Governors-General of Commonwealth realms. |
French India
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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1667–1791 | Flag of the Kingdom of France | Flag of the Kingdom of France. |
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1791–1794 | 1791–1792: Flag of the Kingdom of France 1792–1794: Flag of the French First Republic |
The flag of France. |
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1814-1815 1815–1830 |
Flag of the Kingdom of France under the Bourbon Restoration | Flag of the Kingdom of France. |
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1794–1804, 1830–1940, 1944–1954 | 1794–1804: Flag of the French First Republic 1804–1814, 1815: Flag of the First French Empire 1830–1848; Flag of the Kingdom of France 1848–1852: Flag of the French Second Republic 1852–1870: Flag of the Second French Empire 1870–1940: Flag of the French Third Republic and French Empire 1944–1946: Flag of the Provisional Government of the Fourth French Republic 1946–1954: Flag of the French Fourth Republic and French Union |
The flag of France. |
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1940–1944 | Flag of French India under Free France | Flag of Free France with the Cross of Lorraine |
Portuguese India
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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1497–1521 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal. | |
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1521–1578 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal. | |
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1578–1616 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal. | |
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1616–1640 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal. | |
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1640–1667 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal. | |
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1667–1706 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal. | |
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1706–1750 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal. | |
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1816–1826 | Flag of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. | |
| |
1826–1830 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal. | |
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1830–1910 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal. | Vertical bicolour blue-white. Proportion of the fields: 1:1. |
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1910–1961 (de facto) 1910–1974 (de jure) |
Flag of the Portuguese Republic. The final state flag of Portuguese India. | Used from the implantation of the Portuguese Republic in 1910. Officially used until 1974, as Portugal only then recognised the Annexation of Portuguese India. |
.svg) |
1967 (proposed) | Proposed official flag for Portuguese India in 1967. | Proposal by F. P. de Almeida Langhans. Never actually used. |
Danish India
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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1620–1869 | The flag of Denmark (Denmark-Norway until 1814) |
Indian Air Force rank flags
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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1950–1980 | Marshal of the Indian Air Force | Never used. |
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1950–1980 | Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force | |
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1950–1980 | Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force | |
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1950–1980 | Air Vice Marshal of the Indian Air Force | |
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1950–1980 | Air Commodore of the Indian Air Force | |
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1950–1980 | Group Captain of the Indian Air Force | |
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1950–1980 | Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force | |
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1950–1980 | Squadron Leader of the Indian Air Force |
Indian Navy rank flags
edit| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
.svg) |
2001-2004 | Flag of the Indian Navy | |
.gif) |
2001-2004 | Flag of Admiral of the Fleet of the Indian Navy | Never used. |
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2001-2004 | Flag of Admiral of the Indian Navy | |
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2001-2004 | Flag of Vice Admiral of the Indian Navy | |
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2001-2004 | Flag of Rear Admiral of the Indian Navy | |
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2001-2004 | Flag of Commodore of the Indian Navy | |
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2001-2004 | Flag of Senior Officer of the Indian Navy |
- ^ http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/addorimss/a/zoomify55414.html
- ^ Kadam, Vasant S. (1993), Maratha Confederacy: A Study in Its Origin and Development, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, p. 128, ISBN 978-81-215-0570-3
- ^ "Nishan Sahib Khanda Sikh Symbols Sikh Museum History Heritage Sikhs". www.sikhmuseum.com. Retrieved 18 March 2019.