Description
Because of its consequences, 1857 is an episode in South Asian history that neither India, not Pakistan can ignore. While India chooses to celebrate its legacy, Pakistan remains indifferent to it. This paper seeks to explore the ways in which nationalist histories of the Indian and Pakistani states have sought to articulate 1857, primarily through a study of their postage stamps. The paper argues that in their initial years, the postcolonial state in both India and Pakistan were keen on claiming a direct historical link between themselves and the events of 1857 conveying that though they were merely ten years old as countries, their struggle went back a hundred years. However over the years, this has changed drastically. Through the study of stamps, this paper argues that in order to weave a composite and inclusive history of the country, India celebrates the legacy of 1857 by appropriating it within the frames of national unity, patriotism, and anti-imperialism. In contrast to this, Pakistani history has reduced 1857 to the loss of Muslim political influence which then becomes a prelude to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s efforts for a socio-political awakening of the community.
