~ I ~~"~-----------------------------~ ,~.:,<'w. H." SMITH &' SON'S SUB ~C R'IP'l' iON-', LIB RARY',- - , '-.' 186. STRANO, LONOOf'l, ,,- , ' AND AT THE RAIL"WAY 'BOOKSTAi..LS. - ' NOVELS ~RE ISSUED TO AND RE"CEM!D FROM SUBSCRIBERS IN SETS OIU.V, TERMS. fOR SUBSCRIBERS OBTAINING TKEIR BOOKifROII A COUNTRY eOOKmLL- ~ .,.. _ . 8 Month.. It Hontld. , ,For ONE Volume'a.t a. time.. .. -.: £6 12 0 •• 1 1 0 .. (NOfJ~I~ in mor~ than ()tr&e Yo/v., "",...,.ot .cailabZ.for t"~.,,.or ~tioL) • , For TWO Volumes n •• '.. •• 0 17 6 •. 1 11 8 . - : ~ (NOf}tI/4 In f'JIOf"lf rh.a1t 1'100 Yoiu,na ... rtOt CltNJiHbl«j'or ~iJoZa. qf ~ti01l.) ,1"01' THREE Volumes OJ.. ' •• ,.""" •• 1 a 0 • I 0 For FOUR ' .. •• 1 8 0 • 10 0 For SIX ' ",' ~ ••~. • 1 15 Q 8 8 Q ,~', For TWELVE.f .., S"O 0 6' II 0 , Thl! c.1erk~ in charge of Messrs. W. H. Smitb & 500"& bookstalls arerequlred to soetbat books wuh lIh".tIUions.alld Maps atC fssu.ed to and receind froza dac ...becribera to the _ " . ul'\r8£Y perrea io number 4IId (~tion. - . ,~~ ~ -; ., SERVANTS OF INDIA SOCIETY'S UBRARY. POOiVA 4. FOR INTERN AL CIRCULATION To be returaed 00 Or berore the last date stamped below 1 3 N0V1967 !. ~"'""--.--~-' ....... -- ·Immiiiii,mi' \.- GIPE-PUNE-OOI046 f , ~~~~-~ -~ ... ---- GENERAL SIR RICHARD MEADE AND THE FEUDATORY STATES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN INDIA - Z/~. GENERAL SIR RICHS:ilff)VAMJ!~1 ~ soc I. AND THE ~,.., 1~7'~ , . "OOl[ J FEUDATORY STATES 'F 4.. ---~~ CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN INDIA A RECORD OJ' FORTY-THREE YEARS' SERVICE AS SOLDIER, POLITICAL OFFICER AND ADMINISTRATOR BY THOMAS HENRY THORNTON, C.S.I., D.eL SOMBTIMB POREIGN SBCRETARY TO THB GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AUTHOR OP II THB LIPB AND WORK OP COLONEL SIR ROBERT SANDBYAH If WITH PORTRAIT, MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK AND BOMBAY 18g8 \f 1-/ L,fd- 7 1'vI'L1 C-g /640 PI~ ep i1 I'cd 1"u 1' SiP William Wilson Hunte,,', Works 1119 8 . Scale 265 lnileli - 1.0 1 inch BAY o BENGAL ",. Is lands : . : .'s~PGr I }) - --....---- AlUUk.-.i ru:FERENC E S BriJilh. I~ colo~ Pink DqJt!n.d6fL1. Su.bo~oJiNcSt4tLl_YJlow Indq,1IItdtnt S tabu ______ Crun. ~, opUU'.d. ___ ______ o -1Jo_ lWt tTP ~ .. ___.. " ....... •.... , c Ro~ ______ .___ _ _ NOTE.-In this Map Dependent States and ~l'1'1'itories which came under Sir R. Meade's political or administrativf cont1'ol ' are coloured dark yellow. INTRODUCTORY. -+- THE Indian career of the late GENERAL SIR RICHARD MEADE, K.C.S.I., C.LE., who died at Hyeres in March, 1894, though little known in England, has some claim to be remembered. For it was the career of one who, besides performing valuable military services, conducted, for upwards of twenty years, the relations of the British Government with some of the principal Native States of India, and, as confidential adviser and Agent to seven successive Viceroys, played a more or less important part in in­ fluencing and carrying out their policy. And it was a career in some respects unique. Born in 1821, Meade proceeded to India so long ago as 1838. For nearly twenty years he passed an uneventful life as regimental or staff officer in the Bengal Army, without a chance of military distinction. His social qualities made him a general favourite, and he was recognised as a very promising officer, but there was little scope for his abilities, and none could have predicted that the genial infantry captain of those days was to become vi INTRODUCTORY known to fame as a dashing leader of cavalry, and as having filled with credit four of the highest political appointments under the Crown in India. But so it was. On the outbreak of the great Mutiny of 1857, he held the office of Brigade-Major of the Gwalior Contingent-a force maintained at the expense of SINDHIA, the Maratha chief, but officered by English­ men and composed largely of sepoys from Hindustan. The force mutinied; several officers and other Euro­ peans-men, women and children-were shot down, and Captain Meade and his young wife, the present LADY MEADE (whose calmness and courage during these trying times were specially noticed by the Government of India), with difficylty escaped to Agra. At Agra he took part in the engagements with the mutineers, and raised a regiment of cavalry, which, under the name of "Meade's Horse," did admirable service for four years. In June, 1858, when Sindhia's own army deserted to the rebels, and Sindhia himself fled for his life to Agra, Meade was selected to escort him to the camp of SIR HUGH ROSE (afterwards LORD STRATHNAIRN), who, after a brilliant campaign in Central India, had marched from Kalpi to recapture Gwalior and reinstate the Ma­ haraja in his capital. By dint of a forced