Mutiny Memorial. 1863. North Ridge, Delhi, India. [Click on the images to enlarge them.] This monument commemorates the memory of soldiers killed in the fierce battle to recapture Delhi over which the British had lost complete control during the Great Indian Mutiny-Revolt of 1857. Located on the Ridge in the northern part of the city, from where the British planned their advance, laying siege to, and eventually storming, the city, the Memorial was raised "In Memory of those officers and soldiers, British and Native, of the Delhi Field Force who were killed in action or died of wounds or disease between 30th May and 20th September 1857."
The memorial was retained even after Independence. But in 1972 a plaque was added to commemorate those "who rose against colonial rule and fought bravely for national liberation in 1857" as "immortal martyrs for Indian freedom." With this mixture of magnanimity and patriotic pride, history is recognised here and the dead of both sides duly commemorated.
Upper two photographs and text © Medha Malik Kudaisya, Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore. Lower two photographs and accompanying comments by Jacqueline Banerjee. Formatting and perspective correction by George P. Landow and Banerjee. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.
Related Material
Further Reading
Dalrymple, W. City of Djinns - A Year in Delhi. London, 1993.
Fanshawe, Herbert Charles. Delhi past and present. London, 1902.
Frykenberg, F R. Delhi through the ages. Delhi, 1986.
Gupta, Narayani. Delhi between two empires, 1803-1921. Delhi, 1986.
Spear, Percival. Delhi, its monuments and history. Delhi, 1994.
Stokes, Eric. The Peasant Armed: the Indian revolt of 1857. New York, 1986.
Last modified 14 June 2021