Cleveland Museum of Art

Jhansi Fort and Elephant Battery

Raja Deen Dayal

Date

1886

Medium

albumen print

Culture

India

Department

Photography

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Exercises involving elephant batteries, which were exotic to European eyes, attracted spectators; photographs of them were excellent souvenirs of these military forces employed by the British Indian Army. Elephants had been employed in warfare in India since at least the 500s BC, but with the advent of heavy artillery, their function switched from attack to support. They transported big guns and supplies and worked in logging and construction. It took many cattle to pull a load that could be handled by two elephants.

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