Eva Chatterji
Having had the privilege to grow up on the Indian subcontinent, surrounded by history and with a family that embraced travel and learning, perhaps it is with only a little surprise that what began as a chance find in a musty school book archive on a hillside in the Himalayas - at the age of 16 - would turn into a lifetime of writing, reading and researching. The Indian Mutiny, written by the rather over-enthusiastic Mr Fitchett, gave Eva her first look into that troubled year of Indian history, 1857.
This one book gave her the drive to start reading, filling up notebooks on everything from 'regimental marches in hot weather' to 'travelling by ship', as she remembers the rather grandly titled, Surveying the Beauteous Expanse of India. By the time she left school in 1990, their archive was a few books smaller. Unfortunately, the notebooks have since disappeared, lost somewhere between Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Switzerland. However, 1857 was never far from her mind in the decade that passed, and the itch that started in 1988 lurked on until it was finally cemented on an extended trip to India in 2003. Armed with new notes, maps and a veritable library of books, she set off to explore Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur and Kolkata. It was Lucknow however that captured her mind–the disappointing dereliction of the remains of the Residency led her to write her first blog, entitled, Reflections of the Lucknow Residency. She aimed to breathe life back into 1857 and Lucknow was the place to start.
Since then as she continues to travel to India and research 1857, what started as a small project about one place in time, has grown into the thrilling work of a lifetime and her site, mutinyreflections.wordpress.com is my all-encompassing passion, where she strives to bring forth new information, unravel myths and present a war the world has all but forgotten. The history, the people, the world they lived in and the battles they fought, for as Mr Fitchett once said, “The Great Mutiny, as yet, has neither found its final historian, nor its sufficient poet.” Now she finally have the opportunity to go back to where it all began, to Lucknow, the Residency can now reach others as enthusiastic as this humble writer.
The Lucknow Residency: A Story of 1857
The Lucknow Residency: A Story of 1857 is a journey to the past, taking visitors back to five harrowing months of the Indian Mutiny and into the very lives of the men, women, and children whose very survival depended on these now silent ruins. The buildings each tell a tale of heroism and desperation, as eyewitness accounts provide a unique glimpse into a siege which changed the entire balance of this fearsome war. The visitor can now experience the Siege of Lucknow told through the reminiscences of the besieged, bringing to life a history that slumbers on, in the grounds of the Lucknow Residency.
Courage in Chaos: Saving the Lucknow Residency
In 1857, the East India Company faced a mutiny in the Bengal Presidency, the likes of which had never been seen before, that threatened to upend their rule. As chaos reigns, three men stand at the forefront of a desperate mission: to save the besieged garrison of Lucknow. Brigadier General Henry Havelock, Sir James Outram, and Sir Colin Campbell must navigate the impossible as their armies fight treacherous battles, putting the valour of their men to the test. Courage in Chaos: Saving the Lucknow Residency–a gripping tale of bravery and sacrifice in a time of upheaval.