march of sixty-five miles in twenty-four hours Meade reached the General's head­ quarters at Morar (the old cantonment of the' Con- ·INTRODUCTORY. vii tingent) on the morning of the [8th June. Leaving the Maharaja in camp he accompanied Sir Hugh Rose as A.D.C. during the action on the following day, and, after the defeat of the enemy, conducted the British troops through the narrow streets of the town to the palace, I still in possession of the rebels. At great personal risk he entered the palace, full at the time of armed and excited soldiery, parleyed with the occupants and induced them to surrender with­ out firing a shot; thus saving many liVes and much destruction of property, and winning the lasting grati­ tude of the Manhha Chief. After the recapture of Gwalior he was employed on a commission for trying and punishin~ the rebel soldiers, then scoured the country with his cavalry and, thanks to his influence with local chiefs, accurate intelligence and rapid movement, had the good fortune to capture and bring to justice the rebel lea~er TANTIA TOPI­ believed to have been one of the NANA'S chief agents in perpetrating the Cawnpore massacres. His firmness, tact and ju~tice in dealing with the chiefs and people with whom he was brought in contact attracted the notice of the Governor-General, LORD CANNING, who appointed him in 1859, first temporarily then permanently, POLITICAL AGENT AT GWALIOR. Two years afterwards he was advanced to the post of GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S AGENT FOR THE STATES OF CENTRAL INDIA; a most important charge, including, viii INTRODUCTORY . besides the great Maratha States of Gwalior and In­ dore and their subordinate chiefs, the Afghan prin­ cipality of Bhopal (next to Hyderabad the most power­ ful Mussulman State in India) and the Rajput States in Bundelkhand and Rewah-all in a condition more or less disturbed, and some of them but recently the seat of war. Here he completely re-established the pax Bri­ tannica, and maintained it successfully for eight years, without once calling out· the regular troops; settled numberless disputes and several political questions of great delicacy; opened up the country with new roads; established rest-houses and dispensaries; laid the foundations of forest conservancy; advanced educa­ tion and administrative reforms; working, at the same time, with judgment and caution; taking care to have the Chiefs with him in all he did and enjoining the same course on his subordinates. For his success he was decorated with the C.S.I., on the recommendation of SIR JOHN LAWRENCE, and it led to hi~ being selected by LORD MAYO, in 1870, to succeed Mr: .LEWIN BOWRING in the CHIEF COMMISSIONERSHIP of M YSORE, as an officer specially qualified to prepare the province for restoration to native rule. In 1873, while closely engaged in the work en­ trusted to him, he was appointed by LORD NORTHBROOK President of a Commission to inquire into serious charges of maladministration made against MALHAR INTRODUCTORV. ix RAO, Gaekwar of Baroda-the first in rank, if not in power, of all the Maratha Ruling Chiefs; and in 1875 took part in the Chiefs trial for an alleged attempt to poison COLONEL PHAVRE, the British Resident; After the conclusion of the trial, but before the decision was announced, he was appointed to -succeed SIR LEWIS PELLV (whose health had broken down) as SPECIAL COMMISSIONER FOR THE AFFAIRS OF BARODA. In this capacity he carried out the sentence of deposition passed against Malhar Rao, put down a rising at Baroda in his favour, took part in selecting his suc­ cessor, and reorganised the administration on principles which have been followed ever since, to the great benefit of all classes in the State. In recognition of his services on the first Baroda Commission he was created K.C.S.I.; his services as Special Commissioner were publicly acknowledged in the Gazette, and, in November, 1875, he was selected by Lord Northbrook for the office of RESIDENT AT Hv­ DERABAD-the blue ribbon of the political service and then regarded as the .. most important and difficult position in India". Here for five years he ably represented the British Government during a critical period. While firmly maintaining, as in duty bound, the supremacy of the Suzerain Power, and withstanding the assumption of uncontrolled authority by the late Chiefs minister, he strenuously upheld the interests of x INTRODUCTORY. the Hyderabad State and of its Ruler (then a minor), for whom he persisted in securing the benefit of a proper education. Surrounded by intrigue on every side he identified himself with no party in the State, but earned the respect and esteem even of those whose policy and projects it was his duty to oppose.