Tomb of Lord Cornwallis at Ghazipur

What it is

This is a photograph of the domed tomb of Charles Cornwallis at Ghazipur, India. The tomb is a circular stone structure with a colonnade of columns supporting a dome, built on the site where he died.

Why it matters

Cornwallis died in 1805 while serving a second term in India, and this monument marks the place of his death far from Britain. It shows how far his career as a colonial administrator had taken him, and how the British commemorated officials who died while serving abroad.

Look closer

• Why might a tomb be built on the exact spot where someone died, rather than in their homeland?
• What does the grand, columned design of the tomb suggest about how Cornwallis was regarded?
• What does this monument not tell us about the people and places he governed?