Glasgow to return plundered Indian artifacts; a first in UK history

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Glasgow Museums Institution said on Wednesday it will return seven Indian cultural artifacts plundered during British colonial control, a first for a UK museum service.

Six of the objects were taken in the 1800s from northern India, while the seventh was unlawfully acquired after being stolen from its original owners.

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All seven artifacts were plundered from religious sites like temples and shrines and donated as presents to the museum collections of the Scottish city.

Glasgow's commitment to repatriation is part of a broader reappraisal of the origin of artifacts in Western museums in the aftermath of worldwide anti-racism campaigns.

Officials are in discussions with Indian officials and hosted a Nigerian mission last week to negotiate the return of 19 Benin bronzes.

Earlier this year, two British colleges repatriated to Nigeria two Benin bronzes plundered by British colonialists in the nineteenth century.

In total, Glasgow plans to restore 51 objects to their original owners' descendants from India, Nigeria, and the Cheyenne River and Oglala Sioux tribes in the US state of South Dakota.

Among the 25 Lakota cultural relics to be returned are holy artifacts and things seized from the Wounded Knee Massacre site after the war in December 1890.

Duncan Dornan, head of museums and collections at Glasgow Life, stated that "by addressing past wrongs, we believe the returns will help to strengthen existing relations with these descendant communities."

Following an investigation into streets, structures, and persons associated with the Atlantic slave trade, Glasgow City Council issued an apology in March.