History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c45.6

v2.c45.6

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.