Museums in Britain: Custodians of Looted Indian Wealth and Artifacts

Uncovering the Tragic Legacy of British Loot: The Saga of India's Stolen Treasures in the British Museum

Museums in Britain: Custodians of Looted Indian Wealth and Artifacts

Let's face it, British museums aren't exactly high on my must-visit list. Don't get me wrong; I appreciate the aesthetics, and there are some genuinely fascinating exhibits. But the overarching fact remains - a vast chunk of these museums' collections are the result of boss-level plunder, heisted from countries like India, whose history, culture, and heritage were systematically erased during the colonial era.

Case in point: The Tower of London Museum, where the center of attraction is the infamous Kohinoor diamond – rightfully dubbed the 'mountain of light'. Originally adorning the Peacock Throne in Delhi, the 105.6 carat diamond found itself under the British crown in 1849 following the Anglo-Sikh war. Fast forward to 1937, and the Kohinoor, known as 'India's pride', was transformed to fit European tastes thanks to its new British owners.

But the Kohinoor wasn't alone in this sordid tale of colonial loot. In 1701, Thomas Pitt, a British Governor in Madras, nabbed a hefty diamond from the Golconda mines of the Moghul emperor, weighing a whopping 410 carats. Nicknamed the Pitt diamond, it was priced at a cool £125,000 in British pounds back then and eventually made its way into the French crown.

But that's not all; the Amaravati marbles, a knockout collection of 2nd-century BCE Buddhist sculptures from Andhra Pradesh, also suffered the same fate. Made up of 120 exquisite sculptures, these artifacts were part of the stupa at Amaravati, a renowned Buddhist site in India. In the 19th century, British bigwigs like Sir Walter Elliot dismantled the stupa, boxed up the sculptures, and sent them packing to London. Today, these priceless pieces reside in the British Museum. The Indian government has pleaded for their return countless times, but the British Museum, true to form, hides behind arguments of "preservation" and "universal access", as though stealing can become legitimized with a tasteful display.

The Sultanganj Buddha, a 1,500-year-old copper statue, is yet another masterpiece of Gupta-period artistry. Uncovered during railway construction in Bihar in 1861, it was immediately shipped to Britain and auctioned off to the Birmingham Museum.

Few artifacts, however, can compete with the political statement that Tipu Sultan's mechanical tiger, a wooden automaton depicting a tiger mauling a British soldier, represents. This wasn't merely a plaything for the defiant ruler of Mysore; it was a powerful message to the British, symbolizing their resistance to British expansion. After the fall of Srirangapatna, the British seized the mechanical tiger as a war trophy, and today, it presides over the Victoria & Albert Museum, a silent observer to the brutal suppression of India's resistance.

The Lion Capital of Ashoka, India's national emblem, was part of a pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE and stood in Sarnath. Unfortunately, other Ashokan pillars were dismantled and liberated by British antiquarians, their fragments now scattered across British museums across the country. The fragmentation of these pillars symbolizes the fragmentation of India under colonial rule.

From looted treasures to cultural impoverishment, the reasons behind India's decline are numerous. Before the British, India boasted the world's largest economy, accounting for 25% of global GDP. Post-colonial rule, India plummeted to a mere 2%. According to an Oxfam report, between 1765 and 1900, Britain clandestinely robbed India of an estimated $64.82 trillion, with the top 10% of British society walking away with 33.8 trillion – enough to cover London in £50 notes four times over. This ill-gotten wealth was piled up by generations of Indians who fought and died for the British in both World Wars, where the pay disparity between an Indian and British soldier was astounding – the latter earning 75 times more than the former.

Lastly, a house with a blue plaque at Berkeley Square, London, all too vividly encapsulates the bitter aftertaste of the colonial legacy. The house proudly boasts that Robert Clive, one of the founding plunderers of India, once resided there. Standing before the house, conflicted thoughts wash over me: I harbor no ill will towards contemporary British citizens, but I cannot forget what their ancestors did. Millions died during the Bengal Famine, a result of British callousness, and Winston Churchill, a devout imperialist, described Indians as 'a beastly people with a beastly religion'.

The colonial loot of India's artistic and cultural treasures, the exploitation of the Indian economy, the manipulation of India's domestic politics, the moral deprivation – all add up to a dark chapter in human history, and the pain persists.

