History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c41.39

Language: English

v2.c41.39.1

Troops continued to be poured into the south-eastern frontier and on the 29th January, Rājā Rāj Nārāyaṇ of Kāśijoṛā was directed to assist the Company's troops proceeding to the frontier station.⁴ To this the latter replied that he would try his best to supply bullocks and coolies.⁵ From letters written by the Governor on the 4th February 1761, it appears that Khush-hāl Chand was now at Katak and that Mr. Burdett had left Balasore after the troubles and had appointed Ghulām Muṣṭafa *munshī* at Balasore. Khūsh-hāl Chand was requested to send his bills to Ghulām Muṣṭafa at Balasore and the latter was directed to raise money locally. He was informed that otherwise money would be sent to him in specie from Calcutta.¹ Mr. Burdett’s departure from Balasore after the troubles created by him brought the Company’s business in Balasore factory to an end. The Nawāb Mīr Qāsim ’Alī Khān was informed on the 5th of February that the Marathas had attacked Mr. Johnstone’s army at Medinipur and two pieces of ordnance had been sent to him.² This is the first recorded instance of an action between the Company’s troops and the Marathas. It refers to Śivarām Bhaṭṭa’s first offensive against the Company for the stoppage of *chauth*. On the 6th letters were written to Murali Rām and Rājā Rāj Nārāyaṇ directing them to remain with Mr.

v2.c41.39.2

Johnson (Johnstone) and on the next day a letter was written to Rājā Jagadānanda³ requesting him to secure his own country from molestation by the Marathas and to pay the revenue to Mr. Johnson. On the 8th a letter was written to Rājā Rāj Nārāyaṇ of Kaśijoṛā requesting him to provide provisions for Mr. Johnson’s army.⁴ On the 10th February, 1761, the Governor informed Mīr Qāsim ’Alī and Rāgmānjī Jāchak that Śivarām Bhaṭṭa attacked Medinipur but retired to Katak on the arrival of the Company's troops. The latter was informed of the Governor's pleasure on hearing that he had directed Sa'adat Khān not to levy customs on the Company's cloth.¹ This is the only recorded narrative of the Maratha invasion of Medinipur in 1760-61. We do not know what was the real position of Rāgmānjī Jāchak or Raghunāthjī Jāchak, because he seems to ignore the Sūbhā Śivarām Bhaṭṭa Sāṭhe. On the 12th of the same month he wrote to the British stating that he has written to Sa'adat Khān not to demand duty on the Company's cloth. At the same time expresses pleasure, perhaps diplomatic, on hearing that the Company's troops have reached Medinipur in spite of the fact that his own troops were worsted in a skirmish.

v2.c41.39.3

He also writes to the Governor requesting him to direct that British troops should not be allowed to create any disturbance.² Very probably Rāgmānjī or Raghunāthjī was an officer at Nagpur and the British kept on flirting with the Central Government of the Bhonsles, while war was going on in the Medinipur with Maratha troops in Orissa. Nawāb Mīr Qāsim 'Alī Khān had written praying for British troops for the defence of Murshidabad. He was informed on the 14th that the Marathas had retired towards Katak. But in consequence of the Nawāb's request troops were sent under Mr. Knox to bar the road from Medinipur.³ On the 15th of the same month Rājā Rāj Nārāyaṇ of Kāśijoṛā was requested to supply labour and provisions to the troops under Major Knox.⁴ On the 17th Rājā Jagadānanda was directed to pay the revenue to Mr. Johnstone, chief of Medinipur. On the same date a complaint was sent to Rājā Rāj Nārāyaṇ about the behaviour of his officers towards Messrs. Johnstone and White. A circular was issued to Rājā Rāj Nārāyaṇ, Rājā Ānanda Lāl and the Na’ib Mahābat Qūli Khān directing them to provide draught animals, labour and provisions for Captain Knox and Dilawar Jang Bahādur, sent to drive out the Marathas.⁴ On the 23rd of the same month the Munshī Ghulām Muṣṭafa received a letter to be forwarded to John Bristow, who was to pay Rs. 100 to the officers of the Durbar for the release of Khūsh-hāl Chand and Rs. 400 as wages to the Company’s servants employed in the postal agency to Madras.

