Gezicht op de stad Allahabad tijdens de overmeestering door de opstandelingen in 1857 1857

O. Meyer created this print, “View of the city of Allahabad during the conquest by the rebels in 1857,” to depict a key moment in the Indian Rebellion against British rule. The uprising began as a mutiny of sepoys, Indian soldiers serving under the British East India Company, and soon expanded into other parts of Indian society. The print frames the siege of Allahabad by the rebels. It captures the violence and upheaval of the conflict, but also suggests the complex power dynamics between the colonizers and the colonized. We can see the city in the grip of war, smoke billowing amidst buildings, while the river and boats hint at the city’s vital role in trade and transportation, as well as escape. This image is an artifact of a colonial gaze attempting to make sense of resistance. Meyer’s print is a reminder of the rebellion’s impact on the city’s landscape and the human lives caught in its tides.