Loyal Native Officers taken at Umballa (Ambala) - 1850's
Queens Proclamation, Government House - Calcutta (Kolkata), November 1858
Arch and Iron Pillar near Qutub Minar - Delhi - 1850s
The iron pillar of Delhi, India is a 7 meter (22 feet) high pillar in the Qutb complex which is notable for the composition of the metals used in its construction.
The pillar, which weighs more than six tons, is said to have been fashioned at the time of Chandragupta Vikramaditya (375–413),though other authorities give dates as early as 912 BCE.The pillar initially stood in the centre of a Jain temple complex housing twenty-seven temples that were destroyed by Qutb-ud-din Aybak, and their material was used in building the Qutub Minar and Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. The pillar and ruins of the temple stand all around[clarification needed] the Qutb complex today. The pillar is 98% pure wrought iron, and is a testament to the high level of skill achieved by ancient Indian blacksmiths. It has attracted the attention of both archaeologists and metallurgists, as it has withstood corrosion for over 1,600 years in the open air. (Wikipedia)
Figure of Durga at Halebid in Karnataka - 1856
Source: British Library
Sind Police 1857Ruins near the Kootub Delhi - 1858
Photograph of the Qutb Minar at Delhi, taken by Robert and Harriet Tytler in 1858.
Tytler and his wife Harriet took some 500 large-format calotype negatives of scenes associated with the Uprising. Robert Tytler was present when the corps of the military regiment with whom he served mutinied in Delhi in May 1857, but managed to escape to Karnal and from there to Ambala. He was placed in charge of the Military Chest in the force which was sent to re-take Delhi, and played a conspicuous part in the siege of Delhi. Harriet Tytler was one of the few women present during the siege, during which time she gave birth to a son at the height of the hot weather of 1857.
This
is a general view from the east looking towards the tower and
surrounding tombs, the area much overgrown. The dome of the Alai Darwaza
is at the left, and a small pavilion, a late addition that for a time
stood at the top of the tower, at the right. Adham Khan's Tomb can be
seen in the distance to the left of the Qutb.
The Qutb Minar, a
tower of victory, was begun by Qutb-ud-Din Aibak, the first Sultan of
Delhi and founder of the Mamluk or Slave Dynasty, and completed by
Iltutmish (r.1211-1236). It is 72.5 m high, and rises in five tapering
fluted storeys interrupted by projecting balconies decorated with
inscriptions. The lower storeys are of red sandstone and the two highest
storeys are of white marble. They were rebuilt by Firuz Shah Tughluq
(r.1351-1388) in 1368 when a cupola was added, later destroyed by an
earthquake.Tytler and his wife Harriet took some 500 large-format calotype negatives of scenes associated with the Uprising. Robert Tytler was present when the corps of the military regiment with whom he served mutinied in Delhi in May 1857, but managed to escape to Karnal and from there to Ambala. He was placed in charge of the Military Chest in the force which was sent to re-take Delhi, and played a conspicuous part in the siege of Delhi. Harriet Tytler was one of the few women present during the siege, during which time she gave birth to a son at the height of the hot weather of 1857.
Interior view of the Lahore Gate of Palace, Delhi - 1858
Photograph
of Lahore Gate in Delhi from 'Murray Collection: Views in Delhi,
Cawnpore, Allahabad and Benares' taken by Dr. John Murray in 1858 after
the Uprising of 1857. The Lahore Gate, the western gate to the Red Fort
or Lal Qila, was constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1658)
for his new city Shahjahanabad. The Lahore gate was one of the main
entrances to the fort and is composed of a central arch with side
towers. The octogonal shaped fort complex is surrounded by high
fortification walls of red sandstone which reach between 18-33 m in
height. Key palace buildings inside the fort include the Diwan-i-Am
(Hall of Public Audience), the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience),
Moti Masjid, and the Khas Mahal (private chambers of the emperor).
