Prize Agents extracting treasure
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Prize Agents extracting treasure
Prize Agents extracting treasure. Coloured lithograph from The Campaign in India 1857-58 from drawings made during the eventful period of the Great Mutiny, illustrating the military operations before Delhi and its neighbourhood. A series of 26 coloured lithographs by W Simpson, E Walker and others, after G F Atkinson, published by Day andSon, 1857-1858. Associated with the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859). Despite strict orders against individual looting, many of Delhi?s treasures filled the pockets of the troops who captured the city in September 1857. The loot was supposed to have been handed over to official prize agents who would then auction it and divide the proceeds. As this print depicts, the agents and their soldiers had few scruples when it came to how they gathered the loot. Contemporaries estimated the auctioned Delhi treasure to be worth over half a million pounds. Date: 1858
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Media ID 14402374
© The National Army Museum / Mary Evans Picture Library
1857 Agents Campaign Delhi Drawings Eventful Extracting Illustrating Lithographs Mutiny Neighbourhood Operations Prize Simpson Treasure Walker Made
EDITORS COMMENTS
This coloured lithograph, titled "Prize Agents extracting treasure," offers a glimpse into the chaotic aftermath of the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58. The print, part of a series of 26 lithographs published by Day and Son, depicts the Prize Agents and their soldiers in the process of extracting Delhi's treasures following the city's capture in September 1857. Despite strict orders against individual looting, the allure of the riches proved too strong for many troops. The loot was intended to be handed over to official Prize Agents who would then auction it and divide the proceeds among the British forces. However, as this image reveals, the agents and their soldiers showed few qualms about how they gathered the treasures. The scene is set before the backdrop of Delhi and its surrounding neighbourhood, with the agents and soldiers shown in the foreground, surrounded by a vast array of treasures, including gold, silver, jewels, and precious textiles. The chaos and disorder are evident in the disorganized piles of loot, the chaotic crowd of soldiers, and the determined expressions on the faces of the Prize Agents. Contemporaries estimated that the auctioned Delhi treasure was worth over half a million pounds, making it a significant source of revenue for the British forces. Despite the questionable methods used to acquire the loot, it served as a symbol of the British victory in the Indian Mutiny and their reassertion of control over the region. This evocative print offers a fascinating glimpse into a pivotal moment in Indian history, illustrating the military operations and the complex dynamics of power and wealth during this eventful period.
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