MARCH TO FREEDOM: REFLECTIONS ON INDIA'S INDEPENDENCE

Thomas Anbury, a military engineer, would have seen this stunning gorge while surveying the route of the allies (the British, Hyderabad State, and the Marathas), as they occupied territory that Tipu Sultan ceded in 1792 after the third Anglo Mysore war. Today, Gandikota is in Andhra Pradesh, while Mysore is in Karnataka, even though they are linked through their histories. What other places are connected in this way?

Every major power tried to control Gwalior Fort. Sometimes, they suceeded. Today, the Fort hosts a school, museums, temples, a gurudwara, and archaeological sites owned by the governments of India and Madhya Pradesh. With so many ‘owners’ both in the past and the present, is it possible to decide whether the Fort ‘truly’ belongs to any one? Look closely at the subtitle of this image. It suggests that the picture was made just after the Fort was captured by General Popham in 1779, during the first battles between the Marathas and the British. In fact, it dates to 1804, just after the Fort was won by the British once more, during the second Anglo-Maratha wars.

The Dutch, the Danes and the French also established colonies in the Indian subcontinent. Although the French and Dutch retained Pondicherry and Goa as colonial outposts, the British eventually became the main colonial power in our part of the world. How might different experiences of colonialism have shaped the struggle for freedom in these places compared to British India? What about those places that were not under European colonial rule?

Thomas Anbury, a military engineer, would have seen this stunning gorge while surveying the route of the allies (the British, Hyderabad State, and the Marathas), as they occupied territory that Tipu Sultan ceded in 1792 after the third Anglo Mysore war. Today, Gandikota is in Andhra Pradesh, while Mysore is in Karnataka, even though they are linked through their histories. What other places are connected in this way?

Every major power tried to control Gwalior Fort. Sometimes, they suceeded. Today, the Fort hosts a school, museums, temples, a gurudwara, and archaeological sites owned by the governments of India and Madhya Pradesh. With so many ‘owners’ both in the past and the present, is it possible to decide whether the Fort ‘truly’ belongs to any one? Look closely at the subtitle of this image. It suggests that the picture was made just after the Fort was captured by General Popham in 1779, during the first battles between the Marathas and the British. In fact, it dates to 1804, just after the Fort was won by the British once more, during the second Anglo-Maratha wars.

The Dutch, the Danes and the French also established colonies in the Indian subcontinent. Although the French and Dutch retained Pondicherry and Goa as colonial outposts, the British eventually became the main colonial power in our part of the world. How might different experiences of colonialism have shaped the struggle for freedom in these places compared to British India? What about those places that were not under European colonial rule?

Thomas Anbury, a military engineer, would have seen this stunning gorge while surveying the route of the allies (the British, Hyderabad State, and the Marathas), as they occupied territory that Tipu Sultan ceded in 1792 after the third Anglo Mysore war. Today, Gandikota is in Andhra Pradesh, while Mysore is in Karnataka, even though they are linked through their histories. What other places are connected in this way?

Every major power tried to control Gwalior Fort. Sometimes, they suceeded. Today, the Fort hosts a school, museums, temples, a gurudwara, and archaeological sites owned by the governments of India and Madhya Pradesh. With so many ‘owners’ both in the past and the present, is it possible to decide whether the Fort ‘truly’ belongs to any one? Look closely at the subtitle of this image. It suggests that the picture was made just after the Fort was captured by General Popham in 1779, during the first battles between the Marathas and the British. In fact, it dates to 1804, just after the Fort was won by the British once more, during the second Anglo-Maratha wars.

The Dutch, the Danes and the French also established colonies in the Indian subcontinent. Although the French and Dutch retained Pondicherry and Goa as colonial outposts, the British eventually became the main colonial power in our part of the world. How might different experiences of colonialism have shaped the struggle for freedom in these places compared to British India? What about those places that were not under European colonial rule?

These charming portraits (here and on the following pages) of some of the professions that powered trade and the economy, are but a few examples of the people that the British and other empire-building Europeans relied on. They could not have lived and worked in India without having their help. How much do we too rely on such professions today?

India’s rich textiles and expert weavers were valued globally for thousands of years, so it is no surprise to see a dress merchant or weaver here. But the needs of administering European trade and colonies in India provided new employment opportunities to some Indians, just as later, the computing boom provided new kinds of jobs in software development and programming. What other jobs and economic opportunities did the colonial trade network provide?

These charming portraits (here and on the following pages) of some of the professions that powered trade and the economy, are but a few examples of the people that the British and other empire-building Europeans relied on. They could not have lived and worked in India without having their help. How much do we too rely on such professions today?

