The First Indian War of Independence—also commonly known as the Rebellion, Uprising, or Mutiny—was a major conflict in which thousands of Indian soldiers attempted to overthrow the British colonial government in 1857-8. In Indian Ink, the characters’ disagreement over what to call this conflict demonstrates how colonialism shapes people’s perspectives on history and justice in deep, enduring ways.
First Indian War of Independence Quotes in Indian Ink
The Indian Ink quotes below are all either spoken by First Indian War of Independence or refer to First Indian War of Independence. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1
Quotes
ANISH We had been loyal to the British right through the first War of Independence.
MRS SWAN The … ? What war was that?
ANISH The Rising of 1857.
MRS SWAN Oh, you mean the Mutiny. What did you call it?
ANISH Dear Mrs Swan, Imperial history is merely … no, no—I promise you I didn’t come to give you a history lesson.
MRS SWAN You seem ill-equipped to do so. We were your Romans, you know. We might have been your Normans.
ANISH And did you expect us to be grateful?
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Explanation and Analysis:
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First Indian War of Independence Term Timeline in Indian Ink
The timeline below shows where the term First Indian War of Independence appears in Indian Ink. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1
...surprising, given his political leanings. Anish explains that Jummapur’s people supported the English until the First War of Indian Independence —which Swan calls “the Mutiny.” Anish disapprovingly says that he hasn’t “come to give [Swan]...
(full context)
Act 2
...the Rajah concludes. He compares the nationalist threat today to the fundamentalist threat during “ the First Uprising ”—a term Flora doesn’t understand, since the British call it “The Mutiny.”
(full context)
