Proclamation on the Gates of Somnath (1842)
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The Proclamation on the Gates of Somnath (1842) was a controversial declaration by Governor-General Lord Ellenborough announcing the symbolic return of the gates of the Somnath temple to India, used to project British imperial power and appeal to Hindu sentiment.
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
British imperial policy statement
ⓘ
colonial-era document ⓘ political proclamation ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Lord Ellenborough’s Afghan policy
ⓘ
cultural politics in British India ⓘ use of religious symbolism in colonial rule ⓘ |
| author | Lord Ellenborough NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| concerns |
gates located at Ghazni
ⓘ
gates taken from Somnath temple ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | United Kingdom ⓘ |
| date | 1842 ⓘ |
| describedAs |
controversial
ⓘ
example of imperial spectacle ⓘ symbolic gesture ⓘ |
| genre | official proclamation ⓘ |
| historicalContext |
British conquest of Ghazni
ⓘ
First Anglo-Afghan War NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| impact |
criticized as theatrical and imprudent by some British politicians
ⓘ
provoked debate in Britain ⓘ provoked debate in India ⓘ used in later historiography as example of imperial manipulation of religion ⓘ |
| intendedAudience |
British public opinion
ⓘ
Hindu elites in India ⓘ subjects of British India ⓘ |
| issuedBy |
Government of British India
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Governor-General of India NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| language | English ⓘ |
| legalStatus | executive order of the Governor-General ⓘ |
| mainSubject |
British imperial power in India
ⓘ
Hindu religious sentiment ⓘ Somnath temple gates ⓘ symbolic return of religious artifacts ⓘ |
| mentions |
Ghazni
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Mahmud of Ghazni NERFINISHED ⓘ Somnath temple NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| placeOfIssue | India NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| politicalGoal |
appeal to Hindu sentiment
ⓘ
legitimize British rule in India ⓘ portray British as protectors of Hindu faith ⓘ project British imperial power ⓘ |
| region |
South Asia
ⓘ
surface form:
Indian subcontinent
|
| relatedTo |
Anglo-Afghan Wars
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
British rule in India ⓘ Gates of Somnath NERFINISHED ⓘ Somnath temple NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| religiousDimension | Hinduism NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| timePeriod | 19th century ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.