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The Benares Diary of Warren Hastings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2009

Extract

  • Introduction V

  • Text i

  • Index 39

Type
Other
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1948

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References

page v note 1 Pp. 109–11.

page v note 2 Ch. 1.

page v note 3 The text of the treaty, together with that of the subsequent agreements, will be found in A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads relating to India and neighbouring countries (compiled by Aitchison, C. U.; Calcutta, 1930), ii. 98 sqqGoogle Scholar.

page vi note 1 British Museum, Add. MSS. 29,127: Hastings to Sir George Colebrooke, 26 March 1772.

page vii note 1 Bengal had been virtually independent of Delhi from about 1740 ; see the Cambridge History of India, iv. 364.

page vii note 2 British Museum, Add. MSS. 29,127 : Hastings to Colebrooke, 26 March 1772.

page vii note 3 For a fuller discussion of this thorny problem see my article, ‘ Warren Hastings and the Rohilla War ’, Army Quarterly Review, July 1938.

page vii note 4 For the status of Chait Singh see my Warren Hastings and Oudh, ch. v.

page 1 note 1 Shuja-ud-daulah, nawab-wazir of Oudh.

page 1 note 2 Shah Alam the Mughal emperor.

page 1 note 1 At Calcutta.

page 2 note 1 Kora and Allahabad had been handed over by Clive to the Mughal emperor for the upkeep of his dignity and expenses.

page 2 note 2 Raghunath Rao, alias Raghoba, later implicated in the murder of Narayan Rao, the Maratha Peshwa. See my article on ‘ Pishwa ’ in the Encyclopaedia of Islam.

page 2 note 3 Not included. They will be found in Bengal Secret Consultations (India Office), Range A, vol. 25, 4 October 1773.

page 3 note 1 Mubarak-ud-daulah, the puppet nawab of Bengal. See Treaties, Engagements, and Sanads (ed. Aitchison, C. U., 1909), i, no. lxxiiGoogle Scholar.

page 3 note 2 Nathaniel Middleton, the first English Resident in Oudh.

page 3 note 3 Munni Begum, widow of Mir Jafar, who had been appointed guardian during the nawab's minority.

page 4 note 1 In the Mughal Empire the subas (provinces) were divided into sarkars (districts). Thus, for example, the suba of Oudh was divided into five sarkars (A'in-i-Akbari (tr. Jarrett, ) in Bibliotheca Indica, ii (1891), pp. 170–7Google Scholar).

page 4 note 2 Muqarrari or fixed.

page 4 note 3 Not included in diary.

page 5 note 1 Sir Robert Barker.

page 5 note 2 Munir-ud-daulah, who had been placed in charge of Kora and Allahabad on behalf of the Mughal emperor.

page 5 note 3 An estate situated in the suburbs belonging to one Mahadeo Das.

page 5 note 4 Timur Shah Abdali, ruler of the Afghans and son of Ahmad Shah Durrani, who had defeated the Maratha Confederacy at Panipat in 1761.

page 5 note 5 Not included in diary.

page 5 note 6 Rabia-us-sani, the fourth month of the Muhammadan year.

page 6 note 1 Khilat or dress of honour presented as a mark of distinction.

page 6 note 2 John Carnac (1716–1800). See Buckland's Dictionary of Indian Biography.

page 6 note 3 Henry Verelst who succeeded Clive as governor of Bengal in 1767 and died 1785. He was author of A View of the Rise, Progress and Present State of the English Government in Bengal (1772), a reply to Bolt's Considerations on Indian Affairs.

page 6 note 4 John Cartier (1733–1802), who succeeded Verelst as governor of Bengal in 1769.

page 6 note 5 Root is written above Foundation.

page 7 note 1 attending to is written above considering in Hastings' hand.

page 7 note 2 For Clive's military reorganisation, see G. Forrest, Life of Lord Clive, ii. 290.

page 8 note 1 The pargana was a fiscal unit of the Mughal empire; see my article on ‘ Pargana ’ in the Encyclopaedia of Islam.

page 8 note 2 Oudh.

page 8 note 3 These words have been added in a different hand.

page 8 note 4 Safdar Jang, ruler of Oudh from 1739 to 1754, was appointed wazir of the Mughal empire in the year 1748. It was he who invited the Marathas to assist him against the Rohillas, the engagements entered into at that time forming the basis of later Maratha claims on Rohilkhand.

page 9 note 1 Bhata or batta is an extra allowance given to troops when in the field or on other special grounds.

page 9 note 2 For the various meanings of this word see H. A. R. Gibb and C. C. Davies in the Encyclopaedia of Islam, s.v. naib, nawab, nabob.

page 10 note 1 Ryots, peasants, cultivators.

page 10 note 2 Raja Chait Singh, zamindar of Benares and Ghazip

page 11 note 1 Zamindars were holders of land or farmers of revenue. For various types of zamindars see my Warren Hastings and Oudh, pp. 118–22.

page 12 note 1 East India in the copy.

page 12 note 2 Muhammad Elich Khan, the diwan or chief minister of Shuja-ud-daulah.