v2.c41.39.4

At the same time Mukund Pandit, Rāgmānjī Jāchak and Śivarām Bhaṭṭa were requested to direct their people to release Khush-hāl Chand as he was but a poor and inoffensive postal agent (dāk munshī). This letter most probably shows the end of hostilities on the Balasore-Medinipur frontier. On the 24th Nawāb Mīr Qāsim ’Alī Khān was informed that Nanda Kumar had been imprisoned, as his treasonable correspondence with the Shāhzādah ’Alī Gauhar (afterwards the Emperor Shāh ’Alam II), Kāmgār Khān and Śivarām Bhaṭṭa had been discovered. On the same day the Nawāb was informed that nothing incriminating had been found among the papers of the old traitor Durlabhrām but that a certain Rājāram had decamped and fled to the Marathas.² On the 8th of March a letter was written to Śivarām upbraiding him for his excesses at Medinīpur and informing him that the Maratha *parganah* of Pataspur had not been spared. He was requested to direct his officers not to create any disturbances.¹ The earliest communication from the Mayurbhañja Rājā on record was received on the 15th of March in which he prayed that some officers may be sent to his State to transact business with him personally and asking for some favour to be shown to Motirām, perhaps his own agent. A reply was sent immediately, professing friendship and informing the Rājāh that he should correspond direct with the governor as all other zamindars were doing.

v2.c41.39.5

On the same date another letter was written to one Murat Nārāyaṇ Das advising him to remain on friendly terms with his neighbourhood and referring to the letter written on the same day to the Rājāh of Mayurbhanj. The name of the Rājā of Mayurbhañja, to whom the letter was addressed, cannot be ascertained but most probably he was Dāmodar Bhañja, who ascended the throne in 1761. On the 17th another letter was written to Śivarām acknowledging receipt of his letter in which he stated that Khūsh-hāl Chand has been released.² In March 1761, one Muḥammad Sādiq was *Faujdār* of Balasore and a letter was written to him on the 22nd informing him that Mr. Bristow had been sent to Balasore to serve as the postal agent. The next day another letter was written to Rāgmānji Jāchak informing him that Śivarām "has a clean heart and no evil intentions" and requesting him to send a discreet person. The Governor informed him that he was also sending a confidential messenger to the former. The English Governor attempted to flirt with Śivarām in a separate letter written to him on the same day.¹ Evidently the Maratha officers in the province of Orissa had become nervous on account of the presence of British troops on their northern frontier at Medinipur and Śivarām seems to have written to the Governor urging their recall.

v2.c41.39.6

To this a reply was sent on the 26th of March informing Śivarām that a breach of peace would be likely if the removal of troops from Medinipur was persistently urged.² Rāgmānjī Jāchak continued to play a difficult part and informed the British in a letter which was received on the 2nd April that the united efforts of the Company and his own self would soon terminate all disturbances.³ Despairing of getting the *chauth* from the provinces of Bengal and Bihar the Marathas seemed to have demanded the *chauth* of Medinipur on account of its being a part of the *Subāh* of Orissa. On the 10th of the same month a letter was written to Śivarām in which he was informed that though Mīr Ja'afar gave up the *chauth* of Katak, whereby perhaps is meant that the *chauth* from Bengal was stopped, Medinipur had been independent of it for a long time and had been made over to the Company for the maintenance of troops. The Marathas should, therefore, give up all claims to *chauth* from the Bengal districts.⁴ The British government in India has not yet considered it opportune to make the letters received from the Maratha officers public, as original letters do not appear in the calendars. Apparantly letters were received both from Jānujī Bhonsle and his officers in Orissa. On the 12th of April a letter was written to Nawāb Mīr Qāsim 'Alī informing him that he had already been instructed about the reply which he was required to send to Jānujī Bhonsle.

v2.c41.39.7

The Nawāb was informed that to evade payment on the plea of the ruinous state of the country might only protract negotiations. He was advised to grant the application of Muṣliḥ-ud-dīn Muḥammad Khān and Gaṅgā Nāik for an agreement so that the disturbances might come to an end and the tenants might remain in tranquility. A broad hint was dropped to the Nawāb in the statement that the Marathas were not strong enough to invade Bengal.¹ Muṣliḥ-ud-dīn Muḥammad had been sent by Jānujī as his representative but we do not know what his application to the Nawāb actually was. It appears that while advising the Nawāb to come to speedy agreement with the Marathas about *chauth*, he was secretly instructed to refuse payment. On the 21st April, Śivarām threatened to invade Bengal if *chauth* was not paid immediately. To this a reply was sent two days later informing him that the Nawāb Qāsim 'Alī had replied to Rāja Jānujī's letter direct and that *as he was no longer the chief of Katak* he had no business to demand *chauth* or to create disturbance in Medinipur.² A letter was now written to Rāgmānjī Jāchak, who appears to have been treacherous to his own people, because the English regarded him as being their friend, but Śivarām as their particular enemy. This letter is to the same effect as that of Śivarām Bhaṭṭa. We do not know what change had come over Śivarām Bhaṭṭa Sāṭhe and what position he now held after being removed from the chiefship of Katak.

