The East India company Government, in 1832 A.D., established the Rajputana Agency to control external affairs of princely states of Rajputana. The Political Officers for differentprincely states were appointed as Political Agents.
When the status of the East India Company began to change in the middle of the eighteenth century from a trading company to a political power in Bengal, the system of Residency or Political Agency came in vogue.
The beginning of the system in India has been marked by the appointment of Samuel Middleton as the Resident on December 14, 1764,[1] in place of the Commercial Resident, William Watts, at the Court of Murshidabad, the capital of Bengal.
As the Resident proved an effective instrument in promoting the political interests of the Company and in developing closer relations with Murshidabad the British Government[2] continued the policy of appointing the Residents at the Indian Courts. [3]
The appointment of Nathaniel Middleton as the Resident at Lucknow (1774),[4] John Holland as the Resident at Hyderabad (1779)[5] John Anderson as the Resident at Gwalior (1782),[6] Captain James Tod as the Political Agent in Mewar and Harauti (1818)[7] and Lieutenant Colonel A. Lockett as the agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana (1832)[8] are some of the instances.
The Indian Princes began to consider the appointment of a British Political Officer, at Jaipur Courts as a source of strength and cordial ties with the East India Company, whose military might was now recognised by all native powers.[9]
The British Political Officers in the Political and Foreign Department of the East India Company such as Agents to the Governor-General, Residents and Political Agents were a class by themselves as distinct from the usual political emissaries as Ambassadors Charge d’ affaires, High Commissioners etc. A Political Officer accredited to an Indian Court, to quote Lord Ellenborough, the Governor-General, was the “Representative of Friendship as much as power of the British Government”.[10]
Thus, like his counterpart elsewhere in India, a political officer accredited to a State in Rajputana exercised dual function of the plenipotentiary as well as the representative of the paramount power. He enforced the observance of the treaty upon the State, nnd exercised control over it in the interest of the general peace and tranquility in Rajputana. [11]
Status of the agent
The agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana was a senior political officer under whomA group of States, and several subordinate Political Agents were placed.[12] In the hierarchy of the Company, his status was in every respect upon an equality’ with a Resident[13] and therefore, he enjoyed all the privileges of the latter.[14] The agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana like the Resident corresponded directly with the British Government. at his headquarters, or while on an inspection tour of the area under his political jurisdiction, he was allotted the same strength of escort as was provided to a Resident.[15] In the same manner, like the Resident, he was entitled to a salute of 13 guns at the time of his visit to any of the States under his jurisdiction.[16] Among the Political Officers, his status was only next to the Resident at Hyderabad.[17]
Status of the Political Agent
The Political Agents ranked below the agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana as well as the Resident. But the rank of a Political Superintendent was equal to that of a Political Agent. The Political Agents and the Political Superintendents were the representatives of the agent to the Governor-General in Rajputan in the States to which they were accredited. Among the political officers of the Company, the rank of the ‘Assistant to the agent to the Governor-General’ was the lowest.[18] Both the Political Agent and the Political Superintendent were entitled to a salute of 11 guns in the States under their respective jurisdictions.[19] The Political Agents and the Political Superintendents were entitled to a salute of 11 guls on their visit to the Darbars or on their return from furloughs.[20] as the representative of the Superior Power, the person of Political officer was inviolable. any insult or violence done to him was tantamount to insulting the British Government.[21]
Status of the rulers
although all the rulers of Rajputana enjoyed among themselves almost an equal status, the British Government maintained some differences in the extent of their status and rank. Of course allof these rulers were considered in subordination to the Governor-General,[22] but not so in case of the Political officers of the Rajputana Agency. Excepting the rulers of Udaipur, Jaipur and Jodhpur, the status of other rulers of Rajputana was equal to that of the agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana. The latter had to acknowledge the higher status of the rulers of the first three States by addressing them in his Kharitas with the distinguished marks (Alkab) such as ‘Karam Farmae’ or ‘Alee shan’ or some other title of respect, in addition to their family titles acknowledged by the treaties of 1817-18.[23] In his correspondence with the remaining States, he only addressed their rulers by their family titles.[24]
