Civilization of India

Historically a safe haven for culture and marginalized groups, London’s Brick Lane is an ever evolving and vibrant place. The first element to catch my eye upon crossing the threshold of the iron archway demarcating this special pocket of the East End of London is the abundance of street art. Some of it is clearly commissioned, while an equal amount is clearly not, but all of it breathes life into the infrastructure of Brick Lane. It serves as a metaphor for the colorful culture that makes the area so distinctive.

Officially renamed Banglatown in 1997, the southern stretch of Brick Lane has served as home to a rich Bangladeshi culture for some time now. The future, however, remains uncertain. The Bangladeshi community is currently fighting to maintain their foothold on Brick Lane, but gentrification is creeping in. What was once a land of opportunity for immigrants is now becoming a battleground between the old and the new. The Old Truman Brewery marks a point of definitive division, with trendy businesses specializing in a higher price point having driven out the Bangladeshi communities on the north end. The south end remains largely dotted with Bangladeshi restaurants and retailers, but new businesses are beginning to crop up there as well. At its peak in the mid-2000’s, this same area was home to roughly 60 curry restaurants. Beyond Banglatown reports that there were only 35 curry restaurants south of Truman Brewery on Brick Lane in 2014, while there were a mere 20 remaining in 2019. With rent reportedly on the incline and profits on the decline, many were forced to sell out or permanently shut their doors.

With these figures and the situation at large in mind, I went into my first trip to Brick Lane and Banglatown expecting the worst. The Banglatown section of Brick Lane was made to sound like a relative ghost town today, with businesses desperately hoping for customers and the opportunity to remain in operation, but the scene I experienced was nothing like this. My trip was marked by packed streets, full restaurants, and plenty of activity on the south end. This experience made me hopeful for the future of Banglatown and convinced of its ability to make a comeback.

That being said, the impact of gentrification is impossible to ignore. The alley running between the Brick Lane divide at the Truman Brewery provided a solid example of this, with its location serving as a particularly poignant reminder. It was fully lined with tables full of hipsters, the type of young people more than willing to spend $8 on a latte with alternative milks and superfoods. They were quite clearly not the target market for the remaining traditional curry houses, but instead for the niche boutiques and expensive food vendors on the north end of Brick Lane. The sheer number of these individuals was jarring and gave context to the market supporting the gentrification of the area.

The walk back from dinner at Sheba to our bus along the Banglatown end of Brick Lane was most encouraging. As we walked past the lasting Bangladeshi businesses and restaurants, they were full of life and customers. Each curry house had a maximum of two open tables, with representatives from each pulling people off of the street to fill the few dining spots they had left. This final impression has left me optimistic about the future of Banglatown and eager to return myself.

While walking from the starting security line to inside the Parliament building, there were many sights to see. On one side was a statue of Oliver Cromwell, and further down the path was a clear view of Big Ben. This building is essential for the government as legislation is created and modified here. The Parliament has three main parts: the Crown, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords. On our tour of Parliament, we explored the House of Lords and saw their room’s layout. The House of Lords and the House of Commons are color-coordinated to distinguish between the two chambers. The House of Lords has a red color scheme, while the House of Commons’ green color scheme is also distinctive. As such, the House of Lords’ chamber is decorated with red benches and upholstery, and the walls have a variety of red hues. This intentional design serves as a way to identify between the two branches of the UK’s legislative process.

As we came through one of the main halls, each side was covered in paintings representing Britain’s history. The tour guide proceeded to discuss a few details of each artwork and its significance. One in particular that stood out was the piece that depicted Indians during the time of the East India Company. The painting portrays some version of a treaty or agreement between the two involved parties. The Crown granted the East India Company rights to create trade routes. As a result, the East India Company made its way to India, which led to them enforcing their power and Britain colonizing India. 

Things have changed since this time in history, and more recently, Britain has had a first by electing Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister. Sunak became the prime minister in October 2022, and he is the first British prime minister of Indian origin. The idea of someone like Sunak coming to power would not have been seen or expected during a time like the colonial era. This leadership would have been unfathomable because Indians were subject to the rules and endured suffering. Due to the crown’s power in India, many Indians underwent discrimination and violence. Even Sunak’s ancestors and others during that time faced discrimination. His grandfather, Ramdas Sunak, migrated to Nairobi as someone who managed the export and employer needs and the Indian laborers. Since he was not classified as an indentured laborer, there were not as many restrictions, and therefore could move back and forth. It was seen that many had class divisions, and the educated emigrants typically separated themselves from the poorer emigrants. However, many faced racism, and Indians faced inequalities. 