Rao Petarah's Temple, Delhi 1858
Photograph
of Rao Petarah's Temple, Delhi, taken by Dr. John Murray in 1858. The
photograph shows a section from the Quwwat al-Islam mosque, part of the
complex in South Delhi that includes the Qutb Minar. The complex was
first begun by Qutb-u’d-din Aibak, the first ruler of the Slave Dynasty,
and was added to by many subsequent rulers. The Quwwat al-Islam mosque
was built in 1192. Inscriptions record that spolia from 27 Jain and
Hindu temples that were torn down for its creation. Pillars from the
destroyed temples were reused and the Hindu images were plastered over
with geometric designs. Over time, the plaster has fallen away revealing
the original Hindu carvings. This may explain why the caption refers to
the building as a temple instead of a mosque created out of Hindu
architectural material.
Exterior of the Lahore Gate of Palace, Delhi - 1858
Photograph
of Lahore Gate in Delhi from 'Murray Collection: Views in Delhi,
Cawnpore, Allahabad and Benares' taken by Dr. John Murray in 1858 after
the Uprising of 1857. The Lahore Gate, the western gate to the Red Fort
or Lal Qila, was constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1658)
for his new city Shahjahanabad. The Lahore gate was one of the main
entrances to the fort and is composed of a central arch with side
towers. The octogonal shaped fort complex is surrounded by high
fortification walls of red sandstone which reach between 18-33 m in
height. Key palace buildings inside the fort include the Diwan-i-Am
(Hall of Public Audience), the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience),
Moti Masjid, and the Khas Mahal (private chambers of the emperor).
Iron pillar at Kutub, Delhi - 1858
Photograph
of Iron Pillar in the Qutb Minar complex in Delhi from 'Murray
Collection: Views in Delhi, Cawnpore, Allahabad and Benares' taken by
Dr. John Murray in 1858 after the Uprising of 1857. The Qutub Minar
complex was initiated by Qutub-ud-din Aibak, the founder of the Slave
Dynasty in Delhi (1206-90), to celebrate the onset of Islamic rule in
India in 1192. The Iron Pillar, with a height of 7.2 m and diameter of
32 cm, is dated to the Gupta period with Sanskrit inscriptions from the
4th or 5th century. This pillar was taken from a Vishnu temple and
placed at this site before the construction of the complex. The
Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, in the background, contained within the complex
is one of the earliest extant in India and is a fine example of Islamic
architecture employing Islamic principles of accurate construction and
geometric ornamentation, but utilising Indian building traditions.
Humayoon's Tomb, Delhi - 1858
Photograph
of Humayun's tomb in Delhi from 'Murray Collection: Views in Delhi,
Cawnpore, Allahabad and Benares' taken by Dr. John Murray in 1858 after
the Uprising of 1857. The tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun (r.
1530-56) was constructed c.1565 by his widow Haji Begum. The
architectural style incorporated Persian and Mughal styles which later
influenced the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra with similar features
including a central bayed arch, a raised dome, and the use of chatris or
pavilions. The tomb is located within a char bagh, a four-fold garden.
"Based on the char bagh types established in Iran and more fully
developed in Babur's own concept of the ideal garden, such formalized
and geometrically planned garden settings became standard for all the
imperial Mughal mausolea."
Hindoo Rao's House, Delhi, from west - 1858
Photograph of Hindu Rao's House in Delhi from 'Murray Collection: Views in Delhi, Cawnpore, Allahabad and Benares' taken by Dr. John Murray in 1858 after the Uprising of 1857. This house was built in c.1820 for William Fraser (1784-1835), agent to the Governor General in Delhi. It was bought by Hindu Rao after Fraser's death. Hindu Rao was the brother of the Baiza Bai of Gwalior, the widow of Daulat Rao Scindia. During the Uprising, this house was strategically important to the British and was held by Major Reid and a force of Gurkhas, who suffered severely from enemy artillery. This building is now a hospital.
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