The rulers of the States of Rajputana were superior to the Political Agents or Political Superintendents in status.[25] But the Political Agent or the Superintendent was considered superior in status to the heirs-Apparent.[26]
In 1842, James Sutherland, the agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana, defined the relative ranks of the rulers of Rajputana in the ‘following order : Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bundi, Kota, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Bharatpur, Alwar, Kishangarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, Pratapgarh, Karauli, Sirohi, Dholpur, Tonk and Jhalawar.[27]
Salutes of guns were accorded to the Indian Princes whenever they passed through British Cantonments or attended a Durbar of the Governor-General.[28] But there were no fixed rules with regard to this system.[29] In 1855, the British Government made an Attempt to fix the scales of Salutes of guns to the rulers.[30] Henry Lawrence, the Agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana, therefore, solicited the views of the Political Agents on the matter. [31]
Captain C.B. Burton, the officiating Political Agent Jaipur,[32] Sir Richmond Shakespeare, the Jodhpur Political Agent[33] and Lieutenant In Monck Mason, the Officiating Harauti Political Agent[34] desired uniformity in the salutes to all the rulers of Rajputana. The first two Political Agents recommended a salute of 17 guns for all, and the latter suggested a salute of 13 guns. But the agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana differed from the Political Agents. He contended that uniformity would simplify matters, but at the same time, give annoyance to the ‘older and superior rulers of Rajputana,[35]
Henry Lawrence, therefore, According to the classification of the status of the rulers of Rajputana of 1832, recommended to grant A salute of 17 guns to the three premier States of Rajputana, viz. Mewar, Jodhpur and Jaipur and of 15 guns to the remaining ones.[36]
Subsequently, having learnt that the Raja of Bharatpur had been receiving A salute of 17 guns till that time, he thought that it would be offensive to any ruler to give him a salute of the number of guns which might be less than the one prevalent According to the custom.[37]
He, therefore, suggested to his Government that Bharatpur be included in the list of rulers entitled to a salute of 17 guns. as the rulers of Bikaner, Kota and Bundi were of equal rank with Bharatpur, he considered them to be entitled to the same privileges.[38]
The question of the number of guns of a salute was of a very great sentimental importance to the Indian rulers, though lightly considered by the British officers.[39]
Henry Lawrence, therefore, preferred to err on the side of granting higher honours to the rulers than what they had before”.[40]
According to the recommendation of the agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana, the British Govern ment had accorded the privilege of a salute of 17 guns to the rulers of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bikaner, Kota, Bundi and Bharatpur, and of 15 to each of the rest viz. Dholpur, Kishangarh, Jaisalmer, Jhalawar, Tonk, Alwar, Karauli, Pratapgarh, Banswara, Dungarpur and Sirohi.[41]
Thus by 1858, the rulers of Rajputana were divided into three categories. The first category included the rulers of Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur who had the privilege of being addressed to with extraordinary courtesies by the agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana, besides their being entitled to a salute of 17 guns. In the second category were the rulers of Bikaner, Kota, Bundi and Bharatpur who had only the privilege of a salute of 17 guns. In the third one were the rulers of Dholpur, Kishangarh, Jaisalmer, Jhalawar, Tonk, Alwar, Karauli, Pratapgarh, Banswara, Dungarpur and Sirohi who were accorded a salute of 15 guns only. [42]
After the mutiny of 1858 A.D., British Crown’s Government ended the Company’s rule and the new arrangements were done.
REFERENCES
[1] Foreign and Secret Department d. 13 December 1764, Vol. 2-A, pp. 752-756; Proceedings of Select Committee d. 5 October 1765, p. 274.
[2] The term British Government has been used throughout for the Supreme Government of Bengal Presidency which after 1833 became the Government of India.
[3] Dr. Vijay Kumar Vasishtha, A Study In The Status Of The Political Officers Of The Rajputana Agency And The Rulers Of Rajputana (1832-1858), Proceedings of Rajasthan History Congress, pp. 132-137.
[4] Secret Department d. 10 January, 1774, Vol. 24, pp. 23-25.
[5] Extract from a letter from the President and Select Committee of Madras d. 22 February 1779, Cons. 17 July 1780, No. 8, F&Sc.
[6] C. E. Luard, Gwalior State Gazetteer, Calcutta, 1908, Vol. I, p. 333.
[7] Tod to Adam d. 11 March, Cons. 15 May 1818, No. 23, F& Sc.
[8] Governor-General’s Minute d. 30 March, Cons. 16 April 1832, No. 22, F&SP.
[9] Colonel John Murray, Military Auditor General to Sir John Shore, Governor-General, d. 10 July 1794, Indian Historical Records Commission, Proceedings Vol. XVI, P. 2.
[10] T.H. Maddock, Secretary to Government to J. Sutherland, A.G.G. Rajputana and to all Political Agents and Residents in India d. 26April, Cons. 13 July
[11] Dr. Vijay Kumar Vasishtha, A Study In The Status Of The Political Officers Of The Rajputana Agency And The Rulers Of Rajputana (1832-1858), Proceedings of Rajasthan History Congress, pp. 132-137.
