The Generals

Chapter 56

‘I am honoured, sahib.’ Purneah bowed his head. ‘But why ask me?’

‘For a number of reasons,’ Arthur replied. ‘You have a reputation for honesty, and plenty of administrative experience. You speak many languages fluently.’

‘Not least of all, English,’ Henry added with a smile. ‘And you were a loyal servant of Tipoo.’

Purneah bowed his head for a moment at the memory of his former ruler. ‘Which will make me appear not to be some kind of British placeman, in the eyes of my people.’

‘Precisely,’ said Henry, and turned to Arthur. ‘As bright as a button, just as you said.’

Arthur winced at his brother’s words. From the previous occasions when he had met Purneah he had come to realise the quality of the man, and now was embarrassed by Henry’s gauche manner and quickly attempted to gloss over it.

‘I would be honoured if you accepted the post of dewan, and worked with me in making Mysore into a peaceful and proud kingdom.’ Arthur leaned forward and looked at the man frankly. ‘Will you accept?’

Purneah’s dark eyes gazed back, and then he nodded. ‘Very well, I will accept. However, I imagine there will be conditions attached to the powers I will have at my disposal.’

‘Naturally,’ replied Henry. ‘We did not fight a war against Tipoo just to have another enemy rise up in his place. As with other territories allied to Britain, you will be required to have a resident here.The man the Governor General has chosen for the post is Barry Close. He’s an old India hand; I’m sure you will have excellent relations with him. In addition, Arthur will be required to remain in Mysore as military governor until the remnants of Tipoo’s warriors are dealt with, and the widespread banditry is suppressed. Once that has been achieved most of the British forces will be withdrawn. Even so, there will need to be a permanent garrison of Company troops in Seringapatam, to ensure the security of Mysore.That means the new Raja will not have need of a standing army. Of course, you will be required to pay for the upkeep of the soldiers.’

‘And who will these soldiers answer to?’

‘The Raja, in the first instance, but the ultimate decision on issues relating to their deployment and use will be a matter for the East India Company.’

‘Ah.’ Purneah smiled. ‘So, in other words, we will bear the costs of our own occupation.’

‘You could express it that way,’ Henry admitted. ‘But the presence of a Company garrison in Mysore will guarantee its security from outside invasion.’

‘As long as there’s a profit in it for the Company.’

Arthur shook his head. ‘That attitude belongs to the past.The British interest in India has reached a stage where we can no longer simply regard this continent as a trading post. We have an obligation to ensure that India is ruled wisely, in the interests of all its peoples. In that way everyone can profit from the arrangement, even the East India Company,’ he added with a wry smile.

‘Such idealism would be welcome,’ Purneah replied, and continued in an ironic tone, ‘and, of course, it would have the additional benefit, for Britain and the East India Company at least, of keeping French interests at bay.’

‘Yes, it would. Let’s not be coy about this. If Britain did not move to establish herself in India, then another European power would step in without hesitation. It is not a choice between independence and submission to Britain, but merely a choice between which power Mysore accepts as its overlord. From that point of view, it is my belief that it is in the best interests of the people of Mysore to bind their future to that of Britain.’ Arthur paused to let his words have their effect, then continued. ‘There is another aspect you need to consider. In the past, I grant that the representatives of the East India Company have not always conducted their business with sufficient rectitude.’

‘That has been noticed.’ Purneah smiled.

‘I’m sure. But that must and will change now that the administration of India is conducted by the British government and not the Company. Corruption and lawlessness will no longer be tolerated. That applies to Europeans as much as the natives of this continent. However, if this new order is to be made to work your people need to embrace the same values.’ Arthur looked at Purneah earnestly. ‘That is what I ask of you, and what you must ask of the people you appoint to serve in the government of Mysore.’

‘I see,’ Purneah said doubtfully.‘I will do all that I can to work successfully with you, sahib, but the people will need proof that you really mean what you say about this new order.’

‘Very well, then you shall have it,’ Arthur replied, then turned to Henry. ‘I assume that I will have the full backing of the Governor General with regard to any measures I take in this respect?’

‘Yes,’ Henry said solemnly. ‘Richard made that quite clear when he briefed me before I left Madras.’

