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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 2d

Rather than the names of British surveyors, the current logo features the motto: “A Setu Himachalam” (From Setu to the Himalaya). Although this is reflected in the Latin text on the colonial logo, reading: “A Montibus ad Mare” (From the Mountains to the Sea). (4/4)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 2d

The current logo on the right has been used since at least 1952 following India’s independence five years prior. In place of the crown we see the State Emblem of India, adapting the Mauryan Lion Capital of Ashoka (~250 BCE). (3/4)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 2d

On the left we have a logo published in 1923 during British rule. The imagery is not exactly subtle, featuring a rather large crown sitting atop the subcontinent. William Lambton and George Everest are named at the bottom - famed leaders of the Great Trigonometrical Survey. (2/4)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 2d

It’s #MappingMonday, and this week we’re putting the Survey of India’s logo under the magnifying glass 🔍 Established in the 18th century and continuing to survey today, the Survey of India’s transition from colonial cartography to national mapping can be gleaned from its iconography. (1/4)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 6d

This was a huge barrier – 12 feet high in places – and was highly detrimental to the health and freedom of ordinary people. But its existence is not common knowledge in either India or Britain and highlights the importance of preserving heritage; especially the bits that aren’t so comfortable. (6/6)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 6d

Our hedge was the botanical solution to this problem producing a living wall with a singular purpose: control. Though it was abandoned when the British expanded its control of salt production itself, the oddity of the Great Hedge is its relative absence in public memory. (5/6)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 6d

The substantial increase in salt taxation under British rule motivated stricter control over the flow of salt and the people transporting it. Higher taxes could generate significant wealth for the colonial powers, but they also encouraged smuggling in order to avoid them. (4/6)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 6d

So why are we looking at salt two weeks in a row? (What dirt does Big Salt have on us? 👀). A single resource or trade good can open up a whole world of heritage for archaeologists and historians, allowing us to chart social, political, and economic developments by examining just one commodity. (3/6)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 6d

Part shrubbery, part colonial architecture, the Great Hedge spanned some 1500 miles across 19th century India. This colossal combination of living and dry hedge was part of the vast Inland Customs Line – a barrier intended primarily to stop salt smugglers avoiding colonial taxes. (2/6)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 6d

For today's #HeritageHighlight, we’re hedging our bets on the theme of salt. Introducing the Great Salt Hedge of India! Disappointingly, the salt hedge was not actually made of salt, but that doesn’t mean it was just a hedge. (1/6)

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Reposted by MAHSA Project

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 13d

Are you interested in remote sensing and geospatial analyses in the context of African heritage and its future monitoring? If so, MAEASaM project has a new position!
Applications are now open until 17 October 2025
To apply : www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 9d

Finally, we can see a fort that has been lost to time… until now! This fort is now a tangible target for documentation and an archaeological survey. These maps enable important sites to live on in the historic record and local memory. (4/4) #archaeology #historicalmaps #mapping #ludhiana

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 9d

Fort number three exemplifies how sites can be lost to urban expansion. However, its perimeter can still be traced in the layout of the streets; a detail that would probably be missed without the historical map. (3/4)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 9d

Our first fort is in good condition, and is easily recognisable today. You can see that our second fort is slightly more deteriorated. The structures within the fort are mostly visible, and the surrounding land gives the suggestion of its lost walls and bastions. (2/4)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 9d

In today’s #MappingMonday we are fort-unate to share how historic maps can bring lost landscapes back into perspective. Here we have a selection of forts in the Ludhiana region of Punjab, India – each demonstrating a different level of preservation on the satellite imagery. (1/4)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 12d

Sites like these remind us that heritage is always on the move; Khewra salt continues to impact cuisine, culture, and commerce in Pakistan and the wider world. (4/4)

#khewrasaltmines #punjab #jhelum #pakistanheritage #pakistan #heritage #salt #saltsagram #alexanderthegreat #mughalempire

MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 12d

Khewra Salt Mine is actively quarried to this day and has become a popular tourist destination in Pakistan. Within the illuminated tunnels, visitors can find rock salt structures, sculptures, and even a mosque. (3/4)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 12d

The mine was known at least as far back as Alexander the Great’s Indian campaign in the 4th century BC. His army’s curious horses were allegedly found licking the salty stones. By the Mughal era, Khewra salt was a valuable commodity, and continued to be exploited under Sikh and British rule. (2/4)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 12d

Feeling salty? You certainly will be after a trip to the Khewra Salt Mine in today’s #HeritageHighlights. Found in the creatively named Salt Range in northern Punjab, the mine is famed for its vast reserves of pink Himalayan rock salt. (1/4)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 16d

Though it has been argued that the segregation of prisoners was the priority of the colonial authorities, rather than moral improvement via surveillance. As such, these sites remain as physical manifestations of the colonial project’s preoccupation with social ordering and control. (5/5)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 16d

This design may be partly influenced by Jeremy Bentham’s “Panopticon”, whereby the spectre of constant observation was theorised to encourage self-regulation by prisoners. (4/5)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 16d

But there’s more to the story. Notice the distinct design, like spokes on a wheel. Echoing the radial prisons of Victorian England, standardised central jails in Pakistan and India emphasised separation and classification by dividing classes of prisoner into discrete accommodation blocks. (3/5)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 16d

95 years later and the jail appears almost identical in the satellite imagery. The prison was originally constructed to confine long-term and lifetime prisoners and remains a high-security facility to this day. (2/5)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 16d

For this week’s #MappingMonday we are taking you to… jail! 🚓
Welcome to New Central Jail Multan, located in Punjab, Pakistan. Built in 1930, the jail was brand new when it was recorded in the historical map by the Survey of India. (1/5)

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MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 20d

Within its beautiful Indo-European architecture, you can find rare and valuable texts, whose subjects include history, philosophy, science, and religion. Scholars continue to explore this unique collection, such as historian Tarana Husain Khan who has worked to revive historic recipes. (3/3)

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