History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c45: Appendix V. Bengalis and Early British Administration
History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c45
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Appendix V. Bengalis and Early British Administration
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Jadab Chandra Chatterji, the father of the celebrated Bengali *Litterateur*, wrote a very short autobiography, which has been published in recent times by his grandson, Mr. Sachish Chandra Chatterji, in the now defunct Bengali magazine, *Sahitya*. Unfortunately the editor of this autobiography could not read his grandfather's crabbed hand-writing and has left out certain portions. This short account is full of first-hand information about early British misrule and the tyranny of Bengali petty officials in Orissa. Jadab Chandra was born on the 18th Pausha 1201 B. S. (December 1794). He ran away to Orissa at the age of sixteen, where his elder brother was already in Government service at Bhadrak. At the age of 18, Jadab Chandra was appointed in place of his brother as *Darogha* of the Salt-Excise Office at Jajpur. Jadab Chandra states that he was eighteen in 1817 and also that he was born in B. S. 1201. The date of his birth is correct, because towards the end of the account he states that his age was 79 on the 15th of Vaisakha 1279 B. S. but the Bengali *San* began in 597-98 A. D. and therefore his age must have been 23 when he received his first appointment on the 2nd January 1817. He remained in service at Jajpur till the 15th November 1821. In this year he was transferred to Balihanta. There is a gap in the autobiography on account of the whim of the editor, which is exceedingly unfortunate, as the subsequent portions are full of accounts of the dishonesty of Bengali officials of the Salt Department of Orissa.
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When Bishnumohan Mitra, the officer-in-charge of the retail godown of salt in Bhadrak, was removed from his post on account of dishonesty, Jadab Chandra was appointed to that charge by Charles Becher, the Agent of the Honourable East India Company for Salt in Orissa. Some time after his appointment Orissa was divided into three districts and Bhadrak came to be included in the district of Balasore. Sir John Downey became the Agent of the Salt Department of Balasore and a Musalman named Askari Fekrat became his *Diwan* (Manager). The name Askari Fekrat cannot be identified, but we can glean from the subsequent narrative that he was a Musalman. Askari is a Musalman name, but the correct form of Fekrat cannot be determined. Evidently Mr. Sachish Chandra Chatterji could not read this part of the manuscript. The Bhadrak retail godown being a very remunerative place, Askari Fekrat appointed his own brother to that charge and dismissed Jadab Chandra. Jadab Chandra had seven or eight thousand rupees of Government cash in his charge. When he was making over this amount to his successor, he noticed that the new *Darogha* was keeping count by counting the beads of his rosary (*Tasbih*) and instead of signing the charge sheet used his seal. These two incidents prove that the brother of *Diwan* Askari Fekrat was illiterate.
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In 1823 Jadab Chandra was appointed *Darogha* of Salt at Saratha by Mr. William Bellent, where he served for a year. He was transferred to Dasmalang in 1824 and to another place in 1825. At this time another Bengali worthy, named Brajamohan Ghoshal, was the *Diwan* of the Salt Department. Jadab Chandra states that, unable to bear his tyrrany, he resigned and returned to Bengal but Sir John Downey recalled him and appointed him Salt *Darogha* of Malang. He served at this station till 1834. Then Mr. Henry Rickett was Collector of Balasore. The dishonesty of Brajamohan Ghoshal and other officers became notorious, Sir John Downey was transferred, because he was a white man, Brajamohan Ghoshal was placed on suspension and about six hundred officials, mostly Bengalis, were accused of dishonesty and dismissed from service. Another Bengali, named Brajananda Das, was appointed Dewan of the Salt Department. Mr. Henry Rickett became the Agent of the Salt Department and Jadab Chandra was called upon to stand his trial at Balasore. That Jadab Chandra Chatterji was not free from blame is apparent from his autobiography. The labourers of the salt Cotaurs under him received sixteen maunds of salt for consumption which they sold with his connivance. It was a grave offence in consideration of the fact that salt was a State monopoly. Jadab Chandra tried his best to justify his conduct by stating the poverty of the labourers in the Salt Pans. They were very poor and lived throughout the year on rice, salt water crab and some greens. Jadab Chandra stated that the money which they obtained by the illicit sale of salt sufficed to pay the rent of their land, which they cultivated for four months in the year. He admitted that he issued passports to places where salt was very dear so that his labourers might obtain a little extra profit. His candidness and popularity with his labourers saved him and Rickett promoted him. In 1836 Jadab Chandra was appointed treasurer of the Collectorate of Medinipur and in 1838 was appointed a Deputy Magistrate. Henceforth his connection with Orissa proper ceased.¹
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¹ Sahitya, Vol, XXIII (B. S. 1319), pp. 130-38.
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The short autobiography of Jadab Chandra Chatterji is extremely valuable as a contemporary record of early British misrule in Orissa, the dishonesty and incompetence of Bengali subordinates when Western Education had not spread and the Oriya was practically uneducated. Embezzlements and fraud were common and among the ministerial establishments there were very few Musalmans and fewer Oriyas. The Bengali predominated and such Bengalis as served in Orissa up to 1838 were mostly of the type made notorious by Macaulay. Before the spread of Western Education the Oriya was more caste-ridden than ever and entirely subservient to the priest-hood, who spread the idea that Western Education would entail loss of caste and a special purgatory. Even the English administrators of Orissa were not much better than their Bengali minions, as proved by the transfer of Sir John Downey from the Salt Agentship of Balasore after the embezzlement of Brajamohan Ghoshal and the treasurer of the Collectorate of Medinipur under Mr. Stenforth, who was also transferred immediately afterwards.
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[Figure: Jagamohana of the Liṅgarāja—View from North Bhuvanēśvara—Puri District]