to writ of habeas corpus between

A.D. 1829. receive the commands of those high authorities to which we are subject, we inform you of them, and we do most anxiously hope that the considerations Question as we have before stated may lead you to limit yourselves to those protests and appeals against our conduct in the cases specified that you may consider it your government duty to make, as any other conduct must, for reasons already stated, prove and supreme deeply injurious to the public interests, and can, under the resolution taken and avowed by government, produce no result favourable either to the immediate or future establishment of the extended jurisdiction you have claimed. A very short period will elapse before an answer is received to the full and urgent reference we have made upon this subject; and we must again express our hope, that even the obligations under which we are sensible you act, are not so imperative as to impel you to proceedings which the government has thus explicitly stated its resolution to oppose."

court of

Bombay.

Appeal to the privy council.

This letter, so far from effecting its object, appears only to have exasperated Sir John Peter Grant, who having now, by the demise of his colleagues, been left to the guidance of no better judgment than his own, took the very extraordinary step of closing the court, on the ground that it was useless to keep it open while he was prevented from enforcing his decisions. The governor in council immediately issued a proclamation declaring his determination to protect the persons and property of the inhabitants of Bombay, and calling upon all classes to assist in alleviating the evils which the closing of the court could not fail to produce. The judge seems now to have shrunk from the consequences of his own rashness, and submitted to the humiliation of again opening the court, after he had kept it closed from the 21st of April to the 17th of June, 1829. Some attempt was made to obtain the interference of the supreme government, but as the point in dispute had been brought under the notice of the privy council by Sir John Peter Grant's petition, it was deemed advisable in the meantime to let this appeal take its course. On the 14th of May, 1829, the points were argued before the privy council, and on the 10th of June, the lords reported their opinion to his majesty in the following terms: "That the writs of habeas corpus were improperly issued in the two cases referred to in the said petition. That the supreme court has no power or authority to issue a writ of habeas corpus, except when directed either to a person resident within those local limits wherein such a court has a general jurisdiction, or to a person out of such local limits, who is personally subject to the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the supreme court. That the supreme court has no power or authority to issue a writ of habeas corpus to the jailer or officer of a native court as such officer, the supreme court having no power to discharge persons imprisoned under the authority of a native court. That the supreme court is bound to notice the jurisdiction of the native court, without having the same specially set forth in the return to a writ of habeas corpus." It was thus authoritatively and finally determined that the supreme court of Bombay had entirely mistaken

the limits of their jurisdiction, and with equal rashness and ignorance endea- A.D. 1881. voured to substitute mere tyranny for law.

ances in

Though the general peace of India remained unbroken during Lord William Disturb Bentinck's administration, disturbances more or less threatening took place in various various localities. Calcutta itself was alarmed by a tumult in its immediate quarters, vicinity. It originated with some professed followers of a fanatical Mahometan of the name of Syed Ahmed, who from being a trooper in the service of Ameer Khan, assumed the character of a religious reformer, and declared his determination to purify Islamism from all the corruptions which had been engrafted upon it by the Shiites or followers of Ali. Though himself illiterate, he managed to gain learned adherents, and soon mustered so strong in the Punjab as to become formidable to the Sikhs. Having added to his reputed sanctity by a pilgrimage to Mecca, and returned by way of Calcutta to the Upper provinces, he reappeared in the Punjab in 1826, and proclaimed a holy war. Numbers flocked to him from Delhi, Lucknow, and the other principal seats of Mahometanism in India, and he was able to take the field at the head of nearly 40,000 men. For a time enthusiasm supplied the want of discipline, but Runjeet Sing with his Sikhs ultimately prevailed, and the contest in the Punjab was terminated by the defeat and death of Syed Ahmed in 1831. His sect however had taken deep root, and having lost none of its fanaticism, had rendered itself extremely obnoxious both to Mahometans and Hindoos by violent opposition to various practices which it stigmatized as impure. Recrimination necessarily was pro- Violent provoked, and fierce quarrels, sometimes attended with bloodshed, ensued. One of a fanatical these not undeserving of notice took place at Baraset, about fifteen miles north- Calcutta. east of Calcutta. A considerable body of the sect had here established themselves, and fallen into deadly feud with the rest of the inhabitants. As both parties were ready for an open rupture, an occasion soon occurred. In some petty quarrel the zemindars had taken part against the followers of Syed Ahmed, and were in consequence charged before the magistrate with partiality. Either thinking that justice was denied them, or being too impatient to wait for it, they took the remedy into their own hand, and in 1831, placing themselves under the leadership of a fakir of the name of Titoo Miya, they issued forth, and commenced a religious war against Hindooism. Having polluted a temple by besprinkling it with the blood of a cow which they had killed, and then destroyed the temple, they forthwith proceeded to what were considered still greater enormities, by maltreating Brahmins and forcing them to swallow beef. Thus once committed they set no limits to their audacity, pillaging and burning down villages, and putting to death without mercy all persons who resisted, or were in any way obnoxious to them. The civil power having in vain endeavoured to restore tranquillity, two native regiments and a party of horse marched against them, and came up with them in an open plain near Hooghly. Here they had constructed a stockade, behind which, after being