Being of South Asian descent and the first non-white prime minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak marks a crucial turning point in the nation’s political history. However, it is essential to recognize those in parliament who came before him and laid that foundation. Dadabhai Naoroji was the first Asian member of the House of Commons in 1892. He was a trailblazer during his time advocating for progressive issues, such as gender equality and wealth disparities. He had anti-racist and anti-imperialist beliefs and even stated that Britain was “bleeding India to death.” Ultimately, he believed perseverance and determination were essential. 

As part of my Civilization of India class, we recently had a chance to visit the UK Parliament building, a place filled with history, colonial legacies, and political transformation. Along the walls of the main corridor called St. Stephens hall, there are eight canvases commissioned in 1927 by Lord Peel, Lord Crawford (Chairman of the Fine Arts Commission) and the J. H. Whitley (Speaker of the House of Commons). Sir Henry Newbolt decided the paintings were to depict “The Building of Britain.” Each painting represents one of the eight total centuries from King Alred to Queen Anne. I found this particular piece called “Sir Thomas Roe at the Court of Ajmir” relevant to our studies of India. It takes place in 1614; Sir Thomas Roe was an ambassador of King James I and is pictured here showing his credentials to Emperor Jegangir, aiming to establish a commercial treaty between England and the Moghul Empire. I find the wording rather interesting below the painting: “[he] succeeds by his courtesy and firmness at the Court of Ajmir in laying the foundation of British influence in India.” As the first official ambassador to India, I would hope Sir Thomas Roe was always courteous, yet the usage of the specific word “firmness” makes me question if there was possible coercion involved in his proceedings. This might never be proven or disproven, yet it is confirmed that in his four years of duty (1614-18), he furthered the fortunes of the Enginlish East India Company, likely through unfair exploitation of resources.

From a political standpoint, Dadabhai Naoroji is an important figure in history that progressed India’s path to recognition and respect by Britain. He was the first Asian to sit in the house and stood for progressive political ideals that were unpopular at the time. He advocated for women’s suffrage and access to education, anti-imperialism, self-rule for India, and many more causes that furthered equality of individuals and of the Indian nation. Naoroji’s outspokenness and dedication to his morals makes him a key figure and inspiration for Indians. Yet by his death in 1917, there was still much room for improvement.

Fast forward to the present, and the British-India relationship has vastly progressed. Though the lingering sentiment of colonialism hasn’t fully disappeared in either country, we now see people of Indian origin such as Rishi Sunak, holding significant roles in British politics. Sunak’s appointment as the first Indian Prime Minister in 2020 is a remarkable success story and is a testament to the improvement of leadership opportunities for Indians within England since colonial times. However, are such opportunities limited to high class, educated foreign immigrants? According to a Washington Post article, migrant-receiving countries often “legally discriminate by class based on income, assets, education and skill level.” Furthermore, countries that send migrants abroad discriminate by class, too. This is a system not based on fairness, intelligence, or personal qualities; it’s based on inherent ideas of wealth-based selectivity. Of course, Sunak’s success still defied historical norms and is quite impressive; many Indians “celebrated his ethnic identity for bringing Indians their ‘Obama moment,’  overturning Britain’s racist colonial history.” But we must keep in mind that true equality is not yet achieved.

Overall, our class visit to Parliament offered a fascinating insight into the historical complexities and political transformations surrounding the relationship between Britain and India.

On July 19th, we visited Brick Lane. After a long walk, and a much needed stop for Boba, we finally arrived at the start of our walking tour. Each of us presented about different locations important to the history of Brick Lane and the Bengali East End. I was assigned Toynbee Hall, and when my turn came I presented my findings on the location. None of my jokes landed, but I hope people learned something. We also visited a church, Altab Ali park, a mosque, and a number of other locations. The mosque was particularly interesting, as it had at different points served as a church, synagogue, and now a mosque. This reflects the diversity of people who have lived on Brick Lane.