[12] Governor-General’s Minute d. 30 March, Cons. 16April 1832, No. 22, F&P.
[13] The Resident was a Political Officer who conducted British relations with a State to which he was accredited, as the Resident Gwalior, the Resident Hyderabad etc. He was directly under the control of the Governor-General.
[14] W. H. Macnaghten, Secretary to Government, to A. Lockett, A.G.G. d. 24 May, Cons. 18 June 1832, No. 23 F& P.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Table of salutes to European functionaries applicable to the territories under the authority of the Government of India (No. 1), Cons. 21 August 1857, No. 58, F&P.
[17] Philip Woodruff, The Men who Ruled India, The Guardians, London, 1954, P. 1968.
[18] Sutherland to Maddock d. 31 October 1842, Coos. 4 January 1843, No. 35, F& P.
[19] Table of Salutes to Europen Reactionaries, loc. cit.
[20] W. Anderson, Political Superintendent, Sirohi to Henry Lawrence, A.G.G. Rajputana d. 22 October 1855, Fill No. 99, General, Vol. I, (1855-56), List No. 1, p. 4, S. No. 33, RAR.
[21] On hearing about the discourteous conduct of the Maharao of Bundi towards Dr. Cordet, the then Officiating Harauti Political Agent, Lord william Bentinck called for an explanation from the Maharao for such a behaviour. As a mark of disapprobation to the behaviour of the Rao, Bentinck transferred the work of conducting British relations with the state of Bundi direct to the control of the agent at Ajmer. This caused uneasiness to the Maharao. The Maharao felt guilty of his misconduct towards Corbet and entreated the Governor-General to put his state in direct contact which Harauti Political Agent. Seeing the Maharao realising his mistake, Bentinck complied with his request. Political Letter to COD d. 13 November 1835, No. 29, para 111; Bentinck to the Maharao of Bundi d. 19 May, Cons. 19 July 1834, No. 21, F&P.
[22] Propositions submitted to G.G. on the part of Maharana Jawan Singh of Udaipur and replies (No. 1) d. n. February, Cons. 3 December 1832, No. 26, F& P.
[23] Macnaghten to Lockett d. 29 July, Cons. 3 September 1832, No. 25, F&P; Macnaghthn to Lockett d. 25 July, Cons. 25 July 1833, No. 12. F&P.
[24] Macnaghten to Lockett d. 25 July 1833, loc, cit.
[25] Anderson to Henry Lawrence d. 22 October 1855, File No. 99, loc. cit.
[26] Ibid.
[27] Memorandum by Sutherland showing the relative rank of the Princes connected with the Rajputana Agency d. 7 November 1842, enclosed with Cons. October 1866, No. 124, Pol. A., Foreign.
[28] Monck Mason, Offg. Harauti Political Agent to Henry Lawrence d. 19 October, 1855, File No. 99, loc. cit.
[29] J.W. Dalrymple, Offg. Under Secretary to the Government to Henry Lawrence d. 14 September 1955. File No. 99, loc. cit.
[30] Idid.
[31] Dr. Vijay Kumar Vasishtha, A Study In The Status Of The Political Officers Of The Rajputana Agency And The Rulers Of Rajputana (1832-1858), Proceedings of Rajasthan History Congress, pp. 132-137.
[32] C. B. Burton, Offg. Jaipur Political Agent to Henry Lawrence d. 17 October 1855, File
No. 99, loc. cit
[33] Shakespeare to Henry Lawrence d. 22 October 1855, File No. 99, loc, cit.
[34] Mason to Henry Lawrence d. 19 October 1856, File No. 99, loc. cit.
[35] Henry Lawrence to Dalrymple d. 27 October 1855, File No. 99, loc. cit.
[36] Ibid.
[37] Henry Lawrence to Beadon, d. 1 November 1855, File No. 99, loc. cit.
[38] Ibid.
[39] lbid.
[40] Henry Lawrence to Beadon d. 1 November 1855, File No. 99, loc. cit,
[41] Amended Table of salutes to Native Princes and Chiefs applicable to the territories under the authority of the Government of India (No. 3) Cons. 21 August 1857, No. 58, F& P.
[42] Dr. Vijay Kumar Vasishtha, A Study In The Status Of The Political Officers Of The Rajputana Agency And The Rulers Of Rajputana (1832-1858), Proceedings of Rajasthan History Congress, pp. 132-137.