ceedings of

sect near

A.D. 1829. driven from the field, they retired, and defended themselves with desperate courage, till about 100 of them were killed, and 250 taken prisoners. The rest dispersed, and though they made several attempts to rally, were too much. intimidated to hazard a new conflict. They still however count numerous followers among the more educated Mahometans of India, and having lost none of their original fanaticism, are as ready as ever, should a favourable opportunity occur, to propagate their tenets by the sword.

Excesses of Syed Ahmed's followers

suppressed.

Disturb

ances in Assam.

Disturb.

ances in the

Along the eastern frontier in Assam, and the provinces recently wrested from the Burmese, serious disturbances occurred. A body of mountaineers of the name of Singphos, having crossed the mountains on the north-east, entered Assam in the beginning of 1830 to the number of nearly 3000, and before they could be checked committed great depredations. Their main objects seemed to be to carry off the Assamese as slaves and enrich themselves with

plunder. When once encountered they were incapable of offering much resistance, as they were mere hordes of savages, rudely armed, and totally undisciplined. Their presence, however, gave encouragement to other disaffected tribes, and an attempt was made to surprise the British station at Rungpoor. It did not succeed; but the frequent repetition of incursions at last induced government to attempt a more effectual remedy, by reinstating an ex-rajah in part of his sovereignty, on condition of keeping down disturbance, and paying a certain amount of tribute. Still further to the south, among the Kasya Hills, an insurrection accom

panied with circumstances of great atrocity broke out. Nungklow, situated Kasya Hills. about half-way between Sylhet and Assam, had been obtained by the

Company by amicable arrangement from Tirat Sing, who was supposed to be the chief of the Kasyas, for the purpose of converting it into a sanatory station, for which it seemed well adapted by its climate and its elevation of 5000 feet above the level of the sea. With this view, and also to open up a communication between Sylhet and Assam, a series of roads across the hills had been commenced. These proceedings gave great offence to the mountaineers. They feared for their independence, and they complained that Tirat Sing, who was only one of a number of chiefs, had disposed of part of the common territory without consulting the others. It was therefore determined to recover by force the district which had thus been improperly alienated, and in April, 1829, a large body of Kasyas, headed by Tirat Sing and other chiefs,

ances in the

and the

Tenasserim

suddenly made their appearance before Nungklow. Lieutenant Bedingfield, A.D. 1829. who, with Lieutenant Burlton, Mr. Bowman, and four sepoys, were the only persons resident in the Company's service, having been invited to a conference, Disturbset out without suspicion, but the moment he arrived was barbarously mur- Kasya Hills dered. The rest of his party, after gallantly defending themselves in the house which they occupied, shared his fate, with the exception of one sepoy who provinces. escaped. A desultory warfare ensued, and lasted with little interruption to the end of 1832, when the chiefs made their submission, and Tirat Sing was sent off as a state prisoner to Dacca. In Jyntea and Kachar several attempts by the native chiefs to throw off the British yoke only had the effect of riveting it more firmly. In the Tenasserim provinces some of the ousted Burmese governors, tempted by the smallness of the British force left for their protection, entered into a conspiracy to seize the towns of Tavoy and Mergui. At first it was successful. At Tavoy, Mung-da the former Burmese governor appeared at the head of 500 men, and compelling the small party of Madras infantry to whom it had been intrusted to retreat to the wharf, gained possession of the town. At Mergui, possession was gained still more easily, the British officer in charge of about 50 sepoys retiring without risking an encounter. These successes of the insurgents were short-lived, and they only waited the arrival of British reinforcements to resign the contest and make their submission. Tranquillity, however, was still doubtful, as it was well known that the ex-governor of Martaban was at the bottom of the conspiracy, and watching an opportunity to renew it. Fortunately his proceedings had rendered him obnoxious to the Burmese government, and he was murdered in the midst of his plots by order of the viceroy of Rangoon.