v2.c41.39.8

Puri temple records prove that Sivarām was the governor of Orissa till 1764,¹ and this statement is supported by Sardesai, who states that British agents created a suspicion in the weak mind of Jānuji Bhonsle against Sivarām, and the patriotic and loyal chief was deposed for his loyalty to the Bhonsle family and his very just wars against the English in Bengal.² The Rāja of Mayurbhanj was playing a deep and dubious game. He was corresponding direct with the Governor of the presidency of Fort William, as he was a zamindar of the Medinipur district in addition to being a ruling chief in the Orissa Garhjats. On the 24th a letter was written to the Rāja informing him that Mr. Johnstone of Medinipur had been directed to treat him in a friendly manner. Mr. John Bristow, chief of Balasore, was directed on the next day to charge 2 1/2 per cent on all goods for which merchants applied to him for a passport of the English East India Company. On the 28th of April a letter was received from Nawab Mir Qāsim 'Alī Khān, in which the latter states that he will reply to Rāja Jānuji's letter on receipt of instructions from the Governor.³ On the 30th of April 1761, two letters were received from the Rāi Rāyān, in the first of which he wrote to the Governor asking him to write to the chief of Medinipur directing the latter to be careful in the affairs of Jaleswar and to prevent different persons from taking possession of it.

v2.c41.39.9

In the second letter the Rāy Rāyān requested the governor to release the jagirs of Rājā Makaranda Kiśor.¹ A strange letter was addressed to Śivarām on the 4th of May, stating that the Governor "received a letter on the cover of which was a large seal bearing the addressee's name. Believes that the letter was written without his orders and sends it back to him without opening it. Desires him to reprimand the munshis and to chastise severely those who wrote it. Has already informed him that the Nawab has answered Rājā Jānuji's letter concerning the chauth. Is surprised that notwithstanding this, the addressee continues to create disturbances. Tells him that his conduct is bound to bring upon him the Rājā's wrath." On the same date the Rāy Rāyān was informed that the jāgirs of Makaranda Kiśor were confiscated, because he created disturbances and opposed the Company's troops when they went to Medinipur.² Four days later, on the 8th of May another letter was addressed to Śivarām informing him that Mr. John Bristow was appointed to negotiate with him regarding a certain dispute, which is not specified.³ On the 27th of the same month a letter was written to Rāgmānji Jāchak informing him that Mr. John Bristow had been deputed to quell the disturbance in the country between Medinipur and Katak and requesting the former to co-operate with the latter. On the 28th a letter was received from the Nawāb Mir Qāsim 'Ali enquiring whether the Marathas had invaded Burdwan.

v2.c41.39.10

On the same day another letter was sent to one Rahmat Khān, which is a copy of that addressed to Rāgmānji Jāchak on the previous day. On the same day another letter was written to Śivarām regarding his complaint about the arrest of four messengers (gasīds) sent with letters to Calcutta. The arrest was denied and Śivarām informed that Mr. Bristow had been sent to settle the dispute. On the 1st of June Nawāb Mīr Qāsim 'Alī was informed that the report about the Maratha invasion of Bengal was baseless and was spread by Śivarām. This letter also states that troops have been sent to oppose the Marathas.¹ On the 2nd Rāja Jānujī Bhonsle was informed that no reply had been received to the previous letter addressed to him and that a severe famine prevailed in Bengal. The Governor had received a visit from Muṣliḥ-uddīn Muḥammad Khān and hoped that his own envoys would receive favourable attention from the Maratha government.

v2.c41.39.11

Another letter was issued on the same day to Śivarām concerning the chauth in which he was informed that the governor had written to Rāja Jānujī on the subject but no reply had been received and that the Nawāb had been requested to settle the matter shortly with Jānujī's people.² On the 24th of the same month the Rāy Rāyān was informed that Makaranda Kiśor's jagirs would be restored if the latter waited upon the Governor.³ On the 12th of September of the same year the Governor sent a proposal to Nawāb Mīr Qāsim 'Alī Khān for an invasion of Maratha dominions in Katak and Orissa. It is stated that, though Śivarām had agreed to remain within his own jurisdiction, he cannot be trusted as he is likely to invade Bengal as soon as an opportunity presents itself. Therefore, the English Governor thought that it was advisable to chastise Śivarām in such a way as to compel him to make a precipitate retreat. It was proposed at the same time that a *parganah* in Orissa might be assigned for the payment of the Company’s troops who would collect the revenue from Orissa and deliver it to the Nawāb. This is the beginning of the nefarious proposal to invade Orissa in order to stifle the repeated Maratha demands for *chauth*. Just at that moment the English East India Company were strong enough to undertake an invasion of Orissa, as the same letter informs the Nawāb that there is a large number of troops in Calcutta and more are coming from Madras.

