Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c55.s10: § 11. George Thomas creates an independent principality in Hariānā
Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c55.s10
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§ 11. George Thomas creates an independent principality in Hariānā
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Up to the end of 1797, George Thomas had been a regular servant of some lawful authority or other. But when Āpā Khāndé Rāo's successor terminated his services, Thomas became a private robber-captain for his living. As H. Compton writes, "Thrown solely on his own resources, Thomas became a free-booter pure and simple. He began to support himself by filibustering raids on the towns and villages of his neighbours, without any regard whatever for the elementary laws of property." In the intervals of his personal raids, he and his band of ruffians hired themselves out to any party that would pay them.
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As the base for such a rover's life, he chose the Noman's Land west of the Rewāri—Delhi—Karnāl districts and south of Patiālā, which bore the name of Hariānā, with the city and fort of Hānsi for his capital. Here he established what his biographers have called by the hyperbolical name of a kingdom, though it had only half the revenue of an average faujdāri or district in a province of the Mughal empire.
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The tract of land under the rule of George Thomas was oval in shape, with ill-defined and ever-shifting frontiers. It extended 32 to 48 miles in different directions. On the north lay the Ghaghar river which separated it from the lands under Sikh occupation; on the west the country of the predatory Bhāti tribe, beyond which lay the deserts of Bikāner. The south was bounded by the Rewāri district. In most parts of this tract, water is scarce. Hence the inhabitants have constructed wells, often 120 to 150 or even 200 feet deep. In the Hissār district there are 300 such wells.
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The northern part of Hariānā owes its life to the Ghaghar river, which remains lost in sand during nine months of the year, but overflows during the rainy season and spreads over the soil a rich fertilizing loam washed down from the Himālayan foot-hills, which yields an abundant crop of the finest wheat. The south and west parts are dry and the water has to be drawn up from very deep wells, because the rainfall is scanty and drought is frequent. Here in good seasons, they grow millets, pulse, barley and rice. But "the pasturage is uncommonly luxuriant. . . . The grass of Hariānā is of a superior quality, both as to wholesomeness and nourishment. Hence the cattle excel those of other parts." Even today the Hissār breed of bulls and cows is famous throughout India.
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After the autumn harvest has been gathered in, for seven months of the year the country presents an arid brown sandy surface to the eye, unrelieved by a single bush or tree. But as soon as the first showers of the monsoon begin to fall, within four days a magical transformation takes place; one morning the face of the country is suddenly seen to be covered with a soft green carpet stretching up to the horizon, from the sprouting plants. Hence it has been called Hariānā, or the Green country.
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This tract has been the battle ground of successive hordes of invaders for ten centuries or more, and as the tide of conquest has rolled away eastwards to Delhi or southwards to Rajasthan, Hariānā itself has been left uncared for and undefended as a very poor possession. This history has moulded the character of the people: "The natives of Hariānā, for a succession of ages having been in a constant state of warfare, possess great personal bravery: they are expert in the use of arms; but though brave they are in disposition cruel, treacherous and vindictive."
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The inhabitants of the town of Kānhori, where the "best and bravest men of Hariānā" lived, were "notorious for their thievish depredations." Men of this stamp were exactly suited to act as the retainers and plundering assistants of a bandit-army like that of George Thomas, just as the Pindhari looters followed the regular Marātha armies without pay but on condition of being allowed to live by plundering the enemy. So, he attached a band 200 of them to his brigade, to keep them out of mischief. Like master, like man. [Francklin, 122-133. Hissar Dist. Gaz.]
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Early in 1798, Thomas occupied Hānsi, and after a short sharp attack on Kānhori, gained possession of the whole southern portion of Hariānā, gradually extending his rule northwards to the Ghaghar river and northwards to the Bhāti frontier. At its best his new principality contained 14 parganas consisting of 253 villages, with a nominal rent roll of Rs. 2,86,000. In addition, he held from the Marāthas on service-tenure five parganas consisting of 151 villages and a nominal revenue of Rs. 1,44,000; these were Jhajhar, Bairi, Mandauti, Pataudi and Badli.
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§ 12. George Thomas lives by plunder
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Returning from the Jaipur expedition in April 1798, George Thomas established himself in the ancient and dilapidated town of Hānsi in the centre of Hariānā, remodelling and strengthening its ruined fort, and repairing the defensive wall of the city that lay at its foot (May). His gentle and just rule over his subjects and his manifest power to protect them from outside spoliators, soon repeopled that deserted town, and its population rose to 6,000 souls under his care. Here he established a mint and coined his own rupees (*sikka-i-ṣāhib*, anno hijeri 1214.) "I cast my own artillery, commenced making muskets, matchlocks and powder," as he wrote.
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In September he made a predatory incursion into Bikāner territory, stormed the fortified city of Jaitpur and plundered the places on the way. The Raja Surat Singh bought him off by paying one lakh. With these resources he trebled his original force of two battalions of infantry and 1,000 horse, and added more pieces of cannon. His power was feared and his aid courted by the great potentates in the neighbourhood. George Thomas's greatest asset was his character as a bold determined fighter and a born leader of men. But he lived solely by plunder and his resources in men and money* were too poor for any substantial or enduring conquest. In fact, his power and achievement have been greatly exaggerated by his European biographers. Even against the Sikhs, he was invincible only when opposed by their small disunited bands, because they had nothing to oppose to his artillery. But when a national danger drew most of the Sikh sardārs together, Thomas found himself speedily enveloped by their hordes and was starved into a hurried retreat. Against a disciplined opponent he could make no stand. But in one respect George Thomas stands conspicuously apart from the other European military adventurers in India. In the independent career of his last four years, he cut himself off from every civilized base—such as the English and French condottieri captains had in India. He worked in isolation with only one other European (Morris)* in his corps. Hence, the whole fabric of his army and "kingdom" rested solely on his personality. We must admit, though, that that personality was worthy of the age of the Spanish Conquistadores of the New World.
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∗ In De Boigne's corps a single infantry battalion (416 rank and file), cost Rs. 40,800 a year in salary only, excluding the pay of the two European commanders and the cost of the pieces of artillery attached to each battalion. Add to the amount the pay and allowances of an Indian commandant, and a battalion could not have cost G. Thomas less than Rs. 43,200 a year. Thus, three battalions and his artillery would have swallowed up two lakhs of Rupees, which was probably the utmost he ever actually realised from his Hariānā *jāgir*, with a rent roll of Rs. 2,86,000 on paper but never collected peacefully.