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In 1911, King George V and Queen Mary embarked on a journey to India that would go down in history as one of the most significant royal visits of the British Empire. The trip marked not only a major event in the monarchy’s history but also a defining moment in British colonial rule over India. This visit was designed to celebrate the coronation of King George V as the Emperor of India, a title that had been established as part of the British imperial system. The royal couple’s journey to India also included a hunting expedition in Nepal, and their time in the subcontinent left an indelible mark on both the British and Indian societies of the era.
The royal journey began with the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary by ship. Upon their arrival in India, they were greeted with immense ceremony and festivity. The royal couple’s journey was framed as a symbol of British imperial might and the grandeur of the monarchy, with various ceremonies planned to showcase both the power of the British Empire and the loyalty of Indian rulers under British influence. Their first stop was Delhi, where the grand Delhi Durbar was to be held in honor of the King’s coronation as Emperor of India. The event took place on December 12, 1911, and was attended by an impressive assembly of local rulers, military officials, and dignitaries.
The Delhi Durbar itself was a spectacle on an unprecedented scale. The event was held in a temporary city, covering 25 square miles, and at the center stood the King’s pavilion, which occupied an area of 85 acres. The royal camp was equipped with modern infrastructure, including 64 kilometers of new roads and a 80-kilometer long water pipeline. A new railway system was even constructed to transport the royals to the Durbar site. The British royal couple arrived at the event dressed in their coronation robes, with King George V donning the Imperial Crown of India, an ornate crown made of diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies.
The Durbar ceremonies were marked by lavish parades, grand displays of military might, and a 101-gun salute. Indian rulers from princely states paid homage to the King and Queen, bowing in respect and taking part in the various rites and festivities. Among the many moments of the Durbar, one controversial incident stood out—Maharaja Sayajirao III, the Gaekwar of Baroda, approached the royal couple without his jewelry and, after a simple bow, turned his back as he left the royal presence. This was seen by some as a silent act of dissent against British rule, highlighting the growing tension and nationalist sentiments that were simmering in India at the time.
The Delhi Durbar was more than just a ceremonial event; it was also politically significant. During the proceedings, King George V used the occasion to announce the shifting of the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi, a decision that would trigger a massive construction project to build a new city. The new city was designed to evoke the grandeur of the Mughal Empire, yet also incorporate classical Western architectural styles, blending the old with the new in a distinctly imperial fashion. However, within just a few decades, this grand vision would fall apart, as India gained independence in 1947, marking the end of British rule.
After the Durbar, the royal couple embarked on a hunting expedition to Nepal, where King George V sought the thrill of hunting tigers and rhinoceroses in the jungles of the Himalayas. Although the sudden death of King Tribhuvan of Nepal on December 11, 1911, cast a shadow over the royal visit, it was decided to proceed with the planned hunting trip. The King’s hunting party, which included dignitaries and royal staff, spent ten days hunting in the dense jungles of Nepal. Over the course of the expedition, they killed 18 rhinos, 39 tigers, and several sloth bears, leopards, and porcupines. The animals were baited with cattle tied to the edges of the jungle, and the royal party, often traveling on the back of elephants, would then track and shoot them.
One particularly memorable part of the expedition was the presentation of a live rhino, which was brought to the royal camp by the Prime Minister of Nepal and later transported to the London Zoo. The royal hunting party was able to capture stunning photographs during their expedition, and these images were later preserved in albums. In addition to their hunting trophies, which included several tiger skins, the King’s hunting party also gathered specimens for natural history purposes, with British diplomat and naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson documenting more than 560 bird species and thousands of other specimens.
The hunting trophies, including skins of the animals killed during the expedition, were eventually distributed to national museums across the United Kingdom, including the museums in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Dublin. Four tiger skins were also sent to provincial museums in cities like Exeter, Norwich, Leicester, and Bristol. These trophies became a symbol of British imperial prowess and reinforced the monarchy’s connection to nature and the exotic world of India and Nepal.
As the royal couple’s journey concluded, they returned to Britain, having fulfilled their ceremonial duties and hunting ambitions. Their visit to India and Nepal in 1911 remains a momentous event in the history of the British Empire. It reflected the imperial ambitions of the time, where the monarchy sought to solidify its power through ceremonial acts and extravagant displays of wealth. Yet, the underlying currents of Indian nationalism and growing dissent against British rule were also evident, especially during the Durbar and the protest by the Gaekwar of Baroda. This royal journey would ultimately be remembered not only for its opulence and grandeur but also as a precursor to the political changes that would sweep across India in the following decades.
The 1911 royal visit to India and Nepal thus stands as a striking testament to a different era, when imperialism was at its peak, yet the seeds of change were beginning to take root. The images and stories from the royal journey continue to captivate historians and enthusiasts alike, offering a window into a complex chapter of colonial history and a reminder of the lasting impact of British rule on the Indian subcontinent.
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