After the Fourth Mysore War, when the British were dismantling Tipu Sultan’s kingdom, the East India Company unexpectedly took charge of hundreds of women who lived inside Srirangapatnam Palace.  Along with Tipu Sultan’s sons, they were expelled from Mysore Kingdom and imprisoned at Vellore Fort, in Madras Presidency. These women, particularly the singers and dancers of Tipu’s court, known as Musarratis, surprised the British by behaving in unexpected ways. In our online talk #MysoreMusarratis, historian Jennifer Howes will take us through the stories of bravery and courage of these "extremely outrageous" women. 

Please note: The Zoom link will be shared a couple of hours before the event 

About the speaker

Dr Jennifer Howes is a London based Art Historian who researches and writes about India and the East India Company.  She was awarded her PhD in Art and Archaeology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She then worked for 14 years at the British Library as Curator of Visual Arts, specialising in the India Office Collections. 

She is also writing about British paintings and sculpture connected with the East India Company and has several publications on Indian painting and architecture, South Asian courtly culture, and British Colonial art.