An arjī of Lokaramaṇa Upādhyāya re the departure of Governor-General Auckland on a tour and the reassignment of the secretaries (VS 1894)
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translated by Manik Bajracharya, Simon Cubelic and Rajan Khatiwoda
Created: 2015-12-20;
Last modified: 2023-07-19
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Abstract
This letter, dated VS 1894, reports about the departure of Governor-General Lord Auckland and Secretary William Hay Macnaghten on a tour and the reassignment of secretaries.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1⟪नं.१२२⟫1अर्जि¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯2उप्रान्तआजविहान१घरिदिनचढदानव़ावगवर्नरजनरलवहादुरउन्कादुवै़वैन्हि
3साहवसिकृटरिमुसाहवहरूसमेत्धुव़ाकाजहाजमासव़ार्भय़ा•१९।१९फएरतो
4पको३वेरकिल्लावाटसलामिभय़ोभागिरथिकामुहानामापानिथोरैहुनाले•
5मुर्सिदावादकोवाटोगएनन्सुन्दर्वन्कोवाटोठुलागंगाजिमानिस्कन्यागरिगय़ा
6उसैदिनएकप्रहर्दिनचढदाअलक्जन्दर्राससाहवऔवलकौसलिनाएवगव़र
7नरभय़ाको१७फएरतोपकोसलामिकिल्लावाटभय़ो•मेगनाटन्साहवसिकृट
8रिर•तावेमेचारकामथिए•उन्मा२काम्पार्सिञान्सिकृटरिएक्र•अदालत्का
9लेषपढकोकामएक•इ•दुवैकामथोपिप्रेन्सिप्साहवजनरलसिकृटरिकासपुर्दभय़ा
10देसावर्काव़कीलहरूसितमुलाकातदर्वारउनैगर्न्याछन्•ज्युटिसिय़रइन्डिय़ररिव्
11नुडिपार्टमिन्टई२काममिंगेलसाहव्कासपुर्दभय़ाईमिंगेलसाहवपनिज्युटिसि
12एलवंगालाकासिकृटरिथिय़ाईन्काजगहमाहलेडिसाहवभर्तिभय़ाअलक्जन्द
13र्राससाहवकौसल्मावस्यापछिषरिताजान्यैछविन्तिचह्राइपठाउलाइतिसम्व
14त्¯¯¯¯¯१८९४¯¯सालमितिकार्तिकवदि¯¯८रोज¯¯७मोकाम्कलकत्ता
15वडिवाजारदर्माहट्टासुभम्¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
16सेवकलोकरमणोपाध्याय़कोवेदोक्तःपु
17राणोक्तःसहश्रकोटिसुभासिर्वादशुभम्¯¯¯¯
Translation
[1r]
Number 1221
Uprānta: this morning, when one ghaḍī into the day had passed, navāba governor-general bahādura, together with both of his sisters2 , the sāhaba secretary (sāhaba sikṛtari)3 and companions (musāhaba) boarded a steamship4 . A salute with 3 rounds of canon firing were made from the fort5 , each with 19 bursts. Since there was little water in the source of the Bhāgirathī [River], they did not take the route via Mursidābāda. [Instead] they took the route through the Sundarbans in order to reach the Mighty Gaṅgā. On the same day, when one prahara into the day had passed, a salute of canon-firing was made from the fort with 17 bursts for Alexander Ross (text: Alakjandar Rāsa) sāhaba6 being appointed as the deputy governor of Hon'ble Council. Macnaghten (text: Meganāṭan) was sāhaba secretary and there were four tasks under his responsibility (tābe). Of the [four] tasks, namely the task of Persian secretary7 and the task of a court clerk (adālatakā lekhapaḍhako kāma)8 were assigned to the general secretary Thoby Prinsep (text: Thopi Prensip) sāhaba9 . He (i.e., Prinsep) will be the one who will arrange court audiences (darbāra) with envoys of foreign countries.10 The two tasks [of] the judicial and revenue departments were assigned to Mangles (text: Miṃgela) sāhaba11 . This same Mangles sāhaba used to be the judicial secretary of Bengal. Halliday (text: Haleḍi) sāhaba12 has been appointed in his place. A kharitā will be sent once Alexander Ross sāhaba begins presiding over the council. I shall humbly send it.
Saturday, 8th of the dark fortnight of Kārttika in the [Vikrama] era year 1894 (1837 CE). Residence: Badi Bazar, Darmāhaṭṭā of Calcutta (text: Kalakattā). Auspiciousness.
A thousand cores of auspicious blessings of [your] servant Lokaramaṇa Upādhyāya as uttered in the Vedas and Purāṇas. Auspiciousness.
Commentary
The document refers to a diplomatic tour to the North-Western Provinces, Governor-General Lord Auckland, his sisters, his secretary W. H. Macnaghten, his private secretary J. R. Colvin and a large entourage undertook at the 20th of October 1837. The tour lasted until March 1840 (cf. Gaughan 2011). From 1831 to 1833 Macnaghten had accompanied Governor-General Lord William Bentinck on a tour with the same destination and was therefore the ideal candidate for Auckland (cf. Anonymous 1845: 483). After his return in 1833, Macnaghten was appointed as secretary of the Secret and Political Departments of India in Calcutta. From the Civil List of the Bengal Directory and Annual Register 1838 (cf. Anonymous 1838: 58) we know, that he held the position of the secretary of the Judicial and Revenue Departments as well. Consequently, Macnaghten's departure lead to several changes in governmental positions. Henry Thoby Prinsep, who was deputy secretary in the Secret and Political Departments, took over Macnaghten's duties at this office, while Ron Donelly Mangles was entrusted with the Judicial and Revenue Departments. In turn, Mangles, who had before been secretary of the Judicial and Revenue Departmens of Bengal, was replaced by Frederick James Halliday. Lokaramaṇa's account conforms to a great extent with the British colonial sources, even though it is not entirely clear whether the tasks of "Persian secretary" and of the "court clerk" Lokaramaṇa speaks of are descriptions of Macnaghten's duties in the Secret and Political Departments or whether they refer to other positions he held.
This document has been published in Bajracharya/Cubelic/Khatiwoda 2016 (VS 2072): 127–128 and 133.