Letters from a maratha camp : during the year 1809.

Front matter

LETTERS

FROM A

MAHRATTA CAMP

Foreword

The Sub-Committee of this programme aims to reprint some rare and out-of-print historical works on Modern India. In the interests of early publication, it was decided that volumes would not be edited or checked in detail for updating of information; which could be done by teachers or students concerned. Only brief introductory material would give an idea about the writer of the book, and about the place of the work in the context of relevant historiography.

Professor Sadashiv Athavale has arranged for the reprint of Letters from a Mahratta Camp written for contemporary British consumption by T. D. Broughton, an army officer, who commanded the British Resident's escort in the camp of Daulatrao Sindhia, after the subordination of the Maratha Confederacy to the British paramount power in India, following the Second Anglo-Maratha War.

There are indeed few accounts, in such detail, of life in the courts and camps of leaders of the Confederacy, lower in rank than the Peshwas. But opinion may differ about the use to which it may be put by modern Indian historical scholarship. Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff, whose father was the imperialist historian of the M'arathas, and who was named after the man who broke even their subservient Peshwadom and built on its ruins, British authority and hegemony in Bombay Presidency, wrote an introduction to the Letters in the late 19th century. He found them lacking in literary graces and useful only for making the generalisation that "the existing generation in India, safe

VI FOREWORD

under the aegis of the British power is apt to forget how hideous was the state of things which prevailed before we struck up the swords of all combatants and commanded peace" ! So he concluded "those who wish to know from what they have been saved can hardly do better than to run through Colonel Broughton's pages". This was the common vein of early 20th century imperialist historiography the justification of British rule in India by reference to "the dirt and the scampishness, and the absurdity and the impecuniosity and the faithlessness and the mutiny and the extortion and the superstition" which seemed to officers at the outpost, "so to speak, 'all in the day's work"'. Such was the logic, though less brutally stated, of lesser administrators than M.E. Grant Duff but greater historians such as V. A. Smith and W. T. Moreland.

Professor Athavale believes that "we Indians looking at our own past now, more than a century and a half after Broughton and three quarters of a century after Duff, need not make it any of our business to take Broughton and Duff to task. We have rather to be less chauvinist and more dispassionate to understand ourselves".

It is certainly true that Broughton shows the character of Princely government under the Subsidiary system, its social manners and customs and polity in general a f its worst. However, the scholar who goes through these letters today, may perhaps note that he wrote at a time when Maratha power and the Maratha morale have been totally shattered by the imperialist effort of officers such as himself. To note this, is not to take him or them to task, but merely to recognise a fact. If the Maratha polity is to be judged, it would be better to judge it from, for instance, accounts of the time of Mahadaji Sindhia rather than from the accounts of his notorious incompetent and intriguing successor. There is a sharp decline in Maratha public morale after the departure from the public scene, of the great leaders of the Confederacy in the early 1790s. The Second Anglo-Maratha War completed the work of destruction from within as from without. The Letters may perhaps be less useful for passing judgment on Maratha society and polity in a period when its doom under the imperialist Subsidiary system was inevitable, then for giving a picture of how British officers constructed an image of wickedness, corruption and stupidity to justify the rise of their authority

FOREWORD Vil

in India. In this view, the book is a useful case study in the making of historiography and deserves study by students of Indian historiography.

The ICHR has uniformly followed a policy of printing source material and leaving it to enlightened scholarship to make its own judgment. In this policy no source material is meant to be ignored. It will be worth-while if such publication can. persuade scholars to consider the formation of historical opinions, at the same time as they use source material as straightforward data.

BARUN DE Convener

Sub-Committee of Sources of Modern Indian History

Calcutta Reprints Committee

August 1977 Indian Council of Historical Research

Introduction

The Indian Council of Historical Research is certainly doing a very useful service to the world of historical scholarship through its programme of bringing out new editions of valuable source books that are not easily available to the students of history. It is not that one has to spend more energy and time in getting a book than on studying the contents therein. The present collection of Letters is, no doubt, a very important work for every student of Indian history in general and Maratha history in particular ; for it incorporates the information gathered and the impressions formed by a foreigner who very closely observed a number of affairs in the last days of the Maratha power.

