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Caxton Hall

Caxton Hall is a location in which many momentous events occurred, including the assassination of Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the campaign...

Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi born 2nd of October 1869, more commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in Porbandar, Kanthiawar, India....

Claridge's Hotel

The history of Bangladesh's independence can be traced to the 1947 Partition of British India, and to the history of...

Allama Iqbal

Allama Iqbal is widely considered one of the ideological founding figures of Pakistan and also holds the status of national...

National Liberal Club

The National Liberal Club (NLC) was established by William Gladstone in 1882, to provide club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners. ...

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), also revered as Quaid-i-Azam (Great Leader), was a barrister and politician who played a pivotal role...

EMBS was founded in 1988 as a self-help business service for racialised minority groups in Oxford. One of its founders...

Balliol College

In trying to identify some of the earliest Muslim students to matriculate at the University after the enactment of the...

Founded in 1921, City of Oxford Motor Services Limited was an important site of employment in the 1950s and 1960s...

Al Shami

Al Shami restaurant was the site of Oxford's first halal butchers, and was established in the 1960s. Prior to its...

Trinity College

Brothers Wasif Ali and Naseer Ali Mirza became the first racialised minority and Indian students to be enrolled at Trinity...

Somerville College

Somerville College houses archival materials related to the Oxford Majlis, which was a student society modeled after the Cambridge Majlis...

Oxford Union

On 3 December 1964, Malcolm X addressed the Oxford Union when he partook in the 'Queen and Country' debate. He...

Oxford Martin School

The Oxford Martin School was the sity of of the Oxford Indian Institute, which provided training to Indian civil servants....

Site of the first mixed congregational prayer led by a woman (Prof Amina Wadud) in the UK, 18th October 2008....

A major site of employment which attracted Pakistani Muslims from Sheffield and Bradford. According to the newsreel source linked to...

The UK’s first halal farm, located in Cherwell. In 2002, Lutfi Radwan, a lecturer at the University of Oxford, and...

1868

FCDO: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Originally constructed in 1868 as a set of government offices, including the India Office and later the Colonial and Home Offices, the offices underwent significant changes over time.

The India Office, previously a separate department, played a crucial role until 1947 when it was dissolved following the Partition and Indian Independence. Prior to the 1857 Rebellion, India was administered by the East India Company, whose headquarters were located at East India House on Leadenhall Street, now known as the Lloyd's (Inside-Out) Building.

Renowned architect George Gilbert Scott designed the FCDO, collaborating with Matthew Digby Wyatt, who designed the interior of the Indian Office. Together, they aimed to create an elaborate and impressive structure, akin to a national palace, to welcome foreign visitors. The building hosted numerous public events, such as receptions for dignitaries like the Sultan of Turkey in 1869 and the coronation celebration of King Edward VII in 1902.

The centrepiece of the India Office was the Durbar Court, designed by Wyatt. Durbar means ‘the court of an Indian ruler’. This (originally) open-air court featured three levels of columns and arches, showcasing polished red Peterhead granite, grey Aberdeen granite, and marble from Greece, Sicily, and Belgium. Notable occasions, including the reception for the Sultan of Turkey and the coronation celebration, took place in this grand court.

Wyatt also designed the India Office Council Chamber, a lavishly adorned space where the secretary of state for India and his council deliberated on matters concerning the subcontinent. Gilded accents, a marble chimneypiece, and intricately carved tables and chairs, now housed at the India Office Library in the British Library, added to its opulence. The chamber retains original 19th-century mahogany chairs, a newspaper stand, and the chairman's seat bearing the East India Company's crest.

During the Sultan of Turkey’s famous visit, this chamber was transformed into a dining room for the Sultan, the Prince of Wales and other important guests; it was reported that every item on the tables was made of gold.

Following Independence and Partition, the Foreign Office assumed control of the building to meet its expanding office needs. It housed the German Department and served as the venue for the 1948 Three-Power Conference on Germany. Additionally, preliminary discussions related to the first meeting of the NATO deputies took place in the India Office Council Chamber, with the nearby archives of the secretariat.

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Sources and Attribution

Author: Jeea Chadha, A little History of the Sikhs Sources and Attributions https://www.gov.uk/government/history/king-charles-street https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Digby_Wyatt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_House 

Photos: A little History of the Sikhs

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