The title was conferred along with a medal and a citation (or sanad) and the recipient was entitled to prefix the title to his name. The title was conferred on behalf of the British Indian Government by the Viceroy and Governor-General of India.

The title "Khan Bahadur" was originally conferred by the Mughal Empire on Muslim subjects in recognition of public services rendered and was adopted by the British Indian Empire for the same purpose. Hindu subjects of the British Indian Empire were conferred the title of "Rai Bahadur".

The chronological list of recipients below is not exhaustive

• 31 December 1895 Sardar Mir Muhammad Hassan Gichki of Sami. (Makran Balochistan)
• 1899, Khan Bahadur Ghulam Haider Khan (Chief of Sherwani Tribe).
• 4th April 1903, Khan Bahadur Cayan Uddin Ahmet (Chief Secretary of Bengal Presidency).
• 1912, Khan Bahadur, Nadir Husain, District Superintendent of Police, Bengal. The title of Khan Bahadur was conferred on him in recognition of his services in the Police Department in June, 1912.
• 1914, Khan Bahadur Muhammad Hira Khan, (Civil Engineer from University of Roorkee(Gold Medalist); Supervisor, Public Works Department, Lucknow, United Provinces. Title conferred in January, 1914.

• 1918, Khan Bahadur Abdullah Al-Abdulelah Al-Qenaei. Had the title of Khan Sahib in 1914 Kuwait.
• 1918, Khan Bahadur Shah Jehan Khan, Nawab Of Dir.
• 1919, Khan Bahadur Taj Muhammad Khan, Marghuz Village, Mardan Tehsil.
• 1919, Khan Bahadur Alam Khan Sherwani.
• Sultan Abdul rahman Ali Raja, House of Arakkal.
• 1920, Rana Talia Muhammad Khan for meritorious services.
• 1921, Khan Bahadur Qutub Uddin, Rohila Empire [Rohilkhand]
• 1922, Sardar Nawab Khan Luni Sardar of Luni Tribe, For meritorious services in Balochistan .(Luni,Balochistan)
• January,1925 Khan Sahib Sayad Nazir Husain,M.B.E., Civil Surgeon,Punjab.
• 1925, Muhammad Salim 'Ali Adviser on Arab affairs in Aden.
• 2 January 1925 (Ali Ibrahim Lokman ) from Aden Colony, awarded the title 'Bahadur Khan' Advisor on Arab Affairs Translation and Administration Services
• 1925, Khan Bahadur Aga Syed Hussain, then Governor of Kashmir,later the First Muslim Minister to Maharaja Hari Singh in the Dogra Rule,awarded for his meritorious services.
• 1928, Alhaj Ghulam Muhammad Khan son of Khan Naurang Khan, an elder of Spin Gund faction of Lakki Marwat was awarded this title for streamlining cordial relationship between the British and hostile Spin Gund tribe of Lakki Marwat. The Deputy Commissioner/Collector of District Bannu/Edwardabad at that time Major A.E.D. Parton had to send his medal and Sanad through a messenger as he declined to attend the public awarding ceremony at Deputy Commissioner's Office in Bannu.
• 1928, Khan Bahadur Shah Hayat Ahmad, Sajjadah Nasheen Dargah Rudauli Sharif, Khanqah Shaikh Ahmad Abdul Haq, on February 4, 1928.
• 1929 Khan Bahadur P. Kalifulla Sahib Dewan of Pudukkottai State ,co- founder of justice party
• 1929, Khan Bahadur Maj.Gen. Fateh Naseeb Khan (Commander-in-chief of Alwar State Forces), was awarded the title of Khan Bahadur on 17 January 1929 ^[3]
• 1931, Khan Bahadur, Khan Sahib Chaudhri Khair-Ud-Din. Borstal Institution, Lahore Punjab.For services to the Crown and construction of Montgomery(Sahiwal)canal in Punjab.
• 1933, Khan Bahadur Justice Syed Ziaul Hasan, Chief Justice at Chief Court of Awadh, Lucknow. He belongs to a Zamindar Family of Moradabad and was the district & session judge when the title of Khan Bahadur was confer upon him as a personal distinction by then Viceroy Lord Willington.
• 1934, Khan Bahadur Saiyid Abdul Hasan, District Settlement Officer and later President of the Court of Wards in the United Provinces. He belonged to a taluqdari (madad-i ma'ash) family of Faizabad in the United Provinces.
• 1936, Khan Bahadur Muhammad Sher Khan, Marghuz Village, Mardan Tehsil.
• 1937, - Khan Bahadur Qazi Naseer Uddin Haider (Rohilkhand - Bareilly - United Province)
• 1940, - Khan Bahadur Syed Muhammad Ameer Naqvi (Patna -bihar-Hazaribagh- Jharkhand).-
• 1943, Rao Qurban Ali khan, Hen Bane Nursery, (established in 1912 ) saharanpur
• 1945, Maulvi Mahammad Roufique, Chairman, Nowgaon local board.
• 1948, Lt Colonel Khan Bahadur Muhammad Hassan Khan(Late), 1st Muslim Army Officer who was appointed by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as 1st Director General Survey of Pakistan belongs to village Domeli (now RasulPur Jali) near Jhelum. He served in the British Royal Army as well as in Pakistan Army in the Magnificent 4th Bn of Engineer Regiment, One of the most courageous and generous officers who fought in World War I & II. Because of him Pakistan occupied 3871 Square Km more during partition through the Red Cliff award. He passed away on 21 Dec 1948. Father of Lieutenant Colonel Qurban Hassan Khan(Late) 18 PMA Long Course, Chief Instructor ISI, later Advisor to the Prime Minister UAE. His Grand son Lt Colonel Faisal Hassan Khan is third generation officer serving in the Army.
• 1948, KHANBAHADUR YAR MUHAMMED KHAN BARRECH, SON TO WALI MUHAMMED KHAN BARRECH. EARNED THIS TITLE BECAUSE OF HIS ENOURMOUS HELP IN THE EARTHQUAKE THAT STRUeCK QUETTA ON THE 31 OF MAY 1935

Alhaj Khan Bahadur Syed Mohammad Abbas Zaidi,IAS from Jalali, Aligarh was awarded for his meritorious services during pre partition days. Khan Bahadur Syed Mohammad Zaki Rizvi of Sitapur who was Inspector of schools was awarded for his meritorious services.

• Dewan Bahadur
• Khan Sahib
• Rai Bahadur
• Rai Sahib