Lucky Inheritors; The First Photographs of Old World Lucknow, India (1850’s) by Felice Beato

Howdy ya’ll. Do you enjoy ancient tech? Lucknow was part of the historic region of Awadh, India, which was known as the granary of ancient India. Whoever controlled Lucknow was said to have controlled the Doab lands, a fertile plain which controlled India’s agriculture. We’re told Lucknow successfully defended itself against multiple outside invasions, and was the center for most major Islamic dynasties in India. The architecture in Lucknow is said to reflect that. However, the historical region which Lucknow is part of was only first mentioned in the 16th century, with all earlier history being formulated from excavations and educated scholars. Take it all with a grain of salt. Lucknow was involved in the Rebellion of 1857, where the People of India rose up against the British. It appears the photographs today, taken by Felix Beato in 1858 under orders of the British, may be some of the only surviving proofs of the absolute destruction which occurred on the most sacred and ancient structures in India. These are considered to be the first photographs of Lucknow. Can we find any anomalies in this narrative? I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments down below. Topics discussed today: