2017-02-28 Tue

It is said when a war takes place there are no bystanders! One has to choose a side, become a fighting entity or a safe haven. The Same situation was faced by India in the 19th century when the bridle of the India’s governance was in hand of the English crown. At that time, far in the south of African continent, a rebel was an uprising against the British. Which turned into the second Anglo-Boer war and India was a safe haven for the Prisoner of the war during that time.

India as a part of British Empire remained outside of the war zone but it was strategically the safest location for the prisoners of second Anglo-Boer war. Many camps were established and were situated in the hinterlands of India. Camps used coupons for the monetary transaction to avoid the forged of currency, which may result in an impending economic danger.

Mostly these camps were located in the fortified towns like Bellary, Ahmednagar, and Trichinopoly. The coupons from the Trichinopoly camp in Katiy in Nilgirs are so far known. These coupons issued were in the denomination of 8 Annas, 1 Rupee, and 10 rupees. The small denomination Coupons were used in the Central international camps at Ahmednagar or Dehradun.

These coupons were signed by the camp commandant Major E.J.Sharpe and the Coupons overprinted and used at Kaity had an additional rubber stamp signature of the camp commandant. It is said there were thirteen camps in India and at least 9000 Boer rebels were imprisoned in it.

This war lasted for two years and 8 months from 1899 to 1902, it was the most terrible and destructive modern armed conflicts in South African history.