Brick Lane first became associated with being an ethnic enclave in the 1570s with the arrival of a number of French Huguenots. Later on, there was a lot of migration from Ireland, and after that it became a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. The legacy of this history is strong, and each community has left indelible marks on the neighborhood and its character. The street signs in the neighborhood caught my interest, with many being named after people with traditionally Jewish names, and many of the signs including Bengali text under the English. The neighborhood is always in transition, and now is going through the process of gentrification, with a number of hipsters moving in and building cereal bars and other shops selling foolish wares. While this has sparked a number of anxieties about the possible loss of a culturally important space for the Bengali community, Brick Lane has always had a tradition of change, and many are okay with the new residents as long as they don’t erase or usurp the Bengali history of the neighborhood. 

Altab Ali park was a somber place to visit. Created in memory of Altab Ali, a man of Bengali heritage killed by white supremacist terrorists, the park serves as a reminder of Brick Lane’s history with racism. The neighborhood has, since at least the turn of the century, served as a front line against xenophobic backlash and fascists. The Jewish and Bengali communities both had to deal with large xenophobic and fascist groups based nearby and fought against them. In the 70s, after the murder of Altab Ali, there was an uptick in racist violence and a strong backlash by anti-racists in Brick Lane. This backlash was done in a show of unity by the local Bengali community, a community which had already been facing housing discrimination and other racist acts in addition to terrorist violence.

After our tour, we were permitted time to walk around Brick Lane, and I visited a number of shops. After our shopping we visited Sheba, one of the well known curry-houses that once dominated the avenue yet have now been in considerable decline. Having walked past a number of curry-house owners beckoning our large, hungry, group of students to enter, I was eager to try the curry at Sheba. It did not disappoint, and we ended our tour of Brick Lane with great food.

Sam Rodick

https://beyondbanglatown.org.uk/globe/making-home-the-world-in-brick-lane/ 

https://beyondbanglatown.org.uk/globe/politics-racism-resistance/ 

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/politics/article/brick-lane-curry-houses-bangladeshi 

Tucked away in the rolling hills and fertile fields of the Cotswolds is Kelmscott Manor, former home of William Morris, his wife Jane, and their two daughters, May and Jane Alice. Morris was a British textile designer and member of both the Arts and Crafts Movement and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Both focused on a return to traditional artistic styles and methods of production. As Morris relates to Indian Civilization, his work with textiles is most pertinent. While the patterns and textiles he produced are often taken to be of a traditionally British style, his inspiration was derived from designs originating in India.

Kelmscott Manor is beautifully adorned in textiles extremely reminiscent of those found in India. In the early 18^th century, block printed cotton textiles began to be imported to Great Britain from India by the upper classes. Block printing is a labor-intensive process requiring great precision. First, detailed designs are carved into wooden blocks of robust varieties such as teak. Next, the block is dipped into dyes or pigments and pressed onto the fabric square by square in order to create the full pattern. Finally, this process is repeated until the fabric is uniformly and vibrantly dyed. Considered a luxury at this stage, they were not yet accessible for the British masses. By the end of the 18^th century, however, the styles seen in Indian textiles began to be mass produced in Europe, transitioning them into a far more accessible space and allowing them to become a fabric for everyday wear by the masses.

Moving into the 19^th century, William Morris and the Arts and Craft Movement at large press for a return to traditional, artisanal techniques such as block printing. As a result, Kelmscott Manor is fully fitted in textiles of this original Indian style. From curtains and wall hangings to bedspreads and wall papers, the home is saturated in Indian influence. The designs, such as the famous Strawberry Thief, are original to William Morris, but they are made possible by the tradition of Indian textiles.

This connection between Britain and India is further illuminated by the William Morris pieces incorporated into the Indian Civilization exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Their thoughtful placement in this section of the museum speaks volumes. Placed not at the center of this exhibit, but instead along the perimeter, the relationship between Morris, India, and the textile industry at large is illustrated. While not critical to Indian history in the way that artifacts such as the Mughal miniatures are, these British textiles derive their inspiration from traditional Indian styles and must be displayed in a way that pays proper homage. The Victoria and Albert Museum tactfully executes this in a way that I can only hope visitors new to the topic recognize.

Situated in East London, Brick Lane is a street jam-packed with history. Brick Lane has long been a cultural hub, with Bengali culture being at the forefront. However, recent years have seen gentrification put Brick Lane at risk and begs the question of how to protect cultural hubs while still letting them evolve and grow.

