National flag[edit]

Flag Date Use Description

A horizontal tricolour of saffron at the top, white in

1947– National flag the middle, and green at the bottom. In the centre
present of India is a navy blue wheel with twenty-four spokes,
known as the Ashoka Chakra.

Governmental flag[edit]
Flag Date Use Description

1st quarter: state emblem (the Lions of Sarnath) to

represent national unity; 2nd quarter: elephant
Presidential from Ajanta Caves to represent patience and
1950–
Standard of strength; 3rd quarter: scales from the Red
1971[1]
India Fort, Old Delhi to represent justice and economy;
4th quarter: lotusvase from Sarnath to represent
prosperity.

Ensigns[edit]
Flag Date Use Description

A Red Ensign with the flag of India in the

Civil ensign
canton.

A Blue Ensign with the flag of India in the

State ensign canton, and a yellow anchor horizontally in
the fly.

Military flags[edit]
Army[edit]
Flag Date Use Description
 Flag of the Indian A red field with the flag of India in the
Army canton, and the Army badge in the fly

Flag of the Chief of

Army Staff

Air Force[edit]
Flag Date Use Description

A sky-blue ensign with the flag of India in

Flag of the Indian Air
the canton, and the Air Force roundel in
Force
the fly

Flag of the Chief of

Air Staff

Flag of Marshal of
the Indian Air Force

Navy[edit]
Flag Date Use Description

It is built up of the Indian National Flag, a

Ensign of the Indian Vertical and a Horizontal Red Stripe, the
Navy Indian State Emblem in golden yellow colour
on a white background.

Admiral (Chief of
Naval Staff)
 Vice Admiral

Rear Admiral

Commodore

Coast Guard[edit]
Flag Date Use Description

A Blue Ensign with the Flag of India

Ensign of the Indian Coast
in the canton, and the Coast Guard
Guard
badge in the fly

A Blue Ensign with the Flag of India

Flag of Director General of
in the canton, and the Coast Guard
the Indian Coast Guard
badge in the fly

Flag of Additional Director

General of the Indian
Coast Guard

Flag of Inspector General

of the Indian Coast Guard

States and Union territorial flags[edit]

De jure state flags[edit]
Jammu and Kashmir is the only state to have de jure flag.[2]
 Flag State Date Use Description

The flag is red to symbolise labour, with

three white vertical stripes in the hoist
(which do not run the whole height of the
Flag of
Jammu flag). The stripes stand for the three
1972– Jammu
and divisions of the region namely;
present and
Kashmir (Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh). On the
Kashmir
right side of the flag is a white plough with
the handle facing the stripes. The ratio of
the flag to its width is 3:2.

Unofficial state flags[edit]

Flag State Date Use Description

Flag of Sikkim, used as

Buddhist khorlo prayer
a flag when Sikkim was
1967- wheel with the gankyil in the
Sikkim an independent
1975 centre, on a field of white with a
kingdom before its
red border.
annexation to India

Historical[edit]
Pre-colonial states[edit]
Flag Date Use Description

1206– Flag of Delhi A dark green flag with a black strip left of
1526 Sultanate center.

1336
Flag of Vijayanagara Yellow coloured flag of the Vijayanagara
—
Empire Empire which ruled over South India.
1646

Cyan coloured flag of the Qutb Shahi

1518– Flag of Kingdom of
dynasty which ruled over the Kingdom of
1687 Golconda
Golconda.
 Red and Brown coloured flag of the
1399
Flag of Kingdom of Kingdom of Mysore which ruled over most
—
Mysore of Karnataka and at its zenith most of south
1950
India.

1526– Flag of Mughal

Alam flag that was primarily moss green.[3]
1858 Empire

Flag of Maratha
1674–
Empire (Bhagwa A saffron-coloured swallowtail flag.
1818
Dhwaj)[4]

1799– A red-colored interior and a green coloured

Flag of Sikh Empire[5]
1849 exterior.

British Colonial India[edit]

Flag Date Use Description

The official state flag of

1858–
the British Raj for use on The flag of the United Kingdom.
1947
land

The Union Flag defaced with the

c. 1885– insignia of the Order of the Star of
1947 India beneath the Imperial Crown of
India.

Flag of the Governor- Dark blue field emblazoned with the

General of India royal crest (a Tudor
Crown surmounted by the lion of
1947– England, itself wearing the crown),
1950 beneath which was the word 'India' in
gold majuscules. Similar to flags used
by other Governors-General of
Commonwealth realms.