India’s rich textiles and expert weavers were valued globally for thousands of years, so it is no surprise to see a dress merchant or weaver here. But the needs of administering European trade and colonies in India provided new employment opportunities to some Indians, just as later, the computing boom provided new kinds of jobs in software development and programming. What other jobs and economic opportunities did the colonial trade network provide?

The spot where the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara shrine is built, is believed to be the place where Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, rested on his visits to nearby Sarnath, in today’s Uttar Pradesh. The area used to be a deer park. Do you know any other names for Sarnath? Dorothy Newsome and a fellow artist, Kathleen Nixon, worked together on magazine and book illustrations. They were in India on other work in the late 1920s, when Newsome was commissioned to design posters for the railways. How would you design a poster for Sarnath? Would you choose an elephant too?

The Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples and monasteries cut from rock at Ellora are over a thousand years old. They are considered world heritage, and not just special to India alone. Which other places in India are so famous? V. A. Mali was a well known artist, who lived from 1911-2011. He was born in Kolhapur and studied at Mumbai’s Sir J. J. School of Art and would have designed this poster when he was around 19. How much would Ellora have changed in the course of his life? How has it changed since he made this?

The rail line to Shimla, the summer capital of the British Raj, opened nearly 120 years ago. A lot of political activity, including meetings to negotiate independence, such as the Shimla Conference of 1945, took place there. The railway made it possible for politicians from different parts of India to meet there.

The spot where the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara shrine is built, is believed to be the place where Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, rested on his visits to nearby Sarnath, in today’s Uttar Pradesh. The area used to be a deer park. Do you know any other names for Sarnath? Dorothy Newsome and a fellow artist, Kathleen Nixon, worked together on magazine and book illustrations. They were in India on other work in the late 1920s, when Newsome was commissioned to design posters for the railways. How would you design a poster for Sarnath? Would you choose an elephant too?

The Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples and monasteries cut from rock at Ellora are over a thousand years old. They are considered world heritage, and not just special to India alone. Which other places in India are so famous? V. A. Mali was a well known artist, who lived from 1911-2011. He was born in Kolhapur and studied at Mumbai’s Sir J. J. School of Art and would have designed this poster when he was around 19. How much would Ellora have changed in the course of his life? How has it changed since he made this?

The rail line to Shimla, the summer capital of the British Raj, opened nearly 120 years ago. A lot of political activity, including meetings to negotiate independence, such as the Shimla Conference of 1945, took place there. The railway made it possible for politicians from different parts of India to meet there.

The spot where the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara shrine is built, is believed to be the place where Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, rested on his visits to nearby Sarnath, in today’s Uttar Pradesh. The area used to be a deer park. Do you know any other names for Sarnath? Dorothy Newsome and a fellow artist, Kathleen Nixon, worked together on magazine and book illustrations. They were in India on other work in the late 1920s, when Newsome was commissioned to design posters for the railways. How would you design a poster for Sarnath? Would you choose an elephant too?

The Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples and monasteries cut from rock at Ellora are over a thousand years old. They are considered world heritage, and not just special to India alone. Which other places in India are so famous? V. A. Mali was a well known artist, who lived from 1911-2011. He was born in Kolhapur and studied at Mumbai’s Sir J. J. School of Art and would have designed this poster when he was around 19. How much would Ellora have changed in the course of his life? How has it changed since he made this?

The rail line to Shimla, the summer capital of the British Raj, opened nearly 120 years ago. A lot of political activity, including meetings to negotiate independence, such as the Shimla Conference of 1945, took place there. The railway made it possible for politicians from different parts of India to meet there.

George V and Mary were the first British King and Queen to attend a durbar in person in 1911. Although formal audiences and processions were familiar events for them in Britain, some local practices were new to them. King George wanted to ride a horse instead of the traditional elephant used for royalty in India. As a result, the people gathered to watch him enter Delhi missed spotting him! The British liked to present Indian rulers as colourful props on such occasions, and nationalist politicians took the same view. The truth was more complicated. Several princely states were better governed than British India. Do you think that everything in our past has to be rejected if it is old? Is there a place for our royal heritage in a democratic nation?

In 1903, the second of three Imperial durbars was held at Delhi, organised by George Curzon, Viceroy of India. He is seated on the first elephant with his wife Mary, in this image. Behind them are the Duke and Duchess of Connaught (brother and sister-in-law of King Edward VII), followed by Indian rulers. Does it remind you of other processions? Mary, the Vicereine, was born an American, and was just 33 when this event was organised. Do you think she had culture shock? The dress she wore during this durbar was made of a special cloth woven and embroidered in India, patterned on peacock feathers. It is still on display at the family house in Kedleston in England.

