BRITISH TROOP SHIPS IN BOMBAY HARBOR

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HM Indian Troopship Malabar, 1890		HM Indian Troopship Euphrates, 1893
	HM Indian Troopship Serapis

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	Uniforms
	Ships

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Armed Forces In many ways it is surprising that the British armed forces were so small considering how much of the world they would have to cover in order to acquire, police and defend its Empire. Discipline, professionalism and the bravery of her personnel usually (but not always) allowed Britain to punch above its military weight. When it came to fighting indigenous peoples, technology would invariably prove to be the decisive element. It was a different matter when it came to fighting their fellow Europeans - although leadership and bravado seemed to offer surprisingly consistent advantages. But in the case of major, prolonged wars against European rivals, systematic advantages such as industrial and financial muscle would generally allow Britain to stay the course and deal with multiple adversaries. Over time, the Empire itself would become a source of strength as more personnel and resources would come on stream from the colonies as they developed and matured economically. By the time of the First World War, the Empire would supply a major proportion of the fighting capability of the British forces. Royal Navy Being an island nation, the Royal Navy was (and still is) the Senior Service for a very real reason. Control of the seas would be crucial in defending Britain and in allowing Britain to secure such a vast Empire. Domination of the seas was not definitively achieved until the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, although Britain had been challenging for supremacy since the Seven Years War. During the Nineteenth Century, the Royal Navy was supreme and could deliver soldiers or marines pretty much anywhere on the planet and also deny rivals the ability to do so themselves. The floating gun vessels could be equally intimidating to indigenous leaders who might have contemplated resisting British encroachment or denying access to commercial opportunities. The Royal Navy would ensure the flow of trade vessels and goods to supply Britain's factories or deliver her products overseas. The Laissez Faire economic model that would enrich Britain could not have existed without the power of the Royal Navy. They controlled the communications and supply lines that made the Empire viable in any meaningful way. Army By European standards, the British Army was a tiny army. But what it lacked in numbers it made up for in professionalism and confidence. There was an odd combination of a public school educated officer corps bred to lead and a pool of hardy labourers forced off their land and/or workers attempting to avoid the harsh conditions of the new industrial cities. It is interesting that the Scots and Irish supplied such a high proportion of the British armed forces. This was probably due to the lack of economic opportunities in their respective home countries. Whatever the reason, they served the British army extremely ably. It should be remembered that the army was never given the title 'Royal' unlike the other two services. This was due to its perceived unreliability by the monarch - with very good reason to assume so. It dates back to the time of the English Civil War and the defeat of King Charles by the 'New Model Army' of Oliver Cromwell. Subsequent British monarchs never forgot this and so have never bestowed the 'Royal' sobriquet. This is despite the fact that it was the army that allowed the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. The element of trust (or lack of it) was also why so many members of the Royal Family were made in to the Colonels in Chief of so many regiments. It was a way of ensuring loyalty. It should be noted that the army has always been a constitutionally interesting organisation. Ever since the Seventeenth Century troubles, Britain has never really appreciated having a large standing army on its soil. Most of the barracks were either overseas in the colonies or closer to home in Ireland - but not so often in England itself. Another hangover of the Seventeenth Century problems is still evident in the constitutional division of responsibilites of the army even to today. All soldiers must pledge allegiance to the monarch, who is the Commander in Chief and yet the purse strings for pay and equipment are firmly in the hands of parliament. It was hoped that this constitutional arrangement would keep the army out of political squabbles and prevent future coups - which it has done remarkably successfully for over 300 years. Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force grew out of the Royal Flying Corps of World War One. It was formed in 1918 and so is very much the 'baby' of the military establishment. However, the projection of power provided by its weapons allowed it to grow rapidly from the 1920s onwards. Initially hopes were high that air power would be a 'cheap' military option that would tie the empire together and police its wide, open spaces. Operations in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq would, however, show its limitations. It was one thing flying the flag by buzzing the locals on the ground - but once the plane had disappeared, power and influence often went with it. Soldiers or police on the ground would prove far more durable in sustaining a presence over a period of time. Air power would complement but not replace land and sea forces. Imperial War Graves and Cemeteries Over the years, countless thousands have died fighting for or on behalf of Britain and its empire. The way that the soldiers were treated have changed dramatically over the years - for the living, for the wounded but also for the dead. I have added a section which details this changing relationship between the British Empire and those who have died on active service.

