After 111 yrs, John Nicholson's statue stripped of national monument status

The statue is located near the Kashmiri Gate in Delhi, where Nicholson died during the 1857 rebellion

The Government of India on Tuesday (December 3) removed the "monument of national importance" status from the statue of John Nicholson, a British general involved in suppressing India’s 1857 rebellion against colonial rule. The statue is located near the Kashmiri Gate in Delhi, where Nicholson died during the conflict.

 

Following India’s Independence in 1947, the statue, which depicted Nicholson with a drawn sword, was taken down, along with other colonial symbols. The latest decision comes 111 years after the monument and its surroundings were officially recognised as a national heritage site on December 11, 1913, by the British colonial administration.

 

 

Who was John Nicholson?

 

John Nicholson, born on December 11, 1822, in Dublin, Ireland, was a British officer in the East India Company. His career in India included serving in the Bengal Army, fighting in the First Afghan War (1839–42), and holding administrative roles in Kashmir and Punjab. Nicholson also participated in the Second Sikh War (1848–49).

 

While some accounts portray him as instrumental in suppressing the 1857 rebellion, others describe him as a harsh and authoritarian figure. His actions, including publicly humiliating Indian leaders and enforcing brutal punishments, have led modern historians to criticise him as an "imperial psychopath". Nicholson died in 1857 during the siege of Delhi.

 

According to historical records, he would flog Indians on almost any grounds -- sometimes even when he did not have the authority to do so. When an Indian man spat on the ground in his presence, Nicholson, interpreting it as a grave insult, ordered the man to be restrained and forced him to lick the spit off the ground. On another occasion, while passing a mosque, Nicholson noticed an imam who, preoccupied, failed to offer him the customary “salaam.” In response, Nicholson had the imam brought to him and personally shaved off his beard—a deeply humiliating act for a Muslim, fully aware of the cultural significance.

 

Sir John Lawrence, who served as the governor general and viceroy of India, found him difficult to work with and far too keen on confronting and humiliating Indian leaders. Nicholson has been described by historians as a "sadistic bully".

 

What are monuments of national importance?

 

A Monument of National Importance (MNI) is a site protected under Indian law, specifically the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958. The government follows a structured process to declare a monument as nationally important, which includes issuing a notice, considering public feedback, and officially notifying the decision.

 

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) oversees the preservation of these monuments, ensuring they are protected from damage and providing amenities such as pathways, signage, and visitor facilities. India currently has 3,697 MNIs, ranging from ancient temples and forts to historic buildings.

 

Examples of MNIs include -- Neemrana Baori in Rajasthan; The Vishnu Temple in Uttarakhand; The High Court Building in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The full list of these monuments is available on ASI's official website --https://asi.nic.in.