British India

This is a photographic journey back to British India, known then as the Raj.

India in 1912 was still a colonial possession of the British Empire, the jewel in its crown. Its vast population, strategic position and resources made the subcontinent one of the Empire’s greatest possessions. But compared to other up and coming British colonies such as Canada and Australia, India was economically backwards and undeveloped. There were few industries, and most people lived an agrarian lifestyle, their traditions largely undisturbed by the British or other Europeans.

Not that the British and North Americans did not try to remake India in their own image. The late 1800s and early 1900s saw a wave of Christian missionaries from America and Great Britain go to India.

The pictures below were published in a book entitled India and Daily Life in Bengal by Reverend Z.F. Griffin, a Baptist missionary in India for 15 years. The pictures record the way life was in India in 1912. Some things have not changed that much in some of the more rural areas, while in many other ways the India of today would be hardly recognizable to Reverend Griffin.

Bringing Pottery to Market. A group of Indian women carry giant loads of pottery on their heads while a man carries an even bigger load balanced on a pole slung over his shoulder. The pottery reminds me of Greco-Roman urns.

Hand Powered Saw Mill. These Indian workers are using a very long saw to cut a log. Their job looks very dangerous.

A Sweeper – Note the traditional straw broom and bare feet.

Day Labourers in Calcutta — Day Laborers in Calcutta

The Bank of the Ganges, the Holiest River in India

The Faithful by the Ganges — The Faithful Bathing in the Ganges

Hindu Devotee With Arms Rigid. In some cases, the arms would become permanently locked in this devotional posture.

Hindu Pilgrim Preparing Cakes by the Way Side — Hindu Pilgrim Preparing Cakes by the Side of the Road.

This devout man is traveling a great distance to a holy shrine by prostrating himself, rising, and then prostrating himself again. As an act of devotion, the pilgrim would move forward by standing up, then prostrating himself completely face down on the ground. This made the journey especially and intentionally difficult and painful, as an act of pious devotion to the god. This practice has parallels to Christian practices during the Middle Ages, when pilgrims would often scourge themselves or inflict other hardships on themselves.

A person of means being transported in a litter on the backs of two men. Sharp divisions of caste and wealth meant that the upper classes could always count on cheap labor.

These men are returning from the river where they have washed the clothes.

A wandering holy man: note the leopard skin. — A wandering holy man known as a “sadu”: note the leopard skin.

And so our tour of magnificent India at the start of the last century has come to an end. Soon the way of life depicted here would be changed forever by wars, social upheaval and independence. Fortunately these photographs allow us to look back on a bygone era of India.

This article was last updated on May 1, 2021 by adding more explanatory text, enhancing a couple of the images by using video editing software, and adding a video. The enhancement was not that successful because of the poor resolution of the original old vintage photos of India.

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