Maharana Bhupal Singh (b. 1884) was ruler of Mewar State from 1930-1955. As the head of the senior royal house in Rajputana (now Rajasthan), his decision to join the Union of India in 1948 was an important signal to his contemporaries. He even hosted several meetings between fellowrulers and nationalist politicians, to discuss how to go about it. This view shows the Maharana in procession at the Manek Chowk of the City Palace at Udaipur, the capital. Such processions still take place, especially as a part of festivals. The royal courts were, and continue to be, patrons of local cultural and religious traditions. Is there a local festival that begins at a historic site where you are from?

George V and Mary were the first British King and Queen to attend a durbar in person in 1911. Although formal audiences and processions were familiar events for them in Britain, some local practices were new to them. King George wanted to ride a horse instead of the traditional elephant used for royalty in India. As a result, the people gathered to watch him enter Delhi missed spotting him! The British liked to present Indian rulers as colourful props on such occasions, and nationalist politicians took the same view. The truth was more complicated. Several princely states were better governed than British India. Do you think that everything in our past has to be rejected if it is old? Is there a place for our royal heritage in a democratic nation?

In 1903, the second of three Imperial durbars was held at Delhi, organised by George Curzon, Viceroy of India. He is seated on the first elephant with his wife Mary, in this image. Behind them are the Duke and Duchess of Connaught (brother and sister-in-law of King Edward VII), followed by Indian rulers. Does it remind you of other processions? Mary, the Vicereine, was born an American, and was just 33 when this event was organised. Do you think she had culture shock? The dress she wore during this durbar was made of a special cloth woven and embroidered in India, patterned on peacock feathers. It is still on display at the family house in Kedleston in England.

Maharana Bhupal Singh (b. 1884) was ruler of Mewar State from 1930-1955. As the head of the senior royal house in Rajputana (now Rajasthan), his decision to join the Union of India in 1948 was an important signal to his contemporaries. He even hosted several meetings between fellowrulers and nationalist politicians, to discuss how to go about it. This view shows the Maharana in procession at the Manek Chowk of the City Palace at Udaipur, the capital. Such processions still take place, especially as a part of festivals. The royal courts were, and continue to be, patrons of local cultural and religious traditions. Is there a local festival that begins at a historic site where you are from?

George V and Mary were the first British King and Queen to attend a durbar in person in 1911. Although formal audiences and processions were familiar events for them in Britain, some local practices were new to them. King George wanted to ride a horse instead of the traditional elephant used for royalty in India. As a result, the people gathered to watch him enter Delhi missed spotting him! The British liked to present Indian rulers as colourful props on such occasions, and nationalist politicians took the same view. The truth was more complicated. Several princely states were better governed than British India. Do you think that everything in our past has to be rejected if it is old? Is there a place for our royal heritage in a democratic nation?

In 1903, the second of three Imperial durbars was held at Delhi, organised by George Curzon, Viceroy of India. He is seated on the first elephant with his wife Mary, in this image. Behind them are the Duke and Duchess of Connaught (brother and sister-in-law of King Edward VII), followed by Indian rulers. Does it remind you of other processions? Mary, the Vicereine, was born an American, and was just 33 when this event was organised. Do you think she had culture shock? The dress she wore during this durbar was made of a special cloth woven and embroidered in India, patterned on peacock feathers. It is still on display at the family house in Kedleston in England.

Maharana Bhupal Singh (b. 1884) was ruler of Mewar State from 1930-1955. As the head of the senior royal house in Rajputana (now Rajasthan), his decision to join the Union of India in 1948 was an important signal to his contemporaries. He even hosted several meetings between fellowrulers and nationalist politicians, to discuss how to go about it. This view shows the Maharana in procession at the Manek Chowk of the City Palace at Udaipur, the capital. Such processions still take place, especially as a part of festivals. The royal courts were, and continue to be, patrons of local cultural and religious traditions. Is there a local festival that begins at a historic site where you are from?

Lezim is a folk dance from Maharashtra, with a few variations across the region. The artist, Chittaprosad, was especially good at portraying common people. He gained international attention for his drawings of the Bengal Famine of 1943-44. But these dancers are strong and full of energy, capturing the power of ordinary people and their life.

Bala Saraswathi, from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, came from a family of hereditary musicians and dancers. She made Bharatanatyam — originally called Sadir — famous around India and the world as a classical dance form. At the same time, other women of her community were banned from practising it after independence, as they were considered courtesans or ‘devadasis’, and thus not ‘suitable’.