Starting at the beginning of the origins of Bengali culture on Brick Lane takes us to 1600 CE, when the British East India Company was founded, allowing trade and migration to occur between England and India. Fast forward to the 1720s, India’s Bengal Region contributed over half of the company’s imports from the subcontinent. In 1757, Bengal was practically a province of the East India Company, and company officials would move to Bengal and make money off of land titles. 100 years later, in 1857, the East India Company was abolished and replaced by the British Crown, and tea became a major export from Bengal. At this point, Sylheti seafarers from Bengal, otherwise known as lascars, would start settling in East London. By 1938, over 50,700 lascars worked on British ships worldwide. After their contracts expired, these lascars were often abandoned in London ports. With no job, no home, and little to no money, they would settle in East London, around what is now Brick Lane. World War 1 saw even more Bengalis working on British ships before settling in the East End, and the Bengali population in East London grew steadily until 1945. This now significantly sized Bengali population was the first large South Asian community in Britain. It laid the foundations for the future of Banglatown and Brick Lane by establishing their own social programs, education centers, and many cafes, coffee houses, and curry houses.

The curry houses are especially important to Brick Lane and its history. As of the mid-2000s, there were 60 curry houses on Brick Lane alone. Think about that, 60 curry houses on one street. 

As of 2018, however, that number was down to 23. 

In recent years, Brick Lane has lost much of its foot traffic for many reasons. In 2010 and 2011, two new overground stations were built, which had the unfortunate side effect of talking foot traffic away from the south end of Brick Lane. Later, in 2014, a popular bar, The Vibe Bar, shut down, taking with it all of the customers it brought to surrounding restaurants. Fast forward to the pandemic, Bengalis were reported to have died at higher rates than their white counterparts. As for the restaurant industry of Brick Lane itself, very few opened themselves up for delivery services, and even fewer were able to utilize outdoor-only dining restrictions as most restaurants only had indoor seating, leading many to go out of business.

After all this loss of business, building vacancies were plentiful. Perfect for chain shops and other things to start popping up on Brick Lane. One study has shown that Brick Lane is experiencing the most gentrification in London, and it doesn’t look to be slowing down.

There has been an approved plan to discuss over the next five years the construction of a 5-story shopping mall in the middle of Brick Lane housing brand-name stores, chain restaurants, and office spaces. This is a direct contrast to the culture of Brick Lane and only contributes to the pushing out of current businesses and residents.

Luckily, an organization called “The Battle for Brick Lane” is opposing these plans and fighting to preserve the culture of Brick Lane and Banglatown as a whole. Run by the Spitalfields Trust, they argue that the Old Truman Brewery, who own the potential construction site, to recognize their social responsibility and create a plan with the community for the benefit of the community.

On July 19th, I, along with a lively coterie of fellow scholars, made a voyage to London in search of educational and personal fulfillment, and a much needed break from the intense monotonous oppression of trite classroom learning. We all shuffled off the coach into the London air within sight of our first destination: the Parliament building. Southern Methodist University students being of such high scholastic caliber, our soft, tired, voices were reinvigorated and developed a frenetic energy of excitement. We were to step into the halls of power, trodding along the paving stones of the mighty, in our search for knowledge about our summer homeland.

In my stay at Oxford, I have, in part, concerned my studies with the history of India, and Parliament provided great insight into the intertwining of Indian and British history. The legacy of empire is ubiquitous in Britain, but can especially be found in the concentrated wealth of government buildings such as parliament, much of it likely financed by the conquest and exploitation of the colonies including those in South Asia. Within Parliament, there is a hall filled with paintings depicting important moments in British history. One moment depicted is the meeting of the English ambassador with the Mughal emperor, when England first made official contact with India. This painting shows the Mughal emperor seated upon a throne, surrounded by dutiful attendants and his entourage of courtiers and soldiers. Standing straight in front of him, only slightly below, is the English envoy, offering a piece of parchment, curled like a scroll. He is handing the emperor what seems to be a contract or an agreement, which creates the impression that the English came to India utilizing fair, legal, and documented terms of subjugation to the Indians. Similarly, the depiction of the English envoy as about equal to the Mughal emperor serves to discredit local governments in South Asia. By depicting this British man as equal to an Indian emperor, it discredits Indian governments’ legitimacy and strength.

