Found an AI response to an Essay I wrote in 1997

 

AI Overview

The essay 

"Hidden Histories: The Colonial Encounter" by Satish Sharma (often appearing in contexts related to A Shifting Focus: Photography in India 1850-1900) examines the role of photography in constructing, reinforcing, and hiding the true nature of the British colonial encounter in India. 

Key aspects of Satish Sharma's analysis regarding this topic include:

• Photography as a Non-Neutral Tool: Sharma argues that early colonial photography was never neutral; it was an act of "picture making" designed to document, define, and justify the power of the West over the "to-be-ruled-over Rest".
• Creating the "Other": The essay highlights how the colonial gaze used the camera to represent Indian people and culture through a lens of superiority, exoticism, and control, effectively creating a "lesser" version of the colonized to justify domination.
• Hidden Truths in the Archive: The title suggests that by examining the archives of the British colonial rulers, one can uncover the "hidden histories" that are often overshadowed by dominant colonial narratives.
• Reinterpreting the Visual Record: Rather than viewing old photographs solely as authentic historical records, Sharma’s work encourages critical interrogation of these images to expose how they were used to manipulate the understanding of Indian society and identity. 

Related Context:
Satish Sharma is also known for his work in Caste, Conversion A Colonial Conspiracy, which explores how British colonial policies, rather than ancient tradition, "hidden" or transformed the indigenous Varna system into the modern "caste" system. 

Note: The results also highlight an essay titled "Perception and Photography" by Satish Sharma which directly addresses the "I am a camera" fallacy of colonial documentation.