The history of the Government House, now the residence of the Governor of West Bengal, is a history of the British Empire in India condensed into 26 acres of land at the heart of the "white town" of Calcutta. Amongst its maidan, gardens, and cannons, the Government House stands tall in typical neoclassical fashion--conservative, traditional, and imperial. In this episode, we discuss how a building came to be conceived as the domestic face of an empire and a monument to imperial success, yet, in its use, reuse, and misuse (by birds, animals, and even gardeners of India) stands today as an apt metaphor for colonialism in the Indian subcontinent.
PHOTO GALLERY:
(Copyright for all images of the Government House in the photo gallery belongs to British Library. www.bl.uk)
SHOW NOTES
The following discussion points are included in the podcast
Introduction
Political significance of the Government House
Government House as a representation of the Empire
Controversy
Gardens surrounding Government House
Soirees, parties, and nocturnal animals
The politics of the garden - as a space of recording British conquest
Architectural history
Resemblance to Keddleston Hall in Derbyshire, England
Familial connections to Governor General Curzon
Characteristic features
Celebrating political and military achievements at the Government House
Some events
Trophy room
Criticism of the Government House
Conclusion
Nostalgia
Monumentality
Historical marker
REFERENCES:
Blechynden, Kathleen, and Nisith Ranjan Ray. 2013. Calcutta: past and present. Kolkata: Aruna Prakashan.
Carey, W. H. 1964. The good old days of Honorable John Company; being curious reminiscences during the rule of the East India Company from 1600-1858. Calcutta: Quins Book Co.
Cotton, Evan. 1907. Calcutta, old and new; a historical & descriptive handbook to the city. Calcutta: W. Newman.
Curzon, George Nathaniel. 1925. British Government in India: the story of the viceroys and government houses. London: Cassell.
India. 1926. British India from Queen Elizabeth to Lord Reading. By an Indian Mahomedan, etc. [With portraits.]. London: Sir I. Pitman & Sons.
Pearson, R. 1954. Eastern interlude; a social history of the European community in Calcutta. Calcutta: Thacker, Spink.