Writings from the Raj
Our 13th September Fine Art & Antiques auction includes a collection of documents from the British Raj and Indian Princely States. Written or typed in Hindi, Urdu and English, to or from Princes, bureaucrats and businessmen, they offer a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era, including personal stories, official correspondence, and cultural exchanges.
Ranging from a hand-written Hindi/Devanagari poetic script on Lawa Rajputana headed paper embossed with the insignia of Raja Mangal Singh; a letter possibly written by a young Rajkumar Bahadur Singh from Mayo College (the "Indian Eton") detailing his recent illness; correspondence from Lt. Col. Charles Herbert to Maharaja Sawai Sir Madho Singh Bahadur of Jaipur thanking him for assistance during the 1907 Agra Concentration; and a 1915 East Indian Railway headed letter outlining the timetable for a special train laid on for a Maharajah.
Further correspondence includes a 1913 letter from Karauli seeking permission to gain the signatures of various Thakurs' (leaders) wives, illustrating the complex social hierarchies and gender roles of the time; a 1928 letter from Sikar Rajputana to Colonel Cecil Hamilton Gabriel conveying the sombre news of a young Rajkumar’s death; Upper India Commercial Association letters regarding the estate of a British merchant; astrological scrolls; legal documents; embossed stamp papers and much more.
The documents date from the 1860s up until the very last days of Raj in the 1940s, detailing commercial, personal, municipal and legal matters. They offer a snapshot of people and events during the British Raj but also highlight the upheld independence of India's princely states, their governance, cultural heritage, and interactions with the British colonial administration.
Full listing and extra images here.