The relationship between Britain and India is also more subtley depicted in Parliament. I noticed the tiling throughout much of Parliament was very strongly inspired by Indian textile motifs. The British presence in India exposed many Britons to Indian art and artistic styles, and with the heightened desire for Indian fashion, Indian styles and motifs became widespread across the United Kingdom. Following trade between India and Britain came people, and by the late 19th century there was a bustling, albeit small, community of South Asians in Great Britain. In 1892, a member of the South Asian community, Dadabhai Naoroji, was first elected to Parliament. He faced intense hardship, and was not respected by his peers, yet fought hard in Parliament against imperialism and imperialist apologia.

Since Naoroji, there have been a great number of South Asian MPs, and recently Rishi Sunak, a man of Indian heritage, became Prime Minister. This has raised complicated questions about the legacy of the empire and about tolerance and race within the UK. Sunak came to power as a man possessing great wealth, moreso even than the King, and his life story and circumstances are not reflective of those of an average person of Indian heritage in the UK. Colonial discrimination also still affects immigration with India, where the rich and educated are easily able to emmigrate, while it is incredibly difficult for members of the working class to leave India for the UK.

Sam Rodick

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-52829458 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/12/09/rishi-sunak-uk-immigrant-family/

Walking through the streets of Brick Lane, I was drawn into the culture and history that seeped out of these neighborhoods. On the one hand, I experienced this area’s South-Asian enclave with restaurants, grocery stores, and religious buildings, while on the other also explored the diversity and creative aspects of the town through the graffiti artwork and vintage stores. 

Located in East London, the history of Brick Lane dates back to the 16th century. French Huguenots fled religious persecution in Catholic France in the late 1500s and arrived as refugees in the East End. Many had worked as merchants and silk weavers in the French textile industry. After arriving in East London, several Huguenots started silk-weaving businesses, which created London’s silk industry. Following this, the area became home to Irish and Jewish migrants. Seafarers from the Sylhet region, in the northwest of what is now Bangladesh, started to arrive and establish at the East End as early as the seventeenth century. They came through trade channels used by the East India Company and, eventually, the British Crown. Lascars, or Sylheti seafarers, were some of the first Bengalis to settle in East London. The East India Company had ships with seamen from many areas of the empire, including Bengal. The EIC hired young seamen from Sylhet to serve as chefs and deckhands on its ships that transported people from Calcutta to East London. These sailors landed and were seen as subjects of the British Empire. The small community of Sylheti seafarers in the East End expanded after World War II as more Commonwealth residents from the recently formed East Pakistan, later known as Bangladesh, started to come and settle. From this point, there were large amounts of Bengali men who cooked and worked in restaurants, establishing the curry scene.

It was during the 1900s that Bengali cafes and food places began to grow. The businesses decided to attract more white customers, which was the turning point that gave this area the “curry capital” of London. The rise of Banglatown was seen in the late 90s and early 2000s when people made community plans to upgrade the area by adding more specific food and a booming restaurant zone. At its peak, Banglatown was home to 60 curry restaurants. Unfortunately, often, with a rise comes a decline. The last ten years have been difficult for this area. In 2014, the Vibe Bar shut down. It was a popular nightclub that attracted a large crowd to the area, and then following most people’s nights, they would gather at some of Banglatown’s restaurants. More recently, it is becoming difficult for business owners to maintain the prices and rates of the area. They see a growing population preferring to grab takeaway rather than sit down at one of these restaurants like they used to. The pandemic also hit this area harder than some other places. The wave hit Bangladeshis three times more than white people, creating a disparity in deaths. Now, the 60 restaurants have dropped to 23. For many, it is unclear what the future of Brick Lane will look like and if this area will continue experiencing declines.

Walking through Blenheim Palace, you are met with breathtaking architecture and lavish decor that depicts the indulgent and excessive lives that the British elites of history lived in. One of Blenheims’ unique aspects when compared to other luxurious British palaces is their connection to Winston Churchill. To them, this is an honor, and as such, they have dedicated a whole section of the palace to be an exhibit on the life and legacy of Churchill. When walking through this exhibit, you pass Churchill’s childhood clothes, furniture, and schoolwork, before seeing the exhibits on his legacy as a brilliant soldier and heroic Prime Minister. Between these two areas, one may notice a doorway to the side with a small frame labeling it with even smaller text, The Indian Roon.