Lezim is a folk dance from Maharashtra, with a few variations across the region. The artist, Chittaprosad, was especially good at portraying common people. He gained international attention for his drawings of the Bengal Famine of 1943-44. But these dancers are strong and full of energy, capturing the power of ordinary people and their life.

Bala Saraswathi, from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, came from a family of hereditary musicians and dancers. She made Bharatanatyam — originally called Sadir — famous around India and the world as a classical dance form. At the same time, other women of her community were banned from practising it after independence, as they were considered courtesans or ‘devadasis’, and thus not ‘suitable’.

The Institue of Science, today a part of the University of Mumbai, was founded as the Royal Institue of Science in 1920. Scholars have shown that many scientific advances and discoveries of the past were made in collaboration between experts and locals. Scientists were led by local knowledge, for example, of medicinal plants and wildlife, to develop new drugs or study diseases. Science is still done in collaboration today, and the best example of this is the development of Covid-19 vaccines by scientists all over the world. Can you name five internationally famous Indian scientists?

Customs houses collect the taxes that governments charge on the products that enter and leave the country. Taxes are meant to support local business and the economy; and to fund the work of government. Under colonial rule, tax regimes supported British, rather than Indian business. Control over the revenues of India was essential to Indian independence. Customs houses are not the only way in which we pay taxes today. Can you think of a few others?

The Institue of Science, today a part of the University of Mumbai, was founded as the Royal Institue of Science in 1920. Scholars have shown that many scientific advances and discoveries of the past were made in collaboration between experts and locals. Scientists were led by local knowledge, for example, of medicinal plants and wildlife, to develop new drugs or study diseases. Science is still done in collaboration today, and the best example of this is the development of Covid-19 vaccines by scientists all over the world. Can you name five internationally famous Indian scientists?

Customs houses collect the taxes that governments charge on the products that enter and leave the country. Taxes are meant to support local business and the economy; and to fund the work of government. Under colonial rule, tax regimes supported British, rather than Indian business. Control over the revenues of India was essential to Indian independence. Customs houses are not the only way in which we pay taxes today. Can you think of a few others?

When photography was first invented, it was a difficult and labour-intensive process. There was a lot of equipment, chemicals that were easily spoilt in extreme weather conditions, and the process itself was slow. It was better suited for portraits, or calm landscapes. Despite this, photojournalism — telling a news story through pictures — is nearly as old as photography.

But it really became popular when cameras became portable, and when printing technology improved enough that photographs could be reproduced in newspapers and magazines. What recent news story did you learn about through a photograph? Do you still remember it? Many people around the world and in India, learned about Gandhiji’s assasination through the photographs of Henri CartierBresson. The French photographer (who was a photographic artist as much as a photojournalist) was in India to take pictures of our newly independent country.

He met Gandhiji and photographed him moments before he stepped out for his last prayer meeting on 30 January 1948. And so he was there to take these images too, of a nation in shock and mourning at the killing of its ‘Father’.

When photography was first invented, it was a difficult and labour-intensive process. There was a lot of equipment, chemicals that were easily spoilt in extreme weather conditions, and the process itself was slow. It was better suited for portraits, or calm landscapes. Despite this, photojournalism — telling a news story through pictures — is nearly as old as photography.

But it really became popular when cameras became portable, and when printing technology improved enough that photographs could be reproduced in newspapers and magazines. What recent news story did you learn about through a photograph? Do you still remember it? Many people around the world and in India, learned about Gandhiji’s assasination through the photographs of Henri CartierBresson. The French photographer (who was a photographic artist as much as a photojournalist) was in India to take pictures of our newly independent country.

He met Gandhiji and photographed him moments before he stepped out for his last prayer meeting on 30 January 1948. And so he was there to take these images too, of a nation in shock and mourning at the killing of its ‘Father’.

When photography was first invented, it was a difficult and labour-intensive process. There was a lot of equipment, chemicals that were easily spoilt in extreme weather conditions, and the process itself was slow. It was better suited for portraits, or calm landscapes. Despite this, photojournalism — telling a news story through pictures — is nearly as old as photography.

But it really became popular when cameras became portable, and when printing technology improved enough that photographs could be reproduced in newspapers and magazines. What recent news story did you learn about through a photograph? Do you still remember it? Many people around the world and in India, learned about Gandhiji’s assasination through the photographs of Henri CartierBresson. The French photographer (who was a photographic artist as much as a photojournalist) was in India to take pictures of our newly independent country.

He met Gandhiji and photographed him moments before he stepped out for his last prayer meeting on 30 January 1948. And so he was there to take these images too, of a nation in shock and mourning at the killing of its ‘Father’.