Enrichment Data:

Overall:

The history of looted Indian artifacts in British museums is steeped in the tumultuous legacy of colonialism, with many priceless artifacts being plundered and transferred to museums like the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Birmingham Museum during the British colonial era. Here are some further details and information regarding these artifacts:

Background of Colonial Plunder:

Motives: British colonial officials often targeted religious sites, royal palaces, and other historical landmarks during the colonial era, stealing valuable artifacts, sculptures, and other cultural artifacts.
Methods: These artifacts were frequently removed without proper documentation, making it difficult to establish their original provenance in modern times.

Specific Examples of Looted Artifacts:

1. Tipu Sultan's Mechanical Tiger:

Description: This wooden automaton depicts a tiger mauling a British soldier, symbolizing Tipu Sultan's resistance against British rule. It was taken as a war trophy after the fall of Srirangapatna in 1799.
Current Location: The Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Significance: Beyond its historical significance, it serves as a symbol of Indian resistance against colonial rule.

2. Amaravati Marbles:

Description: A collection of exquisite Buddhist sculptures from the 2nd century BCE, originally part of a stupa in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.
Removal: Disassembled and shipped to Britain by Sir Walter Elliot and other British officials in the 19th century.
Current Location: The majority are housed in the British Museum.
Significance: These sculptures represent some of the finest examples of early Buddhist art in India and are vital to India's cultural heritage. Despite repeated requests, they remain in the British Museum.

3. Sultanganj Buddha:

Description: A 1,500-year-old copper statue weighing over 500 kg, discovered during railway construction in Bihar in 1861.
Removal: Immediately shipped to Britain and sold to the Birmingham Museum.
Current Location: Birmingham Museum.
Significance: This statue is an exceptional example of Gupta-period art and cultural significance.

Economic Impact of Colonial Rule:

British colonialism severely impacted India's prosperity. Pre-colonial India's economy was the world's largest, accounting for 25% of the global GDP. Post-colonial rule, India's GDP shrunk to 2%. An Oxfam report from January 2021 estimated that the colonial plunder by Britain amounted to $64.82 trillion between 1765 and 1900.

[1] Pandit, A. (2021, February 8). India's art heritage preserved here: British Museum boss. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indias-art-heritage-preserved-here-british-museum-boss/articleshow/80832920.cms

[2] Dey, M. (2020, March 16). India calls for Kohinoor to be returned to temple. The Art Newspaper. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/india-calls-for-kohinoor-to-be-returned-to-temple

[3] Raman, A. (2020, February 18). Should India reclaim the Kohinoor? Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/sport/2020/2/18/should-india-reclaim-the-kohinoor

[4] Patnaik, P. (2021, February 8). Central govt files plea in SC to get Amaravati Buddha sculptures back from Britain. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/eroor/wrapping-up/centre-files-plea-in-sc-to-get-amaravati-buddha-sculptures-back-from-britain/article33993629.ece

[5] Renouf, A. (2019, March 18). United States Repatriates Stolen Statue of Lord Vishnu to India. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/united-states-repatriates-stolen-statue-of-lord-vishnu-to-india.html

Despite expressing an unbelievable aversion to the practice, colonial officials in Britain plundered India's art, sports, culture, politics, and economy, looting treasures and transferring them to museums like the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Case in point, the Kohinoor diamond – then part of the Peacock Throne in Delhi – was seized during the Anglo-Sikh war and is now on display at the Tower of London Museum.
The Sultanganj Buddha, a masterpiece of Gupta-period artistry, was shipped to Britain during railway construction in Bihar, where it now resides in the Birmingham Museum.
The Amaravati marbles, a collection of 2nd-century BCE Buddhist sculptures, were dismantled from their original site in India and sent to London, where they are now housed in the British Museum.
The political statement embodied by Tipu Sultan's mechanical tiger, depicting a mauling tiger and a British soldier, is part of the Victoria & Albert Museum's collection.
The Lion Capital of Ashoka, India's national emblem, was dismantled by British antiquarians and its fragments are scattered across various British museums.
The Indian government has repeatedly requested the return of these artifacts, but British museums, citing preservation and universal access, continue to cling to them.
Reports estimate that Britain clandestinely robbed India of an estimated $64.82 trillion during the colonial era, a drain on India's economy that is still felt today.