The writer of these thirty-two letters, Thomas Duer Broughton (1778 A.D. 1835 A.D.) was educated at Eton. On his arrival in India in 1795, he first served in the Bengal Army. He was with the Marathas at the siege of Shrirangpattan, in 1799 A.D. In 1809 A.D., he was in charge of a British detachment accompanying the British resident at the court of Daulatrao Shinde. He was, later in 1829 A.D., raised to the rank of a colonel for his work in the island of Java. Besides these letters he also published "Selections From The Popular Poetry of the Hindoos", in 1814 A.D. He seems to have got a kind of recognition for all these cultural interests by way of the Honorary Secretaryship of the Royal Asiatic Society. 1 It is, however, interesting to note that according to Grant Duff, Broughton's "literary power was small" ! 2

In the context of our interest, here, what is most relevant is

X INTRODUCTION

Broughton's service under the British Resident at the court of the Shinde; in Rajputana; in 1809, the year in which he wrote these letters to his brother in England. The letters were first published in 1813 A.D. by John Murray, London. A new edition with an introduction by Rt. Hon. Sir M.E. Grant Duff was taken out in 1892 A.D. by Archibald Constable and Company, Westminister Grant Duff in his introduction; reproduced in this edition; says that "those who wish to know from what they (Maharattas) have been saved can hardly do better than to run through colonel Broughton's pages". 3 He further adds that "habit of peace and habit of justice are necessary for India to

govern herself Railway, telegraph etc. could be used quite

as freely by the lawless as by the law-abiding if we were not there to look after them". 4 This means Duff was out to pick up such material from the Letters which could help him make a good case for the justification of the British rule over India. What Broughton himself thought of the Marathas is clear from the dedication of the original edition to Mareques of Wellesley, K.C. for his being "Acute detector of Mahratta Wiles, firm repeller of their insolent pretentions, their vigorous opponent and their generous pacifier". 5 Much of this, as coming from English pens, will have to be taken with due discount; but all the same, all of it cannot be dismissed as nothing but pride and prejudice of foreign conquerors.

We, Indians looking at our own past now, more than a century and a half after Broughton and three quarters of a century after Duff, need not make it any of our business to take Broughton and Duff to task. We have rather to be less chauvinist and more dispassionate to understand ousrelves. The British completed their conquest of India by the first quarter of the nineteenth century. The last Indian power they vanquished was that of the Marathas; the one that had proved to be the mightiest in India almost throughout the eighteenth century. An inquiry into the causes of this fall of the Maratha power has remained a subject of interest to the students of history all along since the beginning of the systematic study of the subject in India under the British.

The problem has been attacked from many sides and the phenomenon has been variously analysed. This is certainly not a place for a full discussion thereof. The reader may go through

INTRODUCTION X1

the views of different scholars summarised by G. S. Sardesai; and also the references quoted by him. 6 What is pertinent for us, here, is a look at the number of observations and pieces of information in Broughton's Letters that enable us to see the Maratha debacle in a clearer light.

According to Elphinstone, who very closely and acutely watched the end of the Marathas and who also substantially contributed to accomplish it; the collapse of the Marathas was mainly due to the lack of able and sincere leadership in the last phase. He says, "It was the good fortune of the British that neither Bajirao nor Sindia possessed the strength and spirit to

stand forth boldly at a critical moment the Marathas had at

their command ample means of waging a successful war, armies, money, arms, amunition. Everything was ready. They only lacked a leader. Both Bajirao in the south and Daulatrao in the north became traitors to their nation and lost the game". 7 Of the two leaders mentioned by Elphinstone it is Daulatrao Shinde about whom we get a considerable amount of enlightening, if not exasperating, information from Broghton's Letters. Daulatrao himself was utterly irresponsible and absolutely unscrupulous in his private as well as public life. Sarjerao Ghatage, Daulatrao's father-in-law, to whom the latter had entrusted the entire management of the affairs of the Shinde Court, was one of the wickedest geniuses human race has ever produced. A few quotations from the Letters, below, should be enough to make the reader give a serious thought to the roles of these two personalities in effecting the disaster of the Maratha power.

