The Siege Of Lucknow – The Rebellions of 1857 Reinterpreted

Описание: The area of the museum dedicated to the ‘Indian Mutiny’ and the ‘Defence of Lucknow’ has been redisplayed by Isabella Hogan, Trainee Curator at Bodmin Keep, with support from our 2019-20 Citizen Curators who initiated the project.

1857 was a period of rebellion in which Indian soldiers and civilians challenged British rule in northern India. One of our regiments, the 32nd Regiment of Foot, was involved in the conflicts; they were held under siege by the rebels in the cities of Lucknow and Cawnpore.

Museums across Britain are ‘decolonising’ their collections, changing the ways in which British colonial history is presented; in the same way our project can be labelled as a ‘decolonial’ one. Our goal is to provide a more detailed and accessible account of what happened in 1857 and why.

The reinterpretation of the display has been carried out by Isabella Hogan, our Trainee Curator. She has spent months researching and understanding the nuance of the rebellions to provide a more detailed and accessible account of what happened in 1857 and why it happened.

“For some people, the decolonisation of history represents a ‘re-writing’ of history in which people from the past are judged by today’s standards. However, to me, decolonisation is not about eradicating what happened; it’s not about ignoring the actions of white British soldiers and dismissing them point blank. Instead decolonisation contextualises their actions and expands the historical narrative to look at a broader range of perspectives.”