Flag of the British Raj: A Red Ensign with the Union Flag at
c. 1880–
An unofficial land flag the canton, and the Star of
1947
used only to India displayed in the fly.
represent British India in
 international events and
associations

(Royal) Indian Marine/(Royal) Indian Navy[edit]

1877–1892 Ensign of Her
Majesty's Indian Marine
1892-1928: Ensign of
A Blue Ensign with the Union Flag
1863– the Royal Indian Marine
at the canton, and the Star of
1947 1928–1934 Naval jack of the
India displayed in the fly.
Royal Indian Marine
1934-1947: Naval jack of
the Royal Indian Navy

1928-1934: Ensign of the

1928– Royal Indian Marine The White Ensign of the Royal
1950 1934-1950: Ensign of the Navy.
Royal Indian Navy

1951-1955: Flag of the

Commander-in-Chief, Indian The St George's Cross.
1951-
Navy Ensign of an Admiral in the Royal
1955
1955: Flag of the Chief of the Navy.
Naval Staff of the Indian Navy

1934-1947: Flag of the Flag

Officer Commanding, Royal
Indian Navy
1947-1950: Flag of the
Commander-in-Chief, Royal
1934- Indian Navy Ensign of a Vice-Admiral in
1958 1950-1955: Flag of the the Royal Navy.
Commander-in-Chief, Indian
Navy
1955-1958: Flag of the Chief
of the Naval Staff of the Indian
Navy

1928-1934: Flag of the Flag

Officer Commanding, Royal
Indian Marine
1928- Ensign of a Rear-Admiral in
1934-1950: Flag of a Flag
1958 the Royal Navy.
Officer, Royal Indian Navy
1950-1958: Flag of a Flag
Officer, Indian Navy

French India[edit]
 Flag Date Use Description

Flag of the Kingdom

1667-1791 Flag of the Kingdom of France
of France.

1791-1792: Flag of the Kingdom of

France
1791-1794 The flag of France.
1792-1794: Flag of the French First
Republic

Flag of the Kingdom of

Flag of the Kingdom
1815-1830 France under the Bourbon
of France.
Restoration

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
1794–1804, Second Republic
1830-1940, 1852-1870: Flag of the Second The flag of France.
1944-1954 French Empire
1870-1940: Flag of the French Third
Republicand French Empire
1944-1946: Flag of the Provisional
Government of the Fourth French
Republic
1946-1954: Flag of the French
Fourth Republicand French Union

Flag of Free
Flag of French India under Free
1940-1944 France with
France
the Cross of Lorraine

Portuguese India[edit]
Flag Date Use Description
 Flag of the Kingdom of
1505–1521
Portugal.

Flag of the Kingdom of

1521–1578
Portugal.

Flag of the Kingdom of

1578–1640
Portugal.

Putative flag of the

1616–1640
Kingdom of Portugal.

Flag of the Kingdom of

1640–1667
Portugal.

Flag of the Kingdom of

1667–1706
Portugal.

1706 - 1750 Flag of the Kingdom of

1826 - 1830 Portugal.

Flag of the Kingdom of

1750–1816
Portugal.
 Flag of the Kingdom of
1816–1826
Portugal.

Flag of the Kingdom of Vertical bicolour blue-white.

1830–1910
Portugal. Proportion of the fields: 1:1.

Used from the implantation of the

1911–1961 The flag of Portugal. Portuguese Republic in 1910.
(de The final state Officially used until 1974, as
facto)/1974 flag of Portuguese Portugal only then recognised
(de jure) India. the Annexation of Portuguese
India.

Proposed official flag

1967 Proposal by F.P. de Almeida
for Portuguese India in
(proposed) Langhans. Never actually used.
1967.

Flags used by the Indian independence movement[edit]

Flag Date Use Description

Three horizontal bands of equal width with

the top being orange, the centre yellow,
and the bottom green. It had eight half-
opened lotus flowers on the top stripe, and
1906 Calcutta Flag a picture of the sun and a crescent moon
on the bottom stripe. वन्दे मातरम् (Vande
Mātaram) was inscribed in the centre
in Devanagari. [Note 1]

Early Indian
1907
nationalist flags [Note 2]
 1907

Five red and four green horizontal stripes

On the upper left quadrant was the Union
Jack, which signified the Dominion status
that the movement sought to achieve. A
Flag of the Home
1917 crescent and a star, both in white, are set
Rule Movement
in top fly. Seven white stars are arranged
as in the Saptarishi constellation (the
constellation Ursa Major), which is sacred
to Hindus. [Note 3]

Gandhi's flag,
introduced at
1921 the Indian National
Congress meeting in
1921

The Swaraj Flag,

1923–
officially adopted by
1947
the Congress in 1931

Three horizontal strips of saffron, white,

and green, with a springing tiger in the
center
Although this symbolised the armed
Flag of Provisional resistance of the Azad Hind Movement led
1942–
Government of Free by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (as
1945
India opposed to Gandhian pacifism), the 1931
flag of the Indian National Congress was
used when the Indian National
Army hoisted its flag in Moirang, Manipur.
Both flags were used interchangeably.

See also