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| Delhi Durbar king and queen, Alamy.com |
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| 1922, Delhi Durbar king George V. Queen Mary |
The Delhi Durbar, held thrice during British colonial rule in India, was a spectacular display of imperial pomp and grandeur, but it also highlighted the stark inequality between the rulers and the masses. Indian freedom fighters despised these events, viewing them as blatant displays of British arrogance and disregard for the suffering of the Indian populace.
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| pomp and show1911 Delhi Durbar.blogs.wsj.com |
The first Durbar in 1877, led by the 1st Earl of Lytton, marked Queen Victoria's proclamation as Empress of India, formalizing direct British rule after the 1857 Rebellion. While this event signaled the end of the oppressive East India Company’s reign, it also demonstrated Britain’s firm grip on India. The grandeur of the Durbar—attended by maharajas and intellectuals—was in stark contrast to the Great Famine of 1876–1878, which claimed over five million lives. Freedom fighters condemned the extravagance, questioning the morality of such celebrations amid widespread starvation.
The 1903 Durbar, commemorating King Edward VII’s coronation, was organized by Lord Curzon. Though Edward VII did not attend, his brother, the Duke of Connaught, presided over the event. Indian rulers adorned in dazzling regalia showcased their wealth, hoping to curry favor with the British. Critics, including nationalists, viewed the Indian princes as complicit in British domination. At a time when extreme poverty gripped India, these rulers spent vast sums to display their loyalty, further alienating the masses. Nationalist leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai openly criticized these events as humiliating reminders of India’s subjugation.
The 1911 Durbar, the most opulent, commemorated King George V and Queen Mary’s coronation. George V became the only British monarch to attend a Durbar, declaring the shift of the Indian capital from Calcutta to Delhi while wearing the Imperial Crown of India, encrusted with over 6,000 diamonds. The event, marked by parades, balls, and military reviews, occurred against a backdrop of widespread rural distress and poverty. Freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi and Gopal Krishna Gokhale lambasted the Durbar as a "crass display of imperial vanity."
The Durbars also exposed the fractured relationship between Indian rulers and the freedom movement. While some princes sought to preserve their titles and privileges under British rule, freedom fighters viewed their allegiance as betrayal. The extravagant jewels gifted by Indian rulers to the British Crown—such as the Delhi Durbar Tiara—symbolized the plunder of India’s resources. The Indian princes wanted to retain their wealth.land and the Crown.
For Indian freedom fighters, the Durbars were stark reminders of British exploitation, misplaced priorities, and the urgent need to liberate India from colonial rule. The lavish displays, juxtaposed with famine and suffering, deepened their resolve to fight for a free and equitable nation.
https://www.navrangindia.in/2015/10/king-george-v-in-procession-with-queen.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhi_Durbar
https://www.britannica.com/topic/durbar
https://www.deccanherald.com/features/a-delhi-durbar-to-remember-1227025.html
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