News: 200-yr-old memorial of French army officer restored to former glory in Gurugram-17-03-2022
Situated in a park in Mohyal Colony, Sector 40, the early 19th-century heritage structure is believed to date back to 1821 and is dedicated to Major Jean Etienne, a native of Bordeaux in France, who served in Begum Samru’s army for 35 years.
The 200-year-old memorial of a French army officer, who served Begum Samru, the ruler of the Jharsa-Badshahpur pargana in the 1800s, has been restored to its former glory nearly four years after efforts were first made to conserve the decrepit structure.
Situated in a park in Mohyal Colony, Sector 40, the early 19th-century heritage structure is believed to date back to 1821 and is dedicated to Major Jean Etienne, a native of Bordeaux in France, who served in Begum Samru’s army for 35 years. It is one of the very few structures associated with the ruler who died in 1836.
Yasmin Contractor, convener of the heritage conservation body Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Gurgaonchapter, said that the conservation of the monument was significant for the city, which is rarely acknowledged for its heritage. “Gurugram residents often go to Delhi to visit monuments. The conservation of this monument will make people aware of the history of the city and inspire them to explore more such places here that have suffered due to the apathy of various stakeholders,” said Contractor.
Hindustan Times had reported the poor condition of the memorial on June 13, 2018. Following HT’s report, then deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh had asked officials concerned to inspect the site and file a status report. The report found the memorial fit for repair, following which Singh reached out to INTACH Gurgaon that eventually took up the conservation work.
While research and documentation on the memorial were initiated in 2018 by INTACH Gurgaon chapter, the conservation process was marred by delays, initially on account of funding, and later the pandemic. The process was initiated on January 27 this year by the INTACH Gurgaon chapter in association with INTACH Built Heritage Division.
While earlier one had to strain their eyes to decipher the almost-faded remnants of writing on the structure, conservation efforts, which included sprucing and touch up of the inscription, have made the text more legible. Old flooring has been replaced with fresh lime and mortar. According to INTACH officials, retrieving the original layer of the tomb structure entailed the removal of cement which was then replaced with lime surkhi. “The tomb had been whitewashed several times. We had to remove each layer to reach the original layer, which was a big challenge. We also discovered various details such as floral ornamentation and mouldings that were earlier completely obliterated under the layers of whitewash,” said Vijaya Amujure, director programme, INTACH’s architectural heritage Division.
The square tomb demonstrates colonial and late Mughal influences and comprises two parts-- one part includes a 15-foot-high brick and lime vertical structure on a 6-foot-tall platform, the other contains a rectangular platform resembling a sepulcher. The four corners of the vertical structure are accentuated with decorative lime plaster while the wall has rectangular frames. One of these rectangular frames includes an inscription that identifies the structure as the tomb of Jean Etienne, who served Begum Samru for 35 years until his death at the age of 75. The epitaph says Etienne’s died on June 5, 1821. “He was a common soldier and an honest man. Poor mortals, fare you well” reads the epitaph.
Tapasya Samal, co-convenor of INTACH Gurgaon, said that the presence of a peepal tree around the tomb made the conservation process a little challenging. While the tree was not removed, efforts would be required in the future to ensure that the monument is not damaged, said Samal. “We started with research and documentation in 2018 but due to various obstacles, the process was completed only now. There is a lot more that can be done and we hope that the administration will put in place proper signage so that visitors can discover the monument,” said Samal.
Remi Vacher, secretary-general of Institut Français India, a section of the Embassy of France responsible for connecting and implementing Indo-French human exchanges, who was at the inauguration event, said that while not much was known about Major Jean Etienne, he would make efforts to unearth more details about him. “It is important to maintain and conserve old memories for young people. I searched for information about the major but could not find much and will continue to dig deeper. It is important that such historical structures are preserved to strengthen our bond with the past,” said Vacher.
According to the Gurgaon District Gazetteer, 1983, “Begum Samru owned the pargana of Jharsa or Badshahpur.” In another mention, she is described as the “well known Begum”. As per historians, the Jharsa region assumed importance because of the placement of her cantonment in the area. According to author-historian Swapna Liddle, said that the monument could be tapped for its tourism potential and drive a conversation around heritage and history in Gurugram, which were often overlooked.
Residents of Mohyal colony said that while conservation of the monument was a welcome step, it was crucial to put in place a mechanism to ensure regular maintenance of the structure.