Explaining the expansion of the Maratha power in India Broughton remarks, "Mahrattas have risen upon the ruins of the petty chiefs in Hindoostan". 8 About the general character of the Marathas his impression was that with "no home but camp; no hope but pay and plunder" they were "deceitful, treacherous, narrowminded, rapacions and notorions liars". 9 It is from one of these letters that it becomes clear to us that the Maratha recruits in the army had a special privilege of earning by plunder just by the virtue of their being Marathas. Broughton writes "There has been a grant Dihurna... the dispute as usual was respecting the settlement of accounts and all the Risauldars joined in supporting it. A monthly subsistence of thirty rupees per month to the Hindoostanees and of fifteen to the Duk, hunees was

Xii INTRODUCTION

offered by Seendiya and refused. The reason of a large sum being offered to the Hindoostanees than to the Mahrattas is that the latter are supposed to reap some advantages from plunder". 10 This fact of plunder need not in the least be regarded as a deliberate falsification and perversion made by an English-man; for it is coroborated by contemporary Muslim observers; by the non- Maratha Hindus and also by the Maratha men of action themselves. 11 The M arathas with all these ways and means of theirs could never create an impression as good rulers; and in any attempt to elucidate the fall of the Marathas this point cannot be missed.

Daulatrao was a faithful representative of the Marathas; especially of the later period. The account of the negotiations between Daulatrao and the Diwan of Jaipur given by Broughton should suffice to convince us as to what kind of leadership we had in the last decade of Maratha supremacy "He (the Deewan 12 of Jypoor) is said to have brought a variety of rich presents... two sets of Nach girls, which will be more effectual in accomplishing his purpose with Seendiya than the strongest pleas of justice or expediency.... Women and low company have been his bane and appear to have quite corrupted his heart... virgin charms have been diligently sought for and almost daily sacrificed upon the alter of his lust". 13 About Sarjerao let nothing more be said than quoting the 'obituary note' by Broughton: "Thus has fallen the most unprincipled sanguniary and daring public man" ! 14

Incidentally, once the letter-\vriter has made a very significant observation about the difference in the situation in 1809 A.D. and the same some decades before that. As he puts it, "Seendia claims as his right a tribute from Juodpoor and Holkar the same from Jypoor, claims founded upon grants made to their families by the Peshwa, when the Marathas empire acting in a united body under one head had established its influence and power in all the states of Hindoostan. At present, however, the case is very different" ! 15

That the Marathas, like the rest of Indians, were generally ignorant of and awfully indifferent to the scientific inventions of the West is testified by the following incidents noted by Broughton. "Raja of Mathura", writes Broughton, "seemed particularly pleased with a printed book which lay upon the table;

INTRODUCTION xiii

an art of which he appeared to have had no conception". 16 "Upon a March" the letter- writer records another experience, "our perambulator still attracts the wonder of the Mahrattas as who are unable to comprehend how it should point the distance passed over. They call it ' Jadoo-Ke-Chakkar ! the magic wheel ; and being, from the highest to the lowest implicit believers in witchcraft, they find a kind of satisfaction in attributing to its influence everything where in they feel our superiority over themselves". 17

Broughton was not in the least reserved in his appreciation of the good and the noble he came across. He admits that with all the vices the Marathas possessed there was also a vein of some guilty conscience in them. 18 About Hindus in general he says, "In justice, however, to the Hindoo character, I must repeat that when they are well-treated no people on the face of the earth are more obedient or more easily governed." 19 This should be enough to make every reader realise that what we bet from foreigners, or rather the English like Broughton, should not be summarily dismissed as abuses from the enemy's camp. We should, on the other hand, take careful notes thereof for a better understanding of ourselves; our weaknesses more than our strengths and our failures better than our successes. If the curiosity of the reader is aroused by the few quotations from Broughton's letters given above, he will certainly proceed to go through the whole of the original and ultimately final himself considerably profited.

Broughton's accounts of a number of festivals and rituals of the Hindus and the Muslims as well as their habits and customs must have immensely entertained his brother and other readers in England, They must have burst into laughtei on hearing about "Brahmins eating till they are read to burst" ! 20 For us, however, all that is very little interest for we have actually been living that life, down to the present day. Grant Duff in his Introducduction to the second edition of the Letters, of 1892A.D., has elaborately pointed out a variety of details that a student should note therefrom. This Introduction to the ICHR edition is a very modest attempt with no presumptions and pretentions whatsoever to discuss a point or two more; here and there. It is now, for the

INTRODUCTION sovereign reader himself to go through the Letters to agree or disagree with the Introduction or Introductions; partly or wholly; and finally form his own sound judgements.

Pune

July 1977 Sadashiv Athavale

Contents

FOREWORD v

INTRODUCTION BY SADASHIV ATHAVALE ix

INTRODUCTION xxiii

Letter I

Introduction March from Agra Ruins of Kumal Khan's Palace Kagarol Sepou Baree Moohumedan Tombs Marauding Chiefs Hunting Seat of Shah Jihan Siree-Muttra Dreary Country Visit of the Raja Dholpoor Wukeel March Kiruolee Bad Weather Halt. 1

Letter II

Account of Kiruolee Interview with the Daroghu March to Haruotee The Bunas Difficulties respecting Remainder of the Route Hirkarus March down the Bunas Goojurs Arrival at Kund,har, Difficulties of Encamping - Kund,har, -Qiludars Runtambor Nuya Shuhur Buniyas March to Palee Crossing the Chumbul Arrival in Camp . . ... . 8

Letter III

Description of a Mahratta Camp The Bazars Tents Mode of Life Liquors Huts The Jinsee and Brigades Want of Cleanliness The Baruh B,haees and Pindaras The Shohdahs Baboo Khan Misery of the Poor People Children Sold Khuburdars Soopoor -The Raja a Sukee Buo Cold Weather 17

XVI CONTENTS

LETTER IV March to Kutolee Raja of Kota Zaiim Sing,h Visit the

Durbar Seendhiya The Surdars Gopal Rao Buo The Mamma Familiar Appellatives of Mahratta Chiefs Seendhiya's Encampment His Pecuniary Difficulties Sitting D,hurna Quarterly Payments Elephant Fights Duk,hunee, Horses The Bukree Eed Moohumedan Feasts for the Dead The Sunkrat Feeding Brahmuns The Busunt, or Spring Mode of grinding Corn A Busunt Song Foragers. '25

Letter V

March to the Chumbul Ford of the Parbuttee Destruction of the young Corn Bunjaras March to Babue Confusion in the Ravines Cross the Arrabaree Hills Elephants forcing a passage through the Woods Moisture of the Soil Goojurs Grupchat Surjee Rao The Muha Raj in D,hurna Holkar's Villages The Hohlee and Moohurrum B,hanmittees Fruit Merchant . 37

Letter VI

March to Choroo and Puchala Ooniara and Rampoora Circuitous Route Great Inconvenience from Heat March to the Bunas Rejoin the Army Bad EncampmentCommencement of the Moohurrum . . .43

Letter VII

Change of Ground Insolence of the Infantry Sipahees Aleegols Change of Ministry Surjee Rao Raja Ambajee The Resident visits the new Minister The Moohurrum Alarm among the Merchants The Country laid waste . 46

Letter VIII

March to Issurdu Jamdars March to Kakorh Scarcity of Water March towards Todha Face of the Country Cavalry moving in Advance Mahrattas destroying the Crops Remonstrance of the Takoor of Issurdu Detachment sent lo Kurera and Doonee Ana Siknuvees dismissed from Camp His Nephew poisoned Quicksands of the Bunas Villages laid waste The Rangras retaliate The Muha Raj plays the Hohlee A Sally from Doonee . 53

CONTENTS XV11

Letter IX

Orders for a March Uncertainty respecting it March towards Doonee Wandering Gosaeens Visit to the Muha Raj Playing the Hohlee Arrangements for the

purpose Extra ordinary Scene Account of the Hohlee

Sports and Songs of the Season Concluding CeremonyDancing Boys Bengal Sipahees Surjee Rao returns the Resident's Visit Khiluts Trait of Ambajee's Character Destruction of the Corn FieldsAttack upon the Garrison of Doonee Positions taken up for the Siege Butkees Management of them 59