v2.c41.39.12

The Bhonsles of Nagpur were certainly correct in demanding twelve lakhs of rupees as the *chauth* of Bengal and Bihar from the Musalman *ṣūbahdār* of these two provinces according to the treaty of 1751. Mir Qāsim ’Alī was as much in the shoes of ’Alīwardī Khān as the latter’s grandson Sirāj-ud-daulah was. His refusal to pay the *chauth* and its countenance by the Governor of Fort William was as much moral and legal as the British refusal to pay the stipulated tribute of twenty-six lakhs to the Emperor Shāh ’Alam II after his departure from Allahabad to Delhi in 1771. The British proposals for the conquest of Orissa¹ were received with great nervousness by the Nawāb, who had already received a foretaste of the treatment he was to expect from his task-masters, the English factors of the East India Company. The Nawāb procrastinated, entered into a long correspondence with the Governor of Fort William about the costs of the expedition and finally agreed. He was informed on the 11th December that Major Karnac was to co-operate with Bū 'Alī Khān in driving Śivarām out of Orissa and on the same date another letter was written to Bū 'Alī Khān to march by way of Birbhum or Bishnupur with expedition.¹ On the 20th of the same month the Nawāb was requested to select a capable person for the Nāibship of Orissa, who was to accompany the Company's troops under Major Carnac.² On the 9th of January 1762 the Nawāb was informed that his letter forbidding the invasion of Katak had been received.

v2.c41.39.13

Therefore at that time Mir Qāsim 'Alī Khān was not prepared to invade Orissa.³ On the 16th of the same month another letter was written to the Nawāb enquiring about the proposed invasion of Orissa. The Governor attempted to excite the Nawāb by stating that the Marathas were now demanding *chauth* for three years and because the Nawāb was not paying the *chauth* it would be a good pretence for them to invade the country. It would be better if the Nawāb, on the other hand, entered Orissa and captured Katak, which was an integral part of his *subahship*. Once Katak was in the occupation of the Nawāb, it would not be easy for the Marathas to make inroads into Bengal. The Governor then advises the Nawāb to pay no *chauth*, to dismiss the *wakils* from Nagpur in a civil manner and to invade Katak without delay. He adds that most probably Jānuji will not make any serious attempt to defend Orissa, but if he does so, English troops joined with the forces of the Nawāb will be able to repell the attack. English troops have been ready for some time to march to Katak.

v2.c41.39.14

The letter ends with a request to the Nawāb to send 1,500 or 2,000 horse into Orissa and to select a Nāib Nāzim.¹ A letter received from Śivarām on the 10th February “declares more emphatically than before that if the *chauth* is not forwarded, a body of troops will march into Bengal to enforce payment of it.”² A reply was sent to this on the 16th acknowledging Śivarām’s letter, demanding the restitution of the goods plundered and the revenue collected from the Maratha *parganahs* of Pataspur and Shāhbandar by British troops. The English Governor replied that the claims must be examined before any restitution was made. On the same date a letter was received from Nawāb Mir Qāsim ’Alī stating that he was also conscious of the advantage that would be derived by driving out the Marathas from Katak, but he entered into details about the cost of the expedition.³ We learn from a letter written on the 2nd of March that Mir Qāsim ’Alī had actually ordered Saiyad Muḥammad Khān with 1,500 horse to accompany English troops and to assign one or two *parganahs* “as a gratuity to the English troops.” The Governor of the English East India Company now replies that it was more for the benefit of the Nawāb that he wanted to conquer Orissa. Formerly the Nawāb thought the conquest of Orissa to be necessary and agreed to bear the costs of the expedition but now he thinks otherwise.

v2.c41.39.15

If in future the Nawāb considers it necessary to drive the Marathas out of Orissa and if he applies to the English for help, then the Company would certainly help him, but as Orissa has been separated from the subahship for a long time and ceded to the Marathas, the Governor will look upon this as a new conquest and the Nawāb will have to pay all expenses of the expedition.¹ On the 19th of the same month the Nawāb enquired what would be the cost of the conquest of Orissa from the Marathas.² On the 1st of April a letter to Saiyad Muḥammad Khān contained the information that the idea of sending troops to Orissa had been deferred. The next day the Nawāb was informed that the cost of 1,000 cavalry and 2,000 Tilangas with 10 pieces of cannon would be Rs. 1,50,000 monthly and as the conquest of Orissa might take three or four months the total cost might amount to five or six lakhs of rupees.³ On the 1st of May Nawāb Mīr Qāsim 'Alī disapproved of the expedition to Orissa. The dispute with the English East India Company and the quarrel with the notorious Mr. Ellis was getting hotter and the short but glorious reign of Mīr Qāsim 'Alī was drawing to a close.⁴ Therefore the earliest proposal for a British invasion of Orissa was dropped.