Overview
Cohn argues British imperial rule in India is a sort of colonial knowledge project in which British knowledge and control originated from the use of investigative modalities. British knowledge of India allowed “the British to classify, categorize, and bound the vast social world that was India so that it could be controlled” (Cohn, Colonialism, p. 5). These investigative modalities defined the British as being culturally hegemonic in India and influenced the structure of Indian political and cultural institutions. To aid in our understanding of the British’s knowledge project and those who contributed to the “ideological infrastructure of British rule in India” (Cohn, Colonialism, p. 65), we can examine and analyze the documented experiences of not only British officials as Cohn does, but also those of ordinary people as can be seen through the selected photographs of this exhibit.
To introduce the selected photographs of this exhibit: they have been pulled from a photograph album titled “Photographs of Cashmere and Ladakh.” This album was created by H. W. Benson and is dated 1886. Benson collected these photographs during his peacetime service with the First Batallion East Surrey Regiment of Great Britain, which mainly acted as surveyors of the Northwest passage of India. This photograph album records Benson’s expedition into Kashmir, Ladakh, and beyond to the beaches of Lake Pagong in Tibet. Benson has included images of the topography of the land he travelled, local places, and people. For the purposes of this exhibit, I have chosen to focus on the images of local sites and people from Benson’s album. While the short handwritten descriptions of each photograph does help provide some context for the photographs, there is still much uncertainty regarding the circumstances surrounding the photographs and relationships of the people in the photographs. Nonetheless, these photographs can still be used to understand the use of investigative modalities in British India.
Benson’s photographs reveal his own role in contributing to the British’s investigative modalities in its presentation of Indian locations, such as temples and houses, and of people such as the Governor of Kashmir. What is most notable about Benson’s photographs consisting of people or in which people are the focus, is the fact that they are very orchestrated. Staged photography requires mutual consent from both parties and some sort of relationship between the photographer and the subject of the photograph. Additionally, the use of staged photography allows for the British to control a particular narrative of India and discourages Indian agency in how they should be represented. In fact, Cohn states: “Indians who came under the imperial gaze were frequently made to appear in dress and demeanor as players in the British-constructed theater of power, their roles signaled by prescribed dress, their parts authored by varied forms of knowledge codified by rulers who sought to determine how loyal Indian subjects were to act in the scenes that the rulers had constructed” (Cohn, Colonialism, p. 10). In sum, the British knowledge project resulted in Indians having to conform to British ideas of Indian practices and customs. Moreover, the only named individuals in the photographs are a certain high rank, which supports Cohn’s assertion that “few Indians are named other than royalty and personal servants” in British narratives and further emphasizes British control (Cohn, Colonialism, p. 10). These photographs demonstrate the involvement of average British citizens in the knowledge project in India and in the use of investigative modalities to study India.
Images and Descriptive Analyses
This page from Benson’s album displays three pictures: (1) a village near Ganderbal called Nungri, (2) Kashmir “coolies” or unskilled laborers carrying loads, and (3) the Raja of Skardu with some attendants. Here we can observe the significance of the lack of names of the coolies of Kashmir; their low rank does not necessitate the need to know their names. Benson also ensures the Raja of Skardu’s rank is known. These photographs reveal Benson’s participation in an observational/travel modality. He travelled to locations such as Nungri and photographed the sites and people of those locations.
This page of Benson’s album shows three photographs: (1) a house at Burnowboog, (2) a ruined temple at (or possibly called) Pandatun, and (3) a camp of Dewan Sahib, Lachman Dass, and Khaumo. This set of photographs is another example of Benson’s participation in the observational/travel modality in that it shows the exterior of an Indian home and the living quarters/campsite of an Indian government official (Dewan Sahib). Benson is also participating in the survey modality by photographing the ruined temple. Cohn explains the survey modality extends to the “recording of architectural and archaeological sites of historic significance” (COhn, Colonialism, p. 7). Although we are not provided with much information regarding the temple, the photograph of it is still adequate enough to fall under this category as it shows an exploration of a possibly ancient or at least a culturally significant site.
This page of Benson’s album shows three photographs: (1) a bridge at Kanerbal near Islamabad, (2) a street in Islamabad, and (3) sacred fish ponds. This set of photographs is yet another example of Benson’s participation in the observational/travel modality, which is a natural result considering the purpose of Benson’s travels was to survey the Northwest passage of India. Benson is providing a more domestic view of ordinary Indian life. Unlike many British officials who “survey[ed] India from above and at a distance,” Benson is comfortable enough photographing the streets of Islamabad (Cohn, Colonialism, p. 10). This provides a more personal and intimate perspective of India that would otherwise be unavailable when only using the recordings of British officials.
This page from Benson’s album displays a single photograph of the governor of Kashmir, Lachman Dass, and other Kashmir officials. In this case, Benson is participating in the surveillance modality by choosing to photograph only people here. As Cohn states, “photography offered some possibilities for recording a physiognomy” (Cohn, Colonialism, p. 11). Photography of Indian officials and other Indians of high rank would aid in the British’s goal for the surveillance modality to “create a systematic means of recording and classifying a set of permanent features that distinguished an individual” (Cohn, Colonialism, p. 11). This photograph can be used to discern the different types of clothing often ascribed to certain ranks and positions in India.
This final page of Benson’s album depicts the governor of Kashmir, Lachman Dass, and three British individuals named C. A. Boughton Knight, H. W. Benson (the creator of the album himself), and an individual simply referred to as “the Doctor.” Like the previous photograph, Benson is contributing to the surveillance modality in the way it portrays traditional Indian dress of a high ranking Indian official. This photograph supports Cohn’s claim that the people of India were often “made to appear in dress and demeanor as players in the British-constructed theater of power, their roles signaled by prescribed dress, their parts authored by varied forms of knowledge codified by rulers who sought to determine how loyal Indian subjects were to act in the scenes that the rulers had constructed” (Cohn, Colonialism, p. 10). It is clear from this photograph, and the previous photographs, that the British made consistent attempts at controlling the Indian narrative and how Indians are represented.
Further Thoughts
The photographs presented in this exhibit underpins Cohn’s argument regarding the British colonial knowledge project and the way the investigative modalities employed by the British to discover, collect, and codify information shaped the political and cultural institutions of India. The purpose of this exhibit seeks not only to substantiate this argument, but also to emphasize the role of ordinary British citizens in contributing to this form of epistemic colonial power. The creator of the album these photographs were taken from, H. W. Benson, either knowingly or unknowingly participated in the usage of investigative modalities to study India (specifically, the survey, observational/travel, and surveillance modalities). Benson and other individuals like him, aided in reinforcing British imperial rule in India, regardless of their intent to do so or not.
References
Cohn, Bernard S. Colonialism and Its Forms of Knowledge the British in India. Princeton, NJ: Princeton U, 2006. Print.
Image 3: Bridge at Kanerbal – near Islamabad ; Street in Islamabad ; Sacred fish ponds – Islamabad
Image 4: Lachman Dass – Governor of Cashmere and officials
Image 5: C.A. Boughton Knight – H.W. Benson – Lachman Dass – The Doctor