Who Was John Nicholson Whose Statue In Delhi Has Been Stripped Of Prestigious Tag? – News18
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The central government acted 111 years after John Nicholson’s statue, its foundation, gardens, paths, and surrounding wall were declared a ‘national monument’
The statue of John Nicholson, once located near Delhi’s Kashmiri Gate, was removed in 1958 and sent to Northern Ireland. (News18)
The central government removed the ‘Monument of National Importance’ status from the statue of John Nicholson, a British East India Company officer on Tuesday.
This action is considered significant as the government recognises the East India Company officer’s controversial role in suppressing the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Brigadier-General Nicholson, known for his ruthlessness, played a key role in the Siege of Delhi during the uprising.
The statue of John Nicholson, once located near Kashmiri Gate in Delhi, commemorated his death in conflict at that very spot. However, the statue was removed in 1958 and sent to Northern Ireland. Despite its removal, the site, now marked only by a plaque and foundation stone, retains the status of a ‘Monument of National Importance’.
The central government has taken this step 111 years after the statue of John Nicholson, its foundation stone, surrounding gardens, paths and the wall built to surround it were declared a ‘monument of national importance’.
At that time, the British government of India had built the statue of John Nicholson holding a sword and declared it of national importance through a notification on December 11, 1913.
Read: Centre Removes Delhi’s Nicholson Statue’s ‘Monument Of National Importance’ Tag
What are monuments of national importance?
Monuments of National Importance (MNI) are protected sites under Indian law, especially the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958. For this, the government follows a process that includes issuing a notice to declare a monument as of national importance, considering public feedback and officially informing the decision.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) preserves and maintains these monuments. It ensures that such monuments are protected from any kind of damage. Its job is also to provide pathways, signs and facilities for visitors.
John Nicholson started his military career in India
John Nicholson was born on December 11, 1822, in Dublin, Ireland. Ireland was completely under British rule at that time. His father was a doctor in a hospital in Dublin. His father died when John was only nine years old. After this, his family moved back to his parents’ hometown, Lisburn.
Nicholson’s uncle, Sir James Weir Hogg, was a lawyer in the East India Company. He had worked in India, where the company ran large parts of the country like its personal fiefdom. Sir James took charge of young John’s education and then got him a job as a cadet in the company’s Bengal Infantry. In 1839, at the age of 18, Nicholson started his military career in India.
First posting in Benaras
John Nicholson started his career as a military cadet from Benaras. Four months later he was sent to Ferozepur. A few days later his troop received orders to go to Afghanistan. He took part in the First Afghan War (1839-42).
John Nicholson also held political positions in Kashmir and Punjab. Then he took part in the Second Sikh War in the year 1848-49. Some accounts describe him as important in suppressing the rebellion of 1857, while others consider him a person of harsh and dictatorial nature.
His actions included publicly humiliating and punishing Indian leaders due to which modern historians criticise him as a ‘colonial psychopath’. Nicholson was killed during the siege of Delhi in 1857.
Nicholson Whipped Indians
According to historical records, John Nicholson used to whip Indians without any reason. Sometimes he did so even when he did not have the right to do so. Once, when an Indian man spat on the ground in front of him, Nicholson considered it a serious insult and forced the person to lick the spit.
On another occasion, when Nicholson was passing a mosque, he noticed that an Imam did not greet him because he was busy. In response, Nicholson called the Imam and shaved off his beard. This was extremely humiliating for a Muslim. He was eager to insult and confront Indian leaders. Historians have described Nicholson as a ‘sadistic bully’.
Suppressing the freedom struggle
Nicholson was recognised as a successful military officer during his posting in Afghanistan, Punjab and Kashmir. He was promoted to Brigadier General. Meanwhile, the 1857 freedom struggle had started. The British government put the responsibility of suppressing it on his shoulders.
Nicholson was posted in Delhi to suppress the 1857 freedom struggle. While fighting the Indians in Delhi, he was seriously injured and died a few days later on September 23, 1857. He was buried near Kashmiri Gate in Delhi.
John Nicholson not only received respect during his service but also received after his death. His life-size statues with weapons in Ireland bear testimony to this. The British government honoured him as a martyr.
According to reports, Nicholson was homosexual. He remained unmarried till the time of his death.
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