Fanny was well known for her vast journals on colonial India, where she resided for over 24 years. These are described in her memoirs “Wanderings of a Pilgrim in Search of the Picturesque,” in which she only claimed authorship with an Urdu script signature. Extracts from her memoirs, Begums, Thugs, and White Mughals, were made available in 1970 for the first time since their publication in 1850. Barbara Eaton’s debut biography, Fanny Parks: Intrepid Memsahib, was published in 2018.
Parkes first lived in Calcutta in 1822, then moved to Allahabad 10 years later owing to her husband’s appointment. Parks authored two books on her equestrian travels across India, where she made friends and learned Persian, Hindustani, and Urdu.
Some of Parkes’ articles address sensitive themes at the time. One such extreme example was the grisly death of a widowed-lady by way of Sati forced by men who believed that male heirs had a greater claim to her belongings. Parks decried the occurrence and then criticised England’s regulations controlling married women. Parks also objected to a plan to sell the Taj Mahal, which she compared to Westminster Abbey. In contrast to Europe’s lack of regard for Indian culture, she noted the natural beauty of Delhi and Banaras (Varanasi), as well as intriguing fashion and food. In one of her final writings, she highlighted her dissatisfaction with West after exiting India.
The Ice Pits at Allahabad, sketched by Fanny Parkes