page 13 note 1 Ten millions, or a hundred lakhs.

page 14 note 1 Madras.

page 14 note 2 Banker, money-changer.

page 14 note 3 These words have been added in a different hand.

page 14 note 4 Shuja-ud-daulah by thirty-one women had forty-nine children, male and female. His only legitimate son was Mirza Amani who eventually succeeded him in 1775, with the title of Asaf-ud-daulah.

page 15 note 1 Hafiz Rahmat Khan, the leader of the Rohillas.

page 15 note 2 Bijaigarh and Latifgarh.

page 16 note 1 Salar Jang was the brother of the Bahu Begam, the wife of Shuja-ud-daulah.

page 16 note 2 Najaf Khan, a Rohilla military adventurer who had risen to prominence in the Emperor's service and who for some time after the battle of Buxar (1764) had received a pension of two lakhs of rupees from the Company. See India Office : Bengal Secret Consultations, Range A. 37, 29 August 1776.

page 17 note 1 Kos : a variable measurement of distance, usually estimated at about two miles.

page 18 note 1 In 1776 it was considered desirable to formulate a scheme of defence in the event of a Maratha attack upon Oudh. For this purpose Clive, Carnac, Shuja-ud-daulah, and the emperor's minister met at the Conference of Chupra.

page 18 note 2 Izafeh or increase.

page 19 note 1 Balaghat in the Carnatic.

page 19 note 2 This paragraph and the next have been displaced in the original manuscript to fo. 83, but there is a note (on fo. 48) that they should be inserted here. They appear in their correct place in the copy.

page 19 note 2 Tankhwah : an assignment by the ruling authority upon the revenues of any particular locality in payment of services, money, pension, etc.

page 20 note 1 Captain Gabriel Harper, a great favourite of Shuja-ud-daulah, who was eventually recalled by Hastings because of his malpractices in Oudh. See Add. MSS. 29,144, fo. 32, and Calendar of Persian Correspondence, iv. 590, 25 October 1773.

page 21 note 1 Not included in the diary.

page 22 note 1 Not included in the diary.

page 23 note 1 Not included in the diary.

page 23 note 2 Not included in the diary.

page 23 note 3 For the settlement of this claim see Calendar of Persian Correspondence, iv. 790, 29 January 1774.

page 24 note 1 Shawal: the tenth month of the Muhammadan year.

page 24 note 2 The passage from here to the words ‘ … such as I hoped and expected ’ on p. 27 has been misplaced in the original, and will be found in Add. MSS. 29, 233 fos. 23 sqq. It appears in its correct place in the copy, fo. 182.

page 28 note 1 The Ganges-Jumna Doab.

page 28 note 2 Dasahara : a popular festival in honour of the goddess Durga.

page 30 note 1 In the Doab between the Ganges and Jumna.

page 30 note 2 Not included in the diary.

page 30 note 3 Kaulnama : an agreement in writing.

page 31 note 1 Not included in the diary.

page 31 note 2 For Hastings' relations with Ausan Singh see my Warren Hastings and Oudh, pp. 134, 140–1.

page 31 note 3 Not included in the diary.

page 31 note 4 Amils : revenue inspectors, collectors, or agents.

page 31 note 5 Motte was a diamond merchant. Hastings wrote to Chait Singhon 19 June 1772 hoping that his friends Thomas Motte and Joseph Fowke would be granted concessions in the matter of trade (Calendar of Persian Correspondence, iv. 42).

page 32 note 1 Not included in the diary.

page 32 note 2 Gumashtas : agents or representatives of merchants.

page 32 note 3 Chela : servant, slave, pupil, disciple.

page 33 note 1 Mutasaddi : writer, accountant, clerk.

page 33 note 2 A French officer in the service of Shuja-ud-daulah. He wrote in defence of Hastings at the time of the impeachment, and was the author of Mémoires sur L'Indoustan, ou Empire Mogol (Paris, 1822)Google Scholar.

page 33 note 3 Sicca was the term applied to rupees during the first year of their circulation. After this they were charged with a batta (discount) varying from 2 to 3½ per cent, according to their dates and were known as sanawats.

page 34 note 1 Gopamau, in the tahsil of Hardoi, United Provinces.

page 34 note 2 The copy in Add. MSS. 29,234 ends here.

page 35 note 1 Khawas : confidential representative.

page 35 note 2 Kanungo : keeper of revenue records.

page 35 note 3 River Jirgo.

page 35 note 4 The last part of the word is illegible; Bahramgang ?

page 35 note 5 Killadar : commandant of a fort.

page 35 note 6 Not included in the diary.

page 36 note 1 This word is difficult to decipher. It seems to be Patmars or runners. The Letters are not included in the diary.

page 36 note 2 Raja Shitab Rai was appointed naib (deputy) of the nawab in Bihar at the same time as Muhammad Riza Khan was made naib for Bengal. He was later put on trial for alleged embezzlement but was honourably acquitted.

page 36 note 3 Not included in the diary.

page 36 note 4 Not included in the diary.