Research
Bold Warrior of Photography: Raja Deen Dayal and Photographic Culture in late 19th-century South Asia
A study of the life and work of Raja Deen Dayal (1844 - 1905) through primary sources.
In 1892, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the ruler of a powerful princely state in the Deccan region of India, conferred upon the photographer Deen Dayal the title of Raja Bahadur Mussavir Jung (Bold Warrior of Photography). Since then, the prolific 19th-century South Asian photographer has been known as Raja Deen Dayal. This title is significant for it preserves a moment in the history of Indian photography that was not part of the official realm of the British government.
Photography in South Asia has been understood as largely the purview of the colonial government, being employed in administrative tasks such as documenting the indigenous population or surveying land—activities meant to aid in ruling over the large territory and diverse population of the Indian subcontinent.
Deen Dayal trained and worked in this official realm as a draftsman and then photographer. Yet he also occupied a realm separate from official colonial bureaucracy. His first patron was the Maharaja Tukoji Rao II of Indore and, in 1894, he was appointed the court photographer to the Nizam of Hyderabad. The title “Bold Warrior of Photography” points to the use of photography in a space other than the official political, social, and cultural arena of the colonial government.
Research for this project has been generously supported by the American Institute for Indian Studies, The Alkazi Collection of Photography, the Royal Ontario Museum Department of Museum Volunteers Acquisition & Research Fund.
Curator
Deepali Dewan
Raja Deen Dayal, Taj Mahal, Agra, c. 1880s, 2004.31.1.2. This acquisition was made possible with the generous support of the Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust.
Raja Deen Dayal, Sanchi Stupa, North Gate, c. 1880s, 2004.31.1.53. This acquisition was made possible with the generous support of the Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust.
Raja Deen Dayal, Crawford Market, Bombay, c. 1880s, 2004.31.1.42. This acquisition was made possible with the generous support of the Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust.
