Anglo-Indian Community During British India Era, 1957 Photo
A 1957 photo of an Anglo-Indian community during the British India era. The Anglo-Indian community was often caught in a state of uncertainty—unsettled and marginalized. During the colonial era, the British rulers never fully accepted them, often viewing them as socially inferior.
After India’s independence, the community continued to face neglect and lacked formal recognition and integration. Anglo-Indians are primarily of mixed British and Indian ancestry, a legacy of centuries of colonial presence in the subcontinent. They were also referred to as Eurasians.
The origins of the Anglo-Indian community can be traced back to 1639, when the British East India Company established its first settlement in Madras (now Chennai). At the time, English women were rarely able to travel to India because of the arduous journey by sea. As a result, the Company encouraged its men to marry local Indian women.
The children from these unions—born of Indian mothers and European (mostly British) fathers—came to be known as Anglo-Indians or mixed Indians. Their identity primarily shaped by their paternal European heritage. Many of the Anglo-Indians migrated abroad after India’s independence. Especially to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. They constitute a size as wide as 30,000 to 1,50,000 in India now. Click on the image to enlarge.
Did you know – that similar communities can also be seen in other parts of the world, although in smaller numbers, such as Anglo-Burmese in Myanmar and Burghers in Sri Lanka.
Past posts – ‘Farmhouse’ British-India Watercolour Painting 1940., Kaisarbagh Palace Lucknow – Old Postcard 1897., The Terror of Madras, German ship Emden WWI 1914., The City Of Old Delhi Map 1877.
