Mir Alum Lake, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of the Mir Alam Lake, near the city of Hyderabad, Andrea Pradesh, taken by Deen Dayal in the 1880s. This is from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. The Mir Alam Tank, near Hyderabad, is a fine piece of engineering with 21 arches around the periphery, holding 20.7 sq. km (8 square miles) of water. It was built by French engineers and named after Mir Alam, the prime minister of the Nizam of Hyderabad from 1804-1808.

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The entrance bridge to City, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of the entrance bridge to the city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. This view was taken by Lala Deen Dayal (1844-1905) in the 1880s. Dayal took up photography in the 1870s and in 1884 became official photographer to the Nizam of Hyderabad, with studios in Secunderabad and Indore. Hyderabad was founded beside the River Musi in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (r.1580-1612) as an alternative to his capital at Golconda. Later, Hyderabad became the capital of the Nizams of Hyderabad, who ruled over one of the largest states in India from 1724 to 1948. The dynasty was founded by Nizam al-Mulk, entitled Asaf Jah (d. 1748) who had arrived in the Deccan as the Mughal governor before declaring his independence. During their time in power the Nizams constructed many buildings of architectural importance.

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The Residency Chaderghat, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of the British Residency in Hyderabad, taken by Deen Dayal in the 1880s, from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. The building was instigated by Colonel James Achilles Kirkpatirck (1764-1805), the British Resident who ousted the French and established British supremacy in Hyderabad in 1798. He negotiated several treaties on behalf of the Governor-General with the Nizam of Hyderabad before he died while on a visit to Calcutta in 1805. The Residency was designed by Samuel Russell, son of the artist John Russell (1744-1806) and was built between 1803 and 1806. The construction was paid for by the Nizam of Hyderabad. This is a view of the front of the building with its Corinthian portico crowned by a pediment showing the arms of the East India Company. Colossal lion sculptures flank the steps up to the entrance.

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Bashir-bagh Palace, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of the Bashir Bagh Palace, Hyderabad, Andrea Pradesh, taken by Deen Dayal in the 1880s, from the Curzon Collection: 'Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1892'. The Palace was constructed by Asman Jah who was Prime Minister of Hyderabad from 1887 to 1894. The palace has since been dismantled, however the area is still known as Basheerbagh.

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The Residency, Hyderabad - Ancient Photos

Photograph of the Residency, Hyderabad taken by an unknown photographer in the 1900s. The photograph is from an album containing views of various locations in India, formerly in the collection of Horatio Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum and Broome, (1850-1916), who was Commander in Chief of India between 1902 and 1909.

The Residency at Hyderabad was initiated by Colonel James Achilles Kirkpatirck, the British Resident who ousted the French and established British supremacy in Hyderabad in 1798. It was designed by Samuel Russell, son of the artist John Russell (1744-1806) and was built between 1803 and 1806. The construction was paid for by the Nizam of Hyderabad. On the front of the building is a Corinthian portico crowned by a pediment showing the arms of the East India Company. It now houses the University College for Women.

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Maty boys (under-servants) at work

Photogr&h of M&ty boys (uer-serv&ts) &t work i Ii&, t&ke by Hooer && Wester i c. 1870, fro the Arch&eologic&l Survey of Ii& Collectios.This i&ge showig two serv&ts &t work, oe w&shig crockery, the other ourig w&ter ito & te&ot, is resu&bly oe of the series of views which w&s show first &t the Loo Exhibitio of 1871 & l&ter &t the Vie& Exhibitio of 1873.

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Close view of the southern gate of the Qutb Minar enclosure, Delhi

Photograph of the southern gate of the Qutb Minar enclosure in Delhi from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections, taken by W. Caney in the 1870s. This is a close view of the ruined gateway leading to the Qutb Minar complex, which lies in the middle of the east side of the Lal Kot in southern Delhi. The Lal Kot is a citadel founded in 1060 by Anangpal of the Tomar Rajputs, and was the first city of Delhi. The complex contains some of the earliest surviving examples of Islamic architecture in India, built by the first Sultans of Delhi from the late 12th century onward. These include the Qutb Minar tower of victory, one of the most famous monuments in India begun by Qutb-ud-Din Aibak (r.1206-1210), the first Sultan of Delhi and founder of the Slave Dynasty, and continued by Shams-ud-Din Iltutmish (r.1211-1236); the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the earliest surviving mosque in India, begun in 1193; and the Tomb of Iltutmish, (1236), the first surviving tomb of an Islamic ruler in India, among other monuments.

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Three temples at Dubrajpur, Birbhum District

Photograph of three Shiva temples in Dubrajpur, West Bengal from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections: India Office Series, taken by an unknown photographer in the 1870s. The central shrine is single storied, sits on a raised platform and has but one entrance. The temple is classified as a trayodassha-ratna (thirteen-pinnacled) shrine and is typical of the Dubrajpur type. It is decorated with sculptures of foliate designs and carved figures of Krishna are found on the panels, playing the flute while surrounded by adoring gopis (young cattle-tending maidens).

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Portrait of a Brahmin of the Carnatic, Bombay

Portrait of a Brahmin of the Carnatic seated beside low table laid out with various religious objects, by Hurrichund Chintamon the 1860s. This photograph, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections, was part of the Paris Exhibition of 1867.This is one of a series of ethnographical photographs commissioned by the Government of India in the late 19th century in order to record the tribes, races and castes on the sub-continent. The Brahmins or Priests, are highest of the four Hindu castes.

