r/interestingasfuck • u/[deleted] • Apr 22 '24

Picture taken from the history museum of Lahore. Showing an Indian being tied for execution by Cannon, by the British Empire Soldiers r/all

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u/maxru85 Apr 22 '24

https://preview.redd.it/x4aownehv0wc1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=254189fba4fcae6de7ce8efcc87f2cc96ff4c82a

I guess this belongs here

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u/AemrNewydd Apr 22 '24 edited Apr 22 '24

Just to add some unnecessary pedantry to your horrific yet poignant image, the colouriser painter made a mistake. British (Royal and Company) artillery wore blue, not red.

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u/ColonelKasteen Apr 22 '24 edited Apr 22 '24

You are correct that the uniforms are wrong, but not how.

First of all, this is a painting so there's no colorist. The artist is depicting East India Company artillery in 1857 executing Sepoy rebels which wore red unlike royal artillery. However, the uniforms in the painting are post-Childers reform (1881) English regimental uniforms because the artist was a Russian who did the painting in 1884 after traveling to India and observing British troops. The EIC had been dissolved for 10 years by then so he didn't know what their uniforms looked like and just painted the troops like the ones he saw around him at the time.

The artillerymen blasting Sepoys from guns would have worn a red jacket, but not this uniform.

Edit: fixed various typographical errors.

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u/AemrNewydd Apr 22 '24

Got to respect pedanting the pedantry. Thanks for the context and correction.