Rosemary Raza has published a book chronicling the history of Sindh in pictures and paintings. M Ali Talpur explores the historical and cultural value of this work
The book Representing Sindh: Images of the British Encounter by Rosemary Raza is a comprehensive record of the British presence in Sindh. As the title suggests, it deals in images, be they sketches, lithograms, paintings or photographs, with the oldest encounter being writings about Sindh dating back to 1699 when Alexander Hamilton visited the region.
Sindh’s strategic position and the rivalry between Britain, France and Russia brought it to the attention of all. At the end of the 18th century, the British sent people to Sindh, who were trained to write reports and record information; drawings and paintings being an important method of recording history as it played out. This explains why draughtsmen and artists played such an important role in recording the history of the land and its people. Lieutenant Robert Melville Grindlay, who came to the area in 1808, was the first to record a view of the Hyderabad Fort. The author explains how the progress made in the field of painting - be it in terms of technique or advancements in materials - in the last decades of the 18th century was immensely important in the effort to record the beauty of Sindh on canvas.
The author quite unobtrusively records the military and political developments that were taking place in the region, which were slowly but surely affecting the future of the region. This book does not merely show the recording of the history of art by people from England associated with the East India Company or the government. Instead it traces out the social, political, economic and military developments that were prevalent during the time that the first Englishman arrived in Sindh, and up till the point where they left. The books mentioned by the author are all those that have dealt elaborately with Sindh, its people and rulers. So it gives the reader an opportunity to explore and learn more about Sindh and its people.
A depiction of the Hyderabad Fort from 1845
She mentions William Maxfield, who arrived on the scene in 1809, and made extensive sketches and paintings for the crown. Another interesting development was the use of illustrations in the travel books written by Henry Pottinger and others. Maxfield sketched the tombs at Makli during his time at Thatta. Invariably, interest in Sindh increased after James Burnes stayed at the Talpur court, where he treated Mir Murad Ali in 1827.
The author mentions, among others, Lt Del Hoste - a surveyor who had come with Pottinger and was an expert draughtsman, but his sketches not only depicted the splendour of the region, but also the common people. Charles Masson travelled extensively and his book featured some of his sketches. The 1830s saw an explosion of material, as more and more people took to illustrating their experiences in this cultural haven.
British draughtsmen and artists played a vital role in recording the history of Sindh and its people
The author has not only dealt with the development and history of lithographs, paintings, artists and draughtsmen in Sindh, but also with that of photography, and of course, photographers. The book The People of India included photographs of Sindh by Captain William Houghton and Lieutenant Henry Tanner during the 1860s - and there are many pictures of Talpurs in those photographs - which are now at the Royal Geographical Society. The author has used the picture of young Mir Abdul Hussain ‘Sangi’ from that collection, and thanks to the information provided by her, I was able to get pictures of our elders living in the 1860s.
I had shared the picture of my paternal great grandfather Mir Ghulam Hussain (1847-1886), photographed by Michie & co. It too has found a place in the book, as have the paintings of the Talpur ruling family by Benjamin Hudson. My maternal grandfather (1867-1918) and his brothers were photographed by R Jhalbhoy of Elphinstone Street, who the author also mentions in the book.
The Ranikot Fort in Jamshoro - built by the Talpurs and potentially the largest fort in the world
The illustrations in the book are of exceptional quality. The text is without typos and is neatly divided into appropriate chapters, making not only for a very pleasant read, but also a comprehensive one - given the 144 pages that hold valuable information on Sindh and the time that the British spent there.
My relatives from Tando Noor Mohammad - especially Mir Hyder Ali Talpur, other members of the royal family, Mir Sulaiman, my nephew - and I had the opportunity of hosting the author in Hyderabad, and doing whatever we could to help provide details of the history of Talpurs, be they paintings or pictures. The book holds great value for a historian, artist, photographer or anyone with a love for art and history. It has a very special and warm place in the hearts of Talpurs, whose history has been presented without bias and the light it deserves to be in.
