21 Gun Salute Honour

The 21 gun salute honour can be understood as a customary gun salute that is considered to be one of the highest accords of military honors in most of the countries of the world. This salute is performed by means of firing artillery and cannons and is most widely recognized. 

A reference to the 21 gun salute is the song 21 guns by Green Day. It is also interesting to note that the song “For those about to rock”, the use of Naploleanic cannons and 21 gun salute is mentioned actively throughout. 

Presently, 24 countries in the world recognize the 21 gun salute honour and use this military honour on multiple occasions. These countries are Bangladesh, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States, and Venezuela. These countries differ in the rounds of shots they salute and the directions in which they shoot.

What is State Honor? 

What is State Honor? The simple answer is that state honor is the honour reserved for people of national significance. The honour is held for the purpose of national mourning for the deceased. The funeral ceremony is held under strict national protocols and includes a great deal of security, distinctive military elements, and mourning overtones. 

State honors generate publicity from the world, mostly because of the wide appeal they have. The state funerals are only kept after taking due permission from the family of the deceased. Almost every country in the world gives state honour to its citizens of national importance. 

In India, State Honours are given to current and former Prime Ministers, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Cabinet and Union ministers, and other eminent personalities. There is no fixed criteria to know who will receive the state honour in India. Instead, the power to decide rests in the hands of the state and the union government. 

Why and to whom is the 21 Gun Salute given in India?

In India, the 21 gun salute honor is accorded to the President on not one, but many occasions. The swearing-in ceremony, or the first day in office of the President, receives a 21 gun salute honour. On Republic Day (26th January each year), the National Flag of India and the Indian President are awarded the 21 gun salute honour this is the answer for why and to whom the 21 gun salute is given in India.

During the Independence day celebration (15th August each year), 21 gun salutes are received. Although there are no prime beneficiaries, the salute is performed as a customary ritual. When India hosts the visit of any foreign state head, he is honoured with a 21 gun salute, while the head of government receives a 19 gun salute. This takes place at Rashtrapati Bhavan where a formal reception for the foreign state head is kept. 

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It was not always like this in India. During the time of its independence, India adopted a hierarchical system of gun salutes from the British Government. The highest number of gun salutes (101) was given to the Indian King or the Indian Emperor. The lowest number of gun salutes (9) were given to the Governors of Daman and Diu respectively. 

Before India attained its independence, the Viceroy received a 31 gun vice-regal salute which was unique and truly worth a watch. Enough being said about the history of the 21 gun salute in India, let us talk about the overall history of how the 21 gun salutes emerged and started. 

What is the History Behind the 21 Gun Salute? 

As fascinating as the entire ritual of honoring the state or government through the 21 gun salute, its history is equally huge and whimsical. One might not expect it to be true, but the discussions about the first use of a 21 gun salute date back to the late sixteenth century. It was then that the practice of placing oneself in a completely unarmed position and using cannons to honour someone else was started. 

Interestingly, firing cannons was only one of the many ways in which another party was honoured. Dropping the sword point, lowering sails, layering oars, removing headdresses were some of the other common ways used. 

However, most people acclaim the naval tradition of the late 1500s to describe the emergence of the use of the 21 gun salute. The number started from the salute of 7 guns and gradually increased to seven. The story behind this is not simple math. When a ship used to fire 7 gunshots, the forts behind them were supposed to fire 3 shots to each shot, hence increasing the total number to 21. 

Samuel Pepys is regarded as the founder of the idea of firing only an odd number of shots (7,9,21, etc). He was the secretary to the Restoration Navy and suggested that this was a way of economizing how much gunpowder was being used. Even numbers symbolized death, so odd numbers became the norm. 

Around the nineteenth century, the British and American governments adopted the approach of returning salutes from gun to gun. Back in the day and even now in some places, the 21 gun salute is regarded as one of the highest military honours.

Did you know these Facts About the 21 Gun Salute Honour?

Here are some of the interesting and fun facts that not many people know about the historic 21 gun salute honour: 

• One of the earliest intents of using a 21 gun salute was in fact to assure the foreign ports that the purpose of their visit was nothing but peaceful. It is ironic how the hard-hitting and violent sound of guns being discharged was actually a symbol of peace. 

• Whenever the occasion is positively induced and demands a gun salute, the number is always odd, for example, 17 or 21. One will never get to witness an even number of gun salutes for it is only reserved for unhappy occasions like mourning. 

• Historically, the interval between consecutive gun salutes was kept at 10 seconds. At times of the unavailability of a stopwatch, the military men were required to say a slogan to keep track of time. Presently, the time interval has been reduced to 5 seconds.

• Earlier, the salute used to involve the gun being shot'. That is, including both powder and shot. However, the tradition came to a halt after two situations stemming from the danger due to the passing of that gunshot. One with Queen Elizabeth and another with Charles II. 

• The 21 gun salute is only honored for royal and national purposes. For salutes of lower positions, 7 to 19 gunshots are used. 

• Some gun salutes are returned by guns while others are not. If the salute is made to a flag of a nation or that belonging to a foreign officer, it is returned gun by gun. Salute to a British officer's flag by HM's ship is returned by the number of guns corresponding to the salute of the initiating officer.

Certain occasions also witness a special return salute of 7 guns to Captain and Commander rank officers.