Skip to item: of 312
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Letter No.596 of 1870 from Colonel Sir William Lockyer Merewether, The Commissioner in Sind, Commissioner's Office, Kurrachee [Karāchi] to His Excellency the Right Honorable Sir William Robert Seymour Vesey Fitzgerald, Governor and President in Council, Bombay [‎134v] (20/34)

The record is made up of 17 folios. It was created in 15 Sep 1870. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

( 18 )
yet ever complained against the Shaligassee TTul-
lee Mahomed, so why Colonel Phayre should per
sist in trying to maintain that the same reme
dies should be used, when the circumstances are
totally different, is most inexplicable. 1 cer
tainly also fail to see what ambitious, and sinis
ter designs the Khelat Government have now,
unless it be the desire of the Khan really to
govern his country, and to insist on order and
peace being maintained; most people would
consider this a very creditable ambition in a
Sovereisfn.
36. When the Shahgassee proposes to poi
son Captain Harrison, and becomes a diaboli
cal scoundrel like Gool Mahomed, it will be
time to consider about withdrawing the Poli
tical Agent from Khelat. It should also have
been mentioned that, when General Jacob
wrote in September 1858, Gool Mahomed and
Gungaram had been dismissed by the Khan
from their offices, and had no longer any
thing to do with the Government, therefore the
General's remarks applied only to those as evil
individuals, not to the Khan.
Officers with Mahomed Hussun, and now in 1858
he uses still stronger terms. If further evi
dence however is wanted of what a Khelat
Government is capable, when their ambitious
and sinister designs are opposed, let the follow
ing extract from General Jacob's letter of the
17th September 1858 to Major Henry Green
bear testimony to it :—
36. " Latterly, I have, to tell you the truth,
" thought that those diabolical scoundrels, Gool
" Mahomed & Co., would be trying to get rid
" of you by poison or assassination in some
" way, and I felt that I had no right to subject
" you to the risk of such a fate. I would far
" rather lose my own life than do so. These
" villains, Gool Mahomed, Gungaram & Co. are
" extensively connected with the intrigues now
• ( ramified all over these countries. Their crea-
" tures are all about us.
" I knew that they must feel that you were
" their most formidable enemy. Other means
" failing, it was likely that this would be at-
" tempted. I had good reasons for knowing
*' this not to be improbable. Pirst, from the
" proposal of the Murree to murder you at
" Gundava, and next, as you will see by the
" enclosed, which please return to me and show
" to no one. * * * *
(Sd.) John Jacob."
37. I do not see that the circumstances
above alluded to are any justification for the
Sirdars Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. ' proceedings and attitude, when they
advanced from Beyla. It has just been shown
that the Khan and his Government in September
1858, had nothing to do with the plot spoken
of by General Jacob, and certainly the Sirdars Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
had no fair reason for stating the attack of the
assassin in 1869 was in any way countenanced by,
or proceeded from, the Khan. The culprit was
proved to be a madman, and Colonel Phayre
should have been careful how he entertained
any idea that the Khan was implicated in his
37. One may now appreciate and sympa
thise with the feelings of the Sirdars Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. when at
tacked by the assassin, and give them credit for
their ulterior proceedings being not entirely
disconnected with the safety of their lives as
asserted by them, because a power that would
thus unblushingly plot to murder the British
representative, because he was simply doing his
duty, and had solely their good and that of the
country at heart, would scruple at nothing; and
having been long ago convinced of these truths
from a close observance of passing events,
I spoke advisedly, and with good reason, when

About this item

Content

Letter enclosing a letter from Colonel Robert Phayre which Merewether feels is exceedingly improper and disrespectful in its tone and that he has felt it necessary to add remarks to the letter to demonstrate the Colonel's continued misunderstanding of the situation and the different documents he has quoted from.

Enclosed with the letter is No.1260 of 1870 from Colonel Phayre, to Colonel Merewether, 3 September 1870, in which the Colonel defends his position and his attitudes towards Khelat [Kalāt] and Captain Charles Henry Harrison (The Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Khelat) including giving his understanding of the history of Khelat and how that applied to the present situation. Alongside each paragraph is a counter-explanation from Colonel Merewether, most of which either give fuller explanations of the correspondence cited or highlight areas where the Colonel has made assumptions and suppositions without having any evidence to support them.

Extent and format
17 folios
Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Letter No.596 of 1870 from Colonel Sir William Lockyer Merewether, The Commissioner in Sind, Commissioner's Office, Kurrachee [Karāchi] to His Excellency the Right Honorable Sir William Robert Seymour Vesey Fitzgerald, Governor and President in Council, Bombay [‎134v] (20/34), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/22, ff 125-141, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100024195160.0x000043> [accessed 28 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100024195160.0x000043">Letter No.596 of 1870 from Colonel Sir William Lockyer Merewether, The Commissioner in Sind, Commissioner's Office, Kurrachee [Karāchi] to His Excellency the Right Honorable Sir William Robert Seymour Vesey Fitzgerald, Governor and President in Council, Bombay [&lrm;134v] (20/34)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100024195160.0x000043">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x0003a1/Mss Eur F126_22_0266.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x0003a1/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image