British Women Travel In Bullock Cart, 1900 Postcard
An old 1900 photo postcard of British women travel in bullock cart. Certainly a rare scene from the colonial era. Apparently, four European women probably hitching a ride on a bullock cart in Baroda. Baroda State was then ruled by the Gaekwad dynasty. All seem to be at their Sunday best, typically with sun helmets. Their menfolk may have either been working in the British Indian military, civil services, private companies, estates, or so on.
Many Britishers were based in India with their families. Despite the harsh conditions maybe in some remote places, the European womenfolk generally enjoyed life in India. The good salaries and generous perks of their husbands compensated for any difficulties they faced with weather or the harshness of the land. It was once a common sight to see huge bungalows with servants, ayahs, cooks, and so on.
Which would have been unthinkable back in their homeland England. Bullock and horse carts were probably the best modes of transport since motor vehicles did not make an appearance yet. Although the railways like the Great Indian Peninsula Railways (GIPR), Bombay Baroda & Central India Railways (BB & CI), East Indian Railways, and so on were in operation. The first train travel took place from Bombay to Thana in 1853. By 1900 railways crisscrossed the country. In due course of time, motor cars became popular with the Europeans in India, especially by the 1910s. Click on the photo for better view.
Read more Top 4 Transport Systems developed in India Under British Rule.
Did you know- commercial airways travel became popular from the mid-1930s onwards in India.
From the collection- German Map Bombay With Waffen SS Stamp & Seal., Rare Advertisement Taj Palace Hotel Bombay 1907., 1964 M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal On Paper Nude (#3)