Letter X

Siege of Doonee continued Two Classes of Mahrattas Brahmuns Inferior Classes Their want of Public AttachmentsPersonal Peculiarities Moral Qualities ~ Progress of the Siege Fanatic Fuqeer Guns taken from the Battery Reinforcement to Doonee -The Muha Raj displeased with his Ministers Surjee Rao's Drunkenness and Debaucheries His Passion for Juwahir Distress from want of Water and Forage Thieves Distress of the Country Requisitions on the Merchants Mankurrees Meenas of Jypoor Of Kota and Boondee Ladkunnees The Small-pox appears in Camp The Muha Raj applies for Vaccine Matter Raja Ambajee dying Doonee, Tod, ha, and Malpoora Raja of Boondee's Present Charge and Use of Grupchat . . . .70

Letter XI

Siege of Doonee continued Surdars sent to meet the Jypoor Ambassador Mahratta Claims upon the Rajpoot States Character of the Rajpoots Battle of Jypoor- Koosallee Ram Presents brought from the Muha Raj Seendhiya's Employments and Campanions His Wives Old Mogulanee Attendant of the BaeeDivisions among the Ministers Distress throughout the Camp Baboo Khan Detachments in the Jypoor Country Gosaeens Change of Officers Remarkably dry Weather 81

Letter XII

Arrival of the Jypoor Ambassador Extravagant Demands of the Durbar Demands of Jypoor Strength of the Jypoor Country Disaffection of the Rajpoot Generals

Xvlli CONTENTS

Differences respecting Doonee- Visit to the Durbar Surjee Rao's Cruelties His Influence over the Muha Raj lessened Revolution in Holkar's Camp Mutiny in Appa Kandra's Camp Corps of Meenas Account of them Increasing Distress of the Camp Surdars quit it Others sit D,hurna Raja Bawanee Purshad Seendhiya's Privy Purse Flying Kites Eclipse of the Moon . . 90

LETTER XIIF

Return of the Massenger from Jypoor Differences regarding Doonee adjusted The Treaty with Jypoor announced Number of Guns in Camp Establishment of the Jinsee Part of the Army marches Clamours for Pay Balajee Juswunt confined Curious Message from Surjee Rao Ambajee's Death His great Wealth Visit of Condolence to Bala Rao Miserable State of the Cattle Buniyas Management of the Bazars Imposts and Taxes Four Girls exposed for Sale by the Meenas . - .97

Letter XIV

March to the Bunas Mahratta Women Marwaree Buniyas Must Elephants Slaughter of the Golundaz March to Rioota Ghat Plunder of the Village Adroitness of the Meenas Body of a Surdar burned March towards Sawur Sagacity of Elephants attached to the Guns 104

Letter XV

March towards Jajgurh Grove of Date-trees Heer a Sing,h joins the Army Bawanee Purshad The Gosaeens Projected March to Ajmeer Remonstrance of the Buhora Attacks of the Meenas Consternation in Camp Melon Gardens Tent of Kus Seendhiya's extraordinary Conduct at the Durbar Filth of the Camp Disputes with Surjee Rao Shuhamut Khan, and his Wife - Seendhiya sits D,hurna-~Ambajee's Family arrives in Camp Ravages continued in Jypoor Jypoorian Faith Discontent of the Buhora Manners of the Rajpoots Dokul Sing,h's Wukeels -Surjee Rao performs ~his ablutions, and feeds Brahmuns Fuqeers Hindoo Songs . .110

Letter XVI

March towards Shahpoora Dokul Sing,h Jypoor Treaty still unexecuted Alarming Discontents in Camp The

CONTENTS XIX

Khans sit D,hurna Are driven from CampDisturbances in the Battalions Mahratta Chiefs offended -Balajee Juswunt tortured Method of raising Supplies The KhasgeeSeendhiya intimates his intention to befriend Dokul Sing,h Wukeels from Krishngurh Physicians of Ajmeer Number of Snakes and Scorpions Deoba Kalia's Wedding Marriage Ceremonies among the Mahrattas Marriage of Madoojee Seendhiya Dancing Girls 119

Letter XVII

Surjee Rao goes to Shahpoora March to Irwur Province of Ajmeer Protection afforded to Villages The Perambulator Loan with Gokul Paruk Universal Distress in Camp Contributions not realised in the Neighbourhood Visit to the Durbar System of Espionage . . .131

