THE KAISAR-I-HIND GOLD MEDAL, AWARDED TO LADY RACHEL EZRA (NÉE SASSOON) IN 1947

This medal was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1900, the gold version was awarded by the Monarch; silver and bronze were awarded by the Viceroy. Kaisar-i-Hind is Hindu for “Emperor of India”, and was the title used by the British monarch in India from 1877 to 1947. The medal was to be awarded “to any person without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex….. who shall have distinguished himself (or herself) by important and useful service in the advancement of the public interest in India”.

Rachel Sassoon was born in Bombay on May 18, 1877, the eldest child of Solomon and Flora. After moving with the rest of the family to London, she met David Elias Ezra of Calcutta (1871-1947), and the couple married on November 5, 1912 in the Bevis Marks Synagogue. Soon thereafter, they relocated to Calcutta, though they would continue to visit London periodically.

David and Rachel became famous for their philanthropic activities on behalf of general and Jewish causes throughout India and formed close ties with the local authorities in Calcutta. David was named Sheriff of Calcutta in 1926 and was knighted by King George V the following year. When Lady Rachel was awarded an OBE and given a Kaisar-i-Hind gold medal on August 5, 1947, the governor of Bengal praised her work on behalf of various charitable causes in Calcutta, but especially the care and hospitality she bestowed upon approximately 50,000 British, Indian, and American troops throughout World War II. Sir David passed away later the same month, on August 23, 1947, and Lady Rachel continued to serve her community and her country until she, too, passed away on January 26, 1952.