Hand Pulled Rickshaw In Mylapore Madras, 1900 Postcard
An old 1900 postcard of a hand-pulled rickshaw at Mylapore in British era Madras now Chennai. By the 1900s the hand-pulled rickshaw became quite common in the whole of India. Because of its low cost and low maintenance, it was an ideal conveyance vehicle. Shown here are two runners in Mylapore apparently all set to convey their commuters in their hand-pulled rickshaw.
The commuters appear to be two nuns presumably from the San Thome Church area in Mylapore. Since horses in the British era were in short supply. Because of their utilization in the military and civilian use. Moreover, horses were an expensive proposition in cost and maintenance. Invented by the Japanese in 1869 the hand-pulled rickshaw became a prolific vehicle in Japan. Its usefulness quickly picked up as a transport vehicle in Asia and parts of Africa.
Did you know – in recent times the use of hand-pulled rickshaws has been discouraged or outlawed in many countries. Due to concern for the welfare of rickshaw workers.
Past posts – Raja Ravi Varma’s Wife Bhageerathi Bayi, Rare 1870 Photo., Cricket In Colonial Bombay, Old Photo 1910., View Of Bombay or Mumbai – Old Print 1845., Taking of The City of Cochin – Antique Plan 1744.
The images are of the actual items from my collection. And Not a photocopy, pirated, reproduced, stock photos, or taken from other sources.
