Indian Horse Cart (Ekka) - Benares (Varanasi) c.1890's

Credit: James Kerr (pumpparkphotos.com)

The Planting & Manufacture of Indigo in India by French photographer Oscar Mallitte - Allahabad, 1877

Indigo planting in Bengal started around 1777. Indigo planting became more and more commercially profitable due to the demand for blue dye in Europe. It was introduced in large parts of eastern India. The indigo planters mercilessly pursued the peasants to plant indigo instead of food crops. They provided loans, called dadon at a very high interest. Once a farmer took such loans he remained in debt for whole of his life before passing it to his successors. The price paid by the planters was meagre,only 2.5% of the market price. The farmers could make no profit growing indigo. The farmers were totally unprotected from the brutal indigo planters, who resorted to mortgages or destruction of their property if they were unwilling to obey them. Government rules favoured the planters. By an act in 1833, the planters were granted a free hand in oppression. Even the zamindars, money lenders and other influential persons sided with the planters. Out of the severe oppression unleashed on them the farmers resorted to revolt.

Know more about Indigo Revolt in Wikipeida

 

Planter's Bungalow

"Luggie" (measuring lands for cultivation)

"Tumnie" (turning up lands)

Sowing with drills

Cutting Indigo plant in the field and Loading Carts

Indigo factory (Loading the Vats)

Loading a vat with plant

Indigo factory (beating the Vats)

Beating a vat by hand

Beating by Machinery

Apparatus for beating by machinery

Indigo boilers and fecula table

Press house

Pumping the fecula into boilers

Pressing the fecula

Drying house (Indigo cakes on Shelves)

Cutting Indigo into Cakes

Bailing water in time of drought

Persian Wheel

Group of Indigo beaters

Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.

Postcard of Indian Woman Drawing Cow Milk

Source: ebay.com

Nizam's procession in Old Hyderabad, taken in 1880s

This photograph is contributed by scancorner.com, a scanning and photo digitization company.

Maharani Gayatri Devi on her Horse

Source: http://www.gqindia.com

Spectators Watching an Event involving Elephants in an Arena - Baroda (Vadodara), Gujarat - Circa 1880

Source: British Library

State Elephant Of Gaikwar - Post Card India

Source: ebay.com

Snake Charmer, in Costume and Playing to Cobra

Source: http://photography.si.edu

Bullock Cart - Kandy Sri Lanka c1880's

Source: ebay

A Water Bullock - India 1880s

Source: ebay

Richly dressed elephant from Khairpur, in the great Durbar Camp - Delhi 1903

Source: Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Four Elephants Pulling Carriage

Date: Probably from early 20th Century
Source: Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Chetah on Cart, used for Hunting

Date: Probably from early 20th Century
Source: Library of Congress (loc.gov)

State Elephant Adorned with Silver Trappings

Date: Probably from early 20th Century
Source: Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Sacred bullocks before state carriage - Baroda

Date: Probably from early 20th Century
Source: Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Camel Drivers waiting at Gate of the Taj Mahal - Agra India

Source: ebay

The Dhobie & His Donkey - India 1910s Postcard

Source: ebay

Ekka Transport - Old Post Card - 1910s

Soruce: ebay

Army Elephants of India - 1901

Source: ebay

Indian Man Holding a Collared Dog - c1890's

Source: Ebay Seller clode2903