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A Peon (Bombay)

Full-length standing carte-de-visite portrait of a peon, or messenger holding a letter, or note, one of a series of prints of ethnic types and occupations taken by Bourne and Shepherd in the early 1870s. The word 'peon' is derived from the Portuguese word peao; from pe, 'foot' and meaning a 'footman'. It was originally used in the sense of a 'foot-soldier' and later as 'orderly' or messenger. It is still a commonly used term in India.

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Colossal rock-cut figures of Jain tirthankaras, Gwalior

Photograph of rock-cut figures of Jain tirthankaras in Gwalior, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections: India Office Series (volume 33), taken by George Edward Herne in 1869. Large sculptures of Jain 'tirthankharas' or saviours, dating between the 7th and the 15th centuries, are cut into the rocks along the steep sides of the road leading up to the Urwahi Gate of Gwalior Fort on the western side of the plateau. This view shows part of a group of 22 standing tirthankaras of up to nineteen metres in height set into deeply carved recesses. This range of sculptures dates from between 1400 to 1453.

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Women with curry stone and raggy mill, Madras

Photograph of two women with a curry stone and a raggy mill at Madras in Tamil Nadu, taken by Nicholas and Curths in c.1870, from the Archaeological Survey of India. This photograph was shown at the Vienna Universal Exhibition of 1873. This is a view of one woman crushing spices, the other grinding raggy, a grain cultivated as a staple in food in Southern India, between two millstones.

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Interior of the Fort, Chitradurga

Photograph of the interior of the Fort at Chitradurga from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections: India Office Series, taken by Henry Dixon around 1868. The hill fort at Chitradurga is situated in a rocky landscape north-west of Bangalore. The fortifications were built by the Nayak Palegars in the 17th century. In 1779 Haider Ali captured the mud fort and erected a stone fortress. This Kallina Kote or Palace of Stone has many massive gateways with bent passageways, a palace, a mosque, granaries, oil pits and water tanks. Inside the fort complex there are fourteen old temples; the Hidimbeshwara temple is the oldest on the site.

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General view of Vijayanagara from the top of Matanga Hill

Photograph of Vijayanagara from the top of Matanga Hill, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections, c.1880. The view is taken looking north-east towards the gopura of the Virupaksha Temple, with the Tungabhadra River and paddy fields beyond and the Hemakuta hills in the distance. Vijayanagara was founded on the bank of the Tungabhadra River in the 14th century and was the most powerful Hindu kingdom in Southern India until the defeat by the Muslim armies in 1565.

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Front or east view of the old Jain temple at Sirpur, Basim (Washim) District, Berar

Photograph of the base of the old Jain temple at Sirpur in Berar, part of the 'Archaeological Survey of India Collections: India Office Series (volume 33)' collection, taken by Robert Gill in circa 1871. Sirpur is 12 miles west of Basim and is famous for the shrine of Antariksha Parsvanatha, sacred to the Jains. At this site there is a small but ancient Jain temple that has a horizontal dome with richly carved pendants. This temple is dated by inscription to 1406. It is star-shaped in plan and its walls are decorated with panels of carved arabesque motifs. Figural sculpture is limited to detachable images placed in three interior niches of the shrine.

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Kohla or Granary Hill, Dapthu

Photograph of Kohla or Granary Hill, Dapthu, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections: India Office Series (volume 28), taken by Thomas Fraser Peppé in 1870. Dapthu is in the Gaya District, Bihar, which is known for Gaya city, the place where Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. It is also a sacred area for Hindus, as it is believed to be empowered by Vishnu. The area is on a level plain and has a ridge of beautiful wooded hills along the southern boundary. Some of these hills are composed of huge masses of granite, the most unusual of these is the 'kotila' or granary, a curious dome-like peak that can be seen in this view.

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Portrait of a young South Indian woman, Madras

Photograph of a young South Indian woman in Madras, shown at the1867 Paris exhibition, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. It is one of a series of photographs commissioned by the Government of India in the late 19th century in an attempt to gather information about the tribes, races and castes of the sub-continent. Material was submitted by professional and amateur photographers working in studios and in the field. This photograph was attributed to the Madras School of Industrial Arts, established in 1850, an important training centre for photographers in the area.

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Persian group, Bombay

Studio portrait of two Persian men and four children taken in Bombay by Hurrichund Chintamon and exhibited at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. This photograph is from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. It was one of a series of ethnographical photographs commissioned by the Government of India in the 1860s in order to gather information about the tribes, races and castes of the sub-continent. Hurrichund Chintamon began one of the first photographic firms in Bombay (1858-81).

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View of the Pagoda of Chelimbaram [Chidambaram]

Drawing by F. Swain Ward in c.1762 of the temple at Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, part of King George III's Topographical Collection. The town of Chidambaram is a famed religious and artistic centre in south India. The temple here is dedicated to Shiva in his form as Nataraja, performing the cosmic dance. It was founded by the Chola Kings, devotees of Nataraja, between the 12th and 13th centuries. They held their coronation ceremonies here. The temple lies within four walled enclosures, raised in different periods. Some of the most splendid structures of Chidambaram are the four lofty gopurams (towers) of the third walled enclosure, built in the 12th century but with later renovations. The gopurams mark the cardinal points and act as gateways to the temple. One of the heavily decorated gopurams can be seen in the left in this picture. To the right is the little shrine to Nandi, the sacred bull which is the vehicle of Shiva.

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Studio portrait of Gosavis, Bombay

Photograph of a group of men and youths of the Gosavi caste, posed against a painted studio backdrop, taken by Hurrichund Chintamon. This photograph is from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections, and was shown at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. It is one of a series of ethnographical photographs commissioned by the Government of India in order to gather information about the different racial groups on the sub-continent in the late 19th century.

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