The Indian queens who modelled for the world's first vaccine
By Aparna Alluri BBC News, Delhi
Published 1 hour ago
When Devajammani arrived at the royal court of Mysore in 1805, it was to marry Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. They were both 12 years of age and he was the newly minted ruler of the southern Indian kingdom.
But Devajammani soon found herself recruited for a more momentous cause - to publicise and promote
the smallpox vaccine.
And her unwitting role was captured in a painting commissioned by the East India Company to "encourage
participation in the vaccination programme", according to Dr Nigel Chancellor, a historian at Cambridge University.
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Will History hammer into anti-vaxcers the undeniable benefits
shown since 1805?
Cheers,