If you asked someone from India what they believed an exhibit on the Legacy of Churchill should include, especially regarding his legacy in India, it would not look anything like what you see at Blenheim Palace. The Indian Room is their superficial acknowledgment that Churchill’s legacy has to include some mention of India, but in order to retain his image as the “greatest Briton” of all time, there is no acknowledgment of what that legacy actually includes.

Churchhill might have been great towards the people of his own country, but he was markedly less so towards the people living in Britains’ imperial empire. A die-hard imperialist, Churchill vehemently opposed India gaining independence and was well known for his outspoken hatred towards Mahatma Gandhi (Trautman 206).

The Bengal Famine was a major point of contention concerning Churchill’s attitude towards India, besides Independence. The Bengal Famine was triggered in 1942 by a cyclone and flooding, but Churchill’s handling of the situation, many argue, made things much worse. It has been found that Churchhill’s government ignored India’s pleas for help for many months as he feared that sending India food would reduce the UK’s stockpiles and distract ships and crews from the war. Another policy that has been widely criticized was his denial policy, where crops and ships that transported them would be destroyed in order to prevent Japanese invaders from having enough resources to expand their own rule.

This all happened at the same time that India sent millions of their people to become soldiers and fight in World War 2. In this vein, Churchill sent Indians to die either in battle or by starvation.

This part of Churchill’s legacy is not mentioned in The Indian Room. This Indian Room is simply a continuance of Britains’ and, specifically, Churchills’ legacy of imperialism. While Blenheim Palace can claim that they acknowledge Churchill’s lagacy in India, they have done the absolute bare minimum. This part of history is being glossed over by making the room easy to pass by and not giving visitors any context regarding Churchill’s impact on India.

Blenheim Palace is a beautiful site full of rich history, but it falls short of giving context to Britains’ more shameful side of history. The Indian Room needs to be given the proper context. As a historical site, Blenheim needs to acknowledge the darker aspects of Churchill’s legacy, lest they continue to perpetuate the colonial legacy of Great Britain.

The British Parliament is the seat of the UK legislature, with two separate chambers, one being the House of Commons, the other, is the House of Lords. The House of Lords serves as an advisory body, and a check on the House of Commons. Unlike the House of Commons, Lords are nominated and appointed, which is opposed to the Commons, where members of the chamber are elected for five year terms. The current head of the UK, is Rishi Sunak, who serves as the Prime Minister of the UK, and as the leader of the dominant party in the House of Commons, which is the Conservative Party. Interestingly enough, South Asians have had a long history in the governing structure of the UK, however, Rishi Sunak was the first Prime Minister of South Asian descent, which has been a great source of pride for many in the South Asian diaspora, particularly Indians, in the UK and abroad. However, few Indians can relate to the personal lifestyle of the Prime Minister, who, unlike many South Asian immigrants, has had a smooth and wealthy lifestyle, coming from a family of Indians that oversaw indentured servitude in the British system, rather than being a part of it. In fact, Sunak boasts a net worth higher than that of the British monarchy, making him a quite successful individual, and one of the most prominent in the Western world. However, given his fortune, many Indians often worry that he may instead focus on issues irrelevant to most Indian migrants, or even blue collar workers in the UK. In effect, Sunak is one of the few global elites of Indian origin that has propelled to mass power and fortune. Many in the South Asian diaspora, specifically those migrants that came with prior wealth, education, or skill, have been part of the elite in many Western nations, including the US and UK. From Kamala Harris to Rishi Sunak, various South Asians have gained a foothold in Western politics, which was almost unimaginable in a prejudicial US, and in an imperial Britain, almost 60-70 years ago. Nonetheless, if we are to look at the UK parliament in general, and shift aside from Rishi Sunak, we can see that the influence of South Asians has played a large role in the development of the UK politically, socially, and economically. The painting pictured above, placed in the main hall of Parliament, represents the meeting of the British East India Company (BEIC) officials with a Mughal ruler. The importance of this painting, according to the tour guide, was that it represented the beginning of India’s ascension into the British Empire, as the crown jewel of the vast empire. In modern terms, however, many like to point to the fact that India’s long history with England, is in fact, visualized within this painting. Comparatively, if we look at the US Capitol, we can also see various paintings and statues attributed to the various indigenous and enslaved peoples that had a long standing history with the US; the indigenous Americans, enslaved Africans, and the Indians under British rule, were all subjugated to the will of a colonial power, which is now, depicted in the legislature of both of these nations with an imperialist past.