Elephant Battery, Jhansi
1887
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Raja Deen Dayal
Raja Lala Deen Dayal, famously known as Raja Deen Dayal) was an Indian photographer.
See the richer artist page1887
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Elephant Battery, Jhansi is a 1887 by Raja Deen Dayal, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows elephants hauling big artillery pieces through a dry landscape. The men in red coats and turbans stand back as the animals strain against ropes. You can see the strain in their legs and the heavy guns sinking into the dust. Raja Deen Dayal took this photo in 1887 for British officers. It mixes war with spectacle—tourists watched these drills like a show. The elephants carried supplies that cannons couldn’t reach. Their work kept the army moving. If you like this, check out Raja Deen Dayal (Indian, 1844–1905) on the museum’s site.
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.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Raja Lala Deen Dayal, famously known as Raja Deen Dayal) was an Indian photographer.
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