Sections to Visit Royal Navy Army Royal Air Force Imperial War Graves and Cemeteries Audio The Army Saul David discusses the role of the Army in the extension of British power up until 1815 The Navy Sam Willis discusses the role of the Navy in the extension of British power up until 1815.

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The Screw Steamer Euphrates, for the Conveyance of British Troops to I...

The Screw Steamer Euphrates, for the Conveyance of British Troops to India. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 17 August 1867.

Troop-Ships Orontes, Jumna, Malabar, and Euphrates at Bombay, waiting ...

Troop-Ships Orontes, Jumna, Malabar, and Euphrates at Bombay, waiting to bring Home Troops from the Afghan War. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 27 November 1880. Euphrates-class troopships Jumna,

The Naval Review at Spithead, Royal Flotilla - The Graphic 1878

The Naval Review at Spithead. Illustration for The Graphic, 24 August 1878. Starboard Division; Euphrates; Gorgon; Prince Albert;

When Versova was just an island (now Andheri west-mumbai -61)

 

BOOK NO:4-ON BOMBAY-Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency:VOLUME -1= POST 1819

 

When did Bombay became the capital of the Bombay Presidency?

1819

Detailed Solution. The correct answer is 1819. Bombay was declared the capital of Bombay Presidency after the defeat of the Marathas in the Anglo Maratha war in 1819.29 Nov 2021

Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency::-click and read:-http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924070623768#page/n7/mode/2up

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Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Vol. 20

Amazon.in

https://www.amazon.in › Gazetteer-Bombay-Presidency...

Book details · Print length. 552 pages · Language. English · Publisher. Forgotten Books · Publication date. 11 November 2018 · Dimensions. 15.2 x 2.84 x 22.9 cm.

₹2,061.00 · ‎ Out of stock

1883--"THE LUKHMIDAS KHIMJI KAPAD BAZAR

 

-"THE LUKHMIDAS KHIMJI KAPAD BAZAR "-NEW CLOTH

 MARKET--BOMBAY--[UPPER RIGHT PICTURE]

colonial white children in India having a celebration of ?birthday? [before 1900]

 

 

American Ice in British India : the art of keeping cool!

2423

May 14, 2022

ByThe Heritage Lab

In this post, we revisit (through art) the “coolest” places in British India – ice houses!

This article is adapted from our weekly Newsletter. Subscribe to get it in your inbox!

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“Now khus khus tatties (mats) fail to cool
And punkah breeze defying
The mercury marks 95
And we are almost frying…”

This poem could well have been composed in today’s time.

Indian summers have always been notoriously difficult, but unlike the 1830s when this poem was published, today, we have easy access to cooled water. We’ll get to the poem in just a bit!

Chilled water is somewhat of a necessity for many of us today. But in the 15th century, chilled drinks were a luxury available only to the royals. The British, even as they tried to emulate the Mughals, were unable to afford the Rs. 1 per pound ice from the Himalayas. And so, they resorted to manufacturing ice in the plains. The process, as described by Fanny Parkes (the 18th-century travel writer) was labour-intensive.

ICE PITS AT ALLAHABAD : FANNY PARKES’ WANDERINGS OF A PILGRIM IN SEARCH OF THE PICTURESQUE (1850)

Ice – in a slushy form- was thus became available to the administrative elite in colonial India. Here’s a painting of an Abdar – this indispensable domestic worker in the summers was usually employed by British officers to keep their drinks cool. 

AN ABDAR COOLING BOTTLES. PAINTING; GOUACHE ON MICA, PATNA, CA.1870. COLLECTION OF THE V&A.

But in case you’re wondering, this technique produced nothing like the ice we know today.

Ice, as we know it, came to India in 1833. While the British in India were desperately seeking ways to beat the summer heat (hanging wet khus on window openings, hiring punkhawalas, getting away to a hill station), far away in Cuba, a young man, unable to get a chilled drink thought of an idea. 

In 1805, when Frederic Tudor came up with the idea of exporting ice to the tropics, everyone laughed at him.

