Listening to the Sounds of a Street
The Palace of Begum Samru in Delhi India, Delhi, ca. 1820–1830. Opaque watercolour, ink and gold on paper 29.3 x 21 cm.
The hustle and bustle of this lively and colorful street scene would not look out of place in any Arab city today (well, minus the elephants perhaps). Look at the multitude of people, wearing costumes that signal their many different cultural and professional backgrounds. The scene takes place outside a palace complex in Delhi, India, in the early 1800s, and its story, too, speaks of the coming together of people and cultures. Designed in an eclectic, Europeanizing style – with its grand double staircase, roof balustrade,
columns - and set in carefully laid-out, shaded gardens - the complex belonged to a remarkable woman, named Joanna Nobilis Sombre (ca. 1753 – 27 January 1836), but better known as Begum Samru. A former dancing girl rumored to be either from a noble Mughal family or a native Kashmiri sold to her husband as a slave, she was a Muslim convert to Catholicism, who became the ruler of Sardhana. A collection of villages northeast of Delhi, and an important political player in late 18th and early 19th century Delhi.
Being the formidable lady that she was, she maintained her own professionally trained army of Europeans and Indians, inherited from her French or German husband - mercenary and adventurer Walter Reinhardt Sombre. By the time Begum died at the age of 85 in 1836, she was a well-known personality in Delhi, of substantial property and power. Her palace complex was later severely damaged in the fight against the British in 1857 and eventuall converted into a bank.
The energy of life in this 19th-century street scene can still be found in many of our own streets today. Next time you are out, why not take a stroll and enjoy the people, the colors, the sounds and the beauty of nature in your street or neighborhood.
Written by Special Guest Contributor Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis, Interim Director and CEO at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto. In each issue, we feature a special treasure from the Aga Khan Museum, one that tells a story, captures a moment and inspires conversation.