Arthur nodded with satisfaction.

Once Henry had gathered enough information to present a detailed report on the situation in Mysore he returned to Madras to present his findings to Richard. Shortly afterwards General Harris re-formed his army, less the contingent left behind in Seringapatam, and with the host of camp followers retraced his steps to Vellore. The moment he quit the borders of Mysore, Arthur assumed full military and political authority in the new province. His first priority was to win the trust of Purneah and the people of Seringapatam, and not long after his appointment the opportunity arose.

From the outset, Arthur made it clear to his officers and officials of the Company that there had been too many beatings of Indians on the flimsiest of pretexts. He had witnessed Europeans thrashing water-carriers for being too slow in their duties, or even for failing to understand an instruction.They had been beaten with a wanton cruelty that would not have been tolerated if it had been given to a dumb animal back in England. In future, Arthur ordered, all such beatings would result in disciplinary action and the victims would be paid damages. His decree was met by vocal resentment amongst the officers of the Company battalions, who had grown accustomed to casual brutality after long years of service in India. Then, one day, Purneah came to the Dowlut Baugh in the company of a native woman. As soon as Fitzroy announced their arrival Arthur had them admitted to his office, bowing his head respectfully to each in turn.

‘How may I help?’

Purneah indicated the woman. ‘Sahib, this is the widow of Basur, a goldsmith who was one of General Harris’s camp followers. He died of his injuries last month. She wants justice.’

‘Injuries?’ Arthur raised his eyebrows.

‘He was attacked by a customer for failing to deliver a commissioned piece on time,’ Purneah explained. ‘He had been ill, and could not work for several days.When he returned to his workshop, the English officer who had paid for the piece was there. He was angry, very angry, sahib, and picked up one of Basur’s tools - a mallet - and began to beat him with it. Only when Basur was insensible did the man stop and leave the workshop.’ He nodded to the woman.‘His wife found him there when he did not return home at the end of the day. There was not much that could be done for him and he died a few days later.’

Arthur felt sick, before he felt fury at the officer who had done this. He called out for Fitzroy and when his aide entered the office, he instructed him to take notes, before turning his attention back to Purneah.

‘What is the name of this officer?’

‘Lieutenant William Dodd, of the East India Company, sahib.’

Arthur vaguely recalled the name, but could not put a face to him. He spoke to the woman. ‘Do you know which battalion Lieutenant Dodd belonged to?’

She glanced up quickly, momentarily surprised to be addressed in her own tongue by a white man, then her gaze dropped again and her hands picked at the folds of her sari as she replied. ‘Yes, sahib. After the attack I complained to the colonel. He said he would investigate. Then, two days ago, I heard that Dodd sahib had had his pay suspended for six months.’ She looked up again, and Arthur saw that tears were flowing down her cheeks. Her lips trembled as she continued. ‘Six months pay, sahib, that is all Basur’s life was worth . . . Now I have no husband; the children have no father. We want justice,’ she concluded defiantly.

‘I understand.’ Arthur nodded, rising to his feet. ‘And I thank you for bringing this to my attention.You have my word that it will be dealt with at once.’

His guests stood up and Purneah spoke softly to the woman. She nodded and bowed to Arthur and turned and walked out of the office. When the door had closed behind her Purneah fixed Arthur with a penetrating stare. ‘Sahib, this is a most serious situation.Word of this killing has filled the markets and streets of the city. The people are watching and waiting to see how much weight the promises of Wellesley sahib carry.’

‘I am aware of the gravity of the offence,’ Arthur replied formally. ‘And it will be dealt with according to the law.’

Purneah gazed at him a moment, before bowing and leaving the office.

Arthur turned to his aide. ‘Find out which battalion Dodd is in, and then I want to see both him and his colonel, at once.’

It was late in the evening before Fitzroy returned to the Dowlut Baugh with the two Company officers. Arthur was watching the gravel drive from his office window and saw them approaching the palace. Several hours had passed since he summoned them and the initial anger he had felt had given way to a cold, calm determination to make this man Dodd pay for his crime. He returned to his desk and waited until the sound of boots echoed down the corridor outside his office. They stopped and at once there was a rap on the door.