Military Insignia After Partition

The badges shown here come from the long, slightly untidy transitional period after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. Although independence redrew borders overnight, armies don’t reinvent their insignia quite so quickly. For several years, units on both sides continued to evolve their emblems, borrowing heavily from British patterns while gradually developing national identities of their own.

One quick rule of thumb: badges featuring the three lions of the Ashoka emblem are almost always Indian and firmly post-1947. Pieces incorporating a star and crescent will be Pakistani, also post-independence. Both countries inherited a large number of British designs and, in many cases, simply altered the headings. “Royal Signals” became “Indian Signals,” crowns disappeared, and the lions took their place. It wasn’t until 1954 that Pakistan formally adopted its own state emblem, so earlier Pakistani insignia can look quite experimental by comparison.

There are exceptions. Victorian designs featuring the Star of India were often left largely untouched, and a handful of small unit badges continued in their earlier forms with only minor changes. But as a broad 90 percent rule, lions for India and star-and-crescent for Pakistan will guide you well.

Most examples from this era were cast rather than die-struck, with lugs formed as part of the main body in brass or alloy. That construction style alone is often enough to place them firmly in the early post-partition years, when rapid expansion and local production dictated both materials and methods. For collectors, these transitional badges offer a fascinating glimpse at two new armies finding their visual identities in real time.