By the 1860s, Tudor had amassed a fortune of millions and has been famous since then as the “Ice King”.

FREDERIC TUDOR; PAINTING BY FRANCIS ALEXANDER CA. 1830 PUBLIC DOMAIN. MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON.

On 12 May 1833, Tudor despatched a shipment of ice to India. After sailing 4 months, passing through the Equator twice, the ship carrying 180 tons of ice reached India – but only with about 100 tons of ice. Still, the ice that arrived instantly uplifted moods.

DETAIL FROM A PAINTING BY LOUIS DODD THAT SHOWS A FREDERIC TUDOR SHIP UNLOADING ICE-CARGO AT CALCUTTA. DODD WAS KNOWN FOR HIS MARITIME PAINTINGS. THIS PAINTING HAS BEEN FEATURED IN FULL AS A COVER FOR A BOOK (LEFT). WE REPRODUCE A DETAIL OWING TO COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS.

Frederic Tudor’s biggest challenge was preserving the ice. During the journey to India, Tudor insulated the cargo hold with a mixture of straw, bark and sawdust, so most of the ice survived the journey.

The people of Calcutta, jubilant at the thought of having ice all year round (at a reasonable price), offered to build an Ice-House – through crowdsourced funding.

THE ICE HOUSE_CALCUTTA BY FREDERICK FIEBIG 1851 : PHOTO PRINT

In his essay, The Nineteenth-Century Indo-American Ice Trade, David G. Dickason reproduces a poem that originally appeared in The Englishman in 1837. 

Now kus kus tatties fail to cool
And punkah breeze defying
The mercury marks 95
And we are almost frying.
Still, some relief we may enjoy,
For with our "dall' and rice, Sir,
Liquids become a luxury
From Yankee Tudor's Ice, Sir.
This blessing answers very well,
For sundry other uses
One, as a friend to you I'll tell,
To Comfort it reduces.
Send for a spon (choose a light brown)
At Bathgate's you can get it,
Make a large wig to fit your crown
And with Ice water wet it.

In Calcutta, Indian businessmen such as Dwarkanath Tagore were part of of the committee trying to fund the initiative to ensure a regular supply of ice in the city. The Ice-House was located at Hare Street next to the Metcalfe House.

By 1836, 12000 tons of ice had been shipped to Calcutta and 10 years later, this figure had spiralled to 65000 tons.

Soon, the popularity of American ice reached the other port-cities of India — Bombay and Madras.

LANDING ICE AT BOMBAY.; ENGRAVING PUBLISHED IN THE GRAPHIC, NOV. 1880.

The city of Bombay received its first ice-cargo in September 1834. The city had an advantage of being the first destination for ships coming in from Boston. This called for the Bombay’s first Ice-House, which was built through subscription funds raised by Bombay Times & Journal of Commerce (later TOI). They crowdsourced nearly Rs.3900/- to build the Ice House which was erected by 1843. In Bombay, ice sold for 4 annas (25 paise) per pound.

Meanwhile in Madras, an Ice House was erected in 1841-2.

TUDOR ICE HOUSE, MADRAS_1880; CHRISTIES

David G. Dickason points out the numerous customs and business subsidies Tudor received from India’s British rulers. For example, in Madras, ice was a duty-free item joining the ranks of pearls and precious stones. Here, Tudor even received a 20-year lease on the Ice-House starting 1845!

In 1874, entrepreneurs in Madras manufactured ice locally using a steam processor at the International Ice Company spelling the end of Tudor’s ice exports to the city. The Ice-House was acquired by the Government of Madras and it stands at the same spot, remodelled as the Vivekananda House.  

From Madras, the idea spread to Calcutta. The Bengal Ice Company, the second artificial ice maker in India, was formed in 1878. The Calcutta Ice-House was demolished in 1882; the one in Bombay was demolished in the 1920s.

THE ICE-HOUSE IN BOMBAY WAS THE CIRCULAR STRUCTURE ON THE LEFT

What remains with us though, is Tudor’s story – the man who despite his early failures, never gave up.

He who gives back at the first repulse and without striking the second blow,
despairs of success – has never been, is not, and never will be a hero in war, love, or business

Frederic Tudor ( first page of Tudor’s’ “Ice House Diary” )