These insurrections were doubtless encouraged by the extent to which government, in its anxiety to meet the wishes of the directors on the subject of retrenchment, had carried the reduction of its military establishments. The same cause, of course, operated in various quarters, and produced its bitter fruits in other districts than those which had been recently conquered. Towards the end of 1829 the agricultural Koles inhabiting the district of Sumbulpoor, through which the Mahanuddy flows, being dissatisfied with the conduct of their ranee or queen, who had rendered herself obnoxious by dismissing all the relatives of her late husband from their offices and conferring them on her own immediate kindred, rose in rebellion, and were with difficulty prevented from marching on the capital. Peace was only restored by the interference of the British agent, and the deposition of the ranee, who had shown herself devoid of the prudence and vigour necessary for the government of her barbarous subjects. No sooner was this rebellion quelled than disturbances of a more formidable character broke out among a number of petty tributaries of the Company, occupying the wild tract situated between the sources of the Nerbudda on the west, and the Bengal districts of Burdwan and Midnapoor on the

Insurrection

of the Koles.

Disturbances in

poor.

A.D. 1829. east, and usually included under the general designation of Chota Nagpoor. Its aboriginal inhabitants consisted chiefly of wild tribes of Koles and Dangas. who lived like savages, and subsisted in great measure on the chase; but in the Chota Nag- lower plains, and the districts directly under British authority, agriculture was generally practised both by the native inhabitants and a large number of new settlers, who had been induced by the zemindars to come from Bengal and Behar. These new settlers were not unnaturally regarded with jealousy by the aborigines, many of whom had been dispossessed of their lands to make way for them. The more regular form of government established by the Company was also very obnoxious to the chiefs, who found their wild freedom of action. restrained by it, and thus, both chiefs and people having causes of discontent, an almost universal rising suddenly took place. Its fury was at first directed against the emigrants. Their fields were laid waste, their villages burned, and nearly a thousand of them were barbarously murdered. The interference of the British was tardier than it ought to have been, and the insurgents had mustered in thousands before any decided attempt was made to check them. This was the more to be lamented, as the feeble resistance which they afterwards made proved how easily they might have been put down at first by more rapid and energetic movements. Owing to the want of these, similar risings took place in various adjacent districts, and were not suppressed without serious bloodshed.

Disturbances in

Mysore.

The presidency of Madras had also its full share of disturbance. The establishment of the ancient kingdom of Mysore by the Marquis of Wellesley had been regarded as a measure of very questionable policy, but the evils apprehended were not realized so long as the administration was conducted by Purnea, under whom the country attained a high degree of prosperity. On his retirement in 1811 a sudden change took place. The rajah, determined to be his own master, conferred the office of dewan on Linga Raj, one of his own creatures, who possessed neither talents nor influence; alienated large portions of his revenue to Brahmins, who took advantage of his superstitious veneration for them; and squandered the hoards which Purnea had accumulated, by lavishing them on unworthy favourites. Financial embarrassments necessarily followed, and the people, who had formerly been contented and happy, began to groan under the burden of immoderate exactions. To prevent the foreseen consequences of such a system, the Madras government repeatedly remonstrated with the rajah, and in 1825 Sir Thomas Monro made a visit to Mysore, for the purpose of enforcing the necessary measures of reform. He received abundance of promises, but as soon as he departed, all idea of performance was abandoned, and misgovernment in many of its worst forms began to produce its usual results. The collectors persisting in their exactions were resisted, and not unfrequently murdered by the ryots, and an insurrectionary spirit was excited, which, while the rajah looked on helplessly, threatened to carry disturbance