“It was not the British government that began seizing great chunks of India in the mid-eighteenth century, but a dangerously unregulated private company headquartered in one small office….” In his 2019 book ‘The Anarchy’, this is how William Dalrymple describes the East India Company—the only trading company in the world to mint its own currency.… Read more »
Nazrana were limited-edition novelties minted not as currency, but as gifts to a superior or souvenirs to mark special occasions. A Nazarana was crafted simply to be presented with all the pomp and circumstance at the giver’s disposal. This is a silver one minted in the name of Queen Victoria by Madan Singh; coins like… Read more »
This print is from Auguste Racinet’s “Le Costume Historique,” (Paris, circa 1880). Auguste Racinet’s ‘Le Costume Historique’, published in France between 1876 and 1888, was the most extensive costume study ever attempted for its time. The six-volume work is highly peculiar in its details and attempts to cover the history of style from around the world,… Read more »
In the mid-1870s, an Indian engineer emerged as an unlikely documentarian of both the British Raj and princely India. The story of Lala Deen Dayal is tied to the fortunes of Hyderabad and its flamboyant sixth Nizam
The sari is draped in more than 100 ways across the country, evolving with time and influenced heavily by geography, culture and even popular entertainment
Compelling portraits from our archive of a budding metropolis, its evolving skyline and fascinating people
John Burke was an Irish photographer who took some of the earliest photos ever of Afghanistan. Employed as a tradesman in his homeland, he applied to the British Army to work as an official photographer; he’s best known for his work during the second Anglo-Afghan war. Later, he travelled to Afghanistan at his own expense,… Read more »
By the time Felice Beato arrived with his camera in 1858, the actual fighting had stopped. How then did he create such evocative photographs of war?
This is a X kas or 10 Cash coin of Indo-Danish extraction. Relic of an empire we don’t often mention when we talk about colonial rule in India. The Danes made an official appearance in these parts after the monarch of Denmark, King Christian IV signed a charter for the establishment of the Danish East… Read more »
This engraving is after a painting by James Hunter, from his collection of illustrations titled “Picturesque Scenery in the Kingdom of Mysore”. James Hunter worked for the Royal British Artillery in India and took part in the campaigns against Tipu Sultan. After the signing of the Treaty of Seringapatnam (Srirangapatna) , Hunter took permission from Tipu… Read more »
This early 19th century map illustrates the division of Hindustan into ‘soubahs’, or administrative provinces, as listed in the late 16th century Mughal text, the Ain-i-Akbari. The map’s legend distinguishes Hindustan proper, the plains of northern India under the rule and administration of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, from the independent Deccan. In the South, the… Read more »
Just like us, people in the 1800s too wanted to look their best in pictures. They put on their finest clothes, made sure all their nicest possessions were all in the frame and angled the lens so it would tell their side of the story. Through a sampling of the works in Sarmaya’s first ever… Read more »