| Repository | Special Collections Archives (GB 0029) |
| Ref No | EUL MS 485/1 |
| Date | 2020 |
| Level | Item |
| Extent | 1 item |
| Title | Bidrohi Captain Pouch [Rebel Captain Pouch] |
| Creator Name | Chitrakar; Dukhushyam (1946-2022); Scroll Painter |
| Chitrakar; Jahanara (1991-); Scroll Painter |
| Chitrakar; Rabbani (1991-); Scroll Painter |
| Chitrakar; Rahim (1976-); Scroll Painter |
| Chitrakar; Rahman (1980-); Scroll Painter |
| Chitrakar; Ushiara (1980-); Scroll Painter |
| Description | The story of Bidrohi Captain Pouch [Rebel Captain Pouch] is based on academic sources and research which were discussed with the artists over several days at Naya and Jadavpur University, after which Dukhushyam Chitrakar composed the narrative poem. The painting then began with a pencilled outline of the entire story. Colours were prepared and the panels painted collectively by the chitrakar community over a number of days.
This scroll examines the role of insurrection as a response to food shortage as the artists tell the story of the Midlands Rising of 1607. The story of Reynolds and the Midlands diggers resonated with Dukhushyam and his version focuses strongly on protest and social justice. The patachitrakars, had to meet the challenge of telling a story set in seventeenth-century England. They worked with some historical images (such as a woodcut of an early modern scaffold and maps) and were quick to note and emphasise the regional inequalities and London-centric politics that drove the revolt.
In the discussions, Dukhushyam Chitrakar was taken through the historical context behind the Midlands Rising of 1607, including the reign of James I and the growing burdens of poverty, relaxation of laws protecting common land, depopulation, and loss of livelihoods for the poor in England. He was told about the “tumultuous rabble” of “diggers” (or “levellers,” as they called themselves) who were digging in enclosures at Newton in Northamptonshire, destroying hedges and fences built by local landlords, to convert these from enclosed pasture to common arable land. He was told about the provenance of the name "Captain Pouch" which was given to rebel leader John Reynolds, for carrying an enigmatic “pouch” or leather bag which, Reynolds insisted, contained “sufficient matter to defend them [the levellers] against all”; except that when he was captured, it was found to contain nothing more than a mouldy piece of cheese. Dukhushyam was shown illustrations depicting the scene of the revolt, woodcuts of an early modern scaffold and maps, and told about Shakespeare's Coriolanus which engages with questions of fair administration.
[This information was taken from the project website at https://faminetales.exeter.ac.uk in 2024] |
| Format | Object |
| Language | Bengali, English |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| Access Conditions | Usual EUL conditions apply. Requires large table, weights and member of staff's assistance to unroll/re-roll |
| Copyright | CC-BY-NC |
| Publication Note | 'Famine Tales from India and Britain: A Graphic Anthology' (Jadavpur University Press, 2023)
Project website at https://faminetales.exeter.ac.uk |
| Management Group | Visual culture papers |