In the 19th century, India was under British rule. The English East India company came to trade in India in the 17th century, and it slowly began to consolidate its economic and political power in the country. India was divided into several sub-kingdoms, British took advantage and conquered the whole nation by the 1850s. In 1857, the Indian rebellion (war of independence) broke out to take back control from British Domination. The mutiny began at Meerut or Mirat 60 miles from Delhi. However, the British recaptured Delhi and eventually re-established control. At the height of the Mughal Empire, India was the largest economic power in the world and in the British, the economy suffered badly because the British channeled Indian wealth back to Britain and its global colonial projects. As a consequence, India suffered a series of famines that killed tens of millions of people.

These colorized historic photographs capture cities, Mughal architectures, and everyday life of Indian people in the late 19th century. These photos were colorized using the photochrom process.