Letter XVIII

March to Roopahelee -Body of a murdered Girl Surjee Rao's Influence declining Fresh Quarrels with the Muha Raj The Minister remains behind He prepares to quit Camp Detachment formed for Malwa Violent Dispute with the Mamma Part of the Jypoor Contribution paid The Rana of Oodipoor Disturbances in his Country Villages of Boorkera Temple of Nathdooara- Boldness of the Thieves Huts erecting in Camp -Influence of his Companions over the Mind of the Muha Raj The Baia Baee 136

Letter XIX

March to Nimara Increased Disputes between Seendhiya and Surjee Rao Intrigues respecting Gwaliur The Buhora urgent to quit Camp Plans proposed for Mewar The Ukhara Gymnastics Puhlwans . .146

Letter XX

Death of Surjee Rao His Character Distress of the Baee Friends of the late Minister confined Juwahir and Khueratun -Seendhiya and Deoba Kalia make Kurum- Durum Begars 152

Letter XXI

The Mourning of the Baee Punishment of Juwahir Khueratun Disposal of Surjee Rao's Property Treatment of

XX CONTENTS

Bala Rao Intrigues for Office Bapoo Seendhiya Justice of the DurbarRemonstrances with the Juodpoor Wukeels Distresses of the Army Soobudarees Bawanee Purshad Kulamuts Restoration of the old Officers of Government . . . . . - . . .156

Letter XXII

Seendhiya 9 s Designs upon the Wukeels of Dokul Sing,h The Takoor of Kuliawas The Muha Raj discontented with his new Advisers Superstition of the Mahrattas Siege of Soopoor Kafilus to Ajmeer and Pokur . . .152

Letter XXIII

March from Kuliawas Naked Fuqeer Battle of the Buujaras The Juree Putkee -Bapoo Seendhiya Disputes with the Buhora Alliance between Jypoor and Juodpoor Discontent among the Troops Tent erected for the Junumush-toomee The Rakia Preparations for the Baee's Confinement Succession to the Raj The Takoor of Roopahelee Seendhiya transacts Public Business Buffalo Fights ........ 167

Letter XXIV

The Junum-ushtoomee Conduct adopted towards Bala Rao Coolness between the Favourites Baptiste's Battalions join the Army without Orders Jooruor Sing,h~~ Seendhiya proposes to take a Muster -Proceedings at Soopoor Fresh Preparations for the Baee's Confinement . .174

Letter XXV

Increasing Perplexities of the Muha Raj Kundoojee Violent Conduct of the Sipahees of the Regular Battalions First Instalment of the Jypoor Contribution paid The Young Pretender Man Singjh Usurped Power in different States of Hindoostan Raja of Jypoor Pindara Delegates Attempts upon Holkar and his Family Bawanee Purshad demanded by the Nuwab The Shub-i-burat The Puttur Chuot,h The Pitr-puch . . . .183

Letter XXVI

Confinement of the Baee Doubts respecting the Sex of the Child Influence of Evil Eyes Women pour out Water at the Deooree Great Disturbance among the Troops

CONTENTS XXI

Capitulation of Soopoor The Mamma's Allowance Bawanee Purshad's Fight from Camp Anecdote of Raja Takoor Purshad The Dusera Husbandry of the Oodipoor Provinces 191

Letter XXVII

Violent Disturbances in the Battalions European Officers turned out of Camp Character of the Sipahees Difference of the Two Brigades Seendhiya visits Nimalkur Naming of the Muha Raj's Child Ceremonies upon the Occasion The Buhora moves out of Camp Muster of the Cavalry taken Offers of Aid to the Muha Raj Shikarees Productions of Mewar The Ramzan Eras observed by the Mahrattas Khueratun . . .201

Letter XXVIII

The Muha Raj's Birthday The Buhora marches from Camp The Teeka The Baee completes her Purification Anajee writes to Seendhiya Disturbances near Oojyn Troops go over to Holkar Defeat of the Expedition against Rutlam Baptiste's Intrigues at the Durbar Grand D,hurna Mode of torturing among the Maharattas The Mamma's Distress Ajmeer given to Bapoo Seendhiya's Brother The Dtwallee . . . .209

Letter XXIX

Anajee's Agent arrives in Camp The Affair of the Teeka settled Visit of Condolence to Bala Baee Character of the Mewar Peasantry Seendhiya's Distress for Money Intrigues with Bala Rao- Jugoo Bapoo quits Camp Takoor of Juodpoor Marriage of Narain and Toolsee . .214

Letter XXX

March from Roopahelee-Opposition by the Troops-Bala Qadir Moohutnedan Fuqeers Designs upon the Raja of Shahpoora Flocks of Wild-fowl Bapoo Seendhiya's Domestic Afflictions Ceremonies of the Kiria Kurum The Muha Raj's Attentions to Anajee Bala Chobdar Battle between Meer Khan and the B,honslah Pleasant Weather 220

Letter XXXI

Negotiations with the Shahpoora Wukeels not concluded Bala Rao escapes from Camp The Mamma's Vexation,

XXII CONTENTS

and Message to Seendhiya Disturbances in Brigade The Nuwab Moorteza Khan upon Puriag Das Wretched State of the Their Imprecations on the Mahrattas Mr- Arrival in CampCeremonies of conducting Camp Visit to the Durbar Discussions Khiluts Seendhiya returns the Resident's Visit Barouche presented to him His Suspicions SubjectThe Ziyafut Conclusion.

Letter XXXII

March to Ajmeer Description of the Fort and City of Moouen-oo-deen Chish teeCeremonies ot the Tomb Visit to Pokur Description of the Temples The Town, and Preparations for Ajmeer

INDEX ....

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

A BAZAR IN SEENDHIYA'S CAMP .... Frontispiece

Reproduction; on a smaller scale, by Messrs Griggs & Sons, Ltd., of London, of the Frorati the Original Edition.

1. MAHRAFTA SURDAR ENTERTAINING After the Illustration

BRAHMUNS ... an original Ora.w:

Bean Ulee, in tl"ie Edition

2. PROCESSION OF THE TAZIYA . Do.

3. THE HOHLEE Do.

4. MAHRATTA PUNDIT Do.

5. MUHUlMT AND GOSAEENS Do.

6. MEENA OF JAJGURH DO.

7. GIRL DANCING THE KUHARWA DO.

8. THE UKHARA Do.

9. THE JUNUM-USHTOOMEE DO.

MAP

INTRODUCTION

THE author of the book which Mr. Constable now reproduces in the series so intelligently planned and successfully commenced, was a great-grandson of Dr. Broughton, chaplain to the first Duke of Marlborough, and author of a sermon on the battle of Blenheim. He was educated at Eton, went out to India as a cadet in 1795 ; and ran a useful if not a very brilliant career. He was at the siege of Seringapatam in 1799, and for a short time before the restoration of Java to the Dutch commanded in that island. When he wrote the letters which are reprinted in this volume he held the rank of Captain. He married a Miss Chaniier, a member of one of those Huguenot families which have in so many different ways distinguished themselves in the countries which afforded them hospitality.

A Chamier co-operated with Johnson, Reynolds, Burke, and four others, in founding "The Club". Another was a popular writer in the days of our grandfathers, and they have been for several generations closely connected both with Civil and Military affairs in the Presidency of Madras. The energy and ability of General Chamier, C. B , who is happily still alive, contributed not a little to the rapid success of the Burmese Expedition in 1885.

After Captain, later Colonel, Broughton's return home, he became Honorary Secretary to the Royal Asiatic Society,

XXIV INTRODUCTION

and filled that office while Colonel Tod, the author of the "Annals of Rajasthan", was Honorary Librarian. The two comrades and colleagues died, strange to say, within two days of each other, in November, 1835.

The only one of Colonel Broughton's writings which seems to have attracted any general attention was that which recorded his experiences in the Camp of Scindia, where he lived as commander of the escort of the British Minister, or, in Anglo-Indian phraseology, the Resident, deputed to keep up relations between our Government and that Potentate.

It is well, perhaps, that a narrative like this should have been left behind by a man for whom the scenes which he describes had no novelty, and who saw nothing very extraordinary either in the picturesqueness or the squalor of his surroundings in a Mahratta Camp. Here and there some display more brilliant than ordinary excites his admiration, or some peculiarly horrid atrocity is duly reprobated ; but the dirt and the scampishness, and the absurdity and the impecuniosity, and the faithlessness and the mutiny, and the extortion and the superstition seem to him, so to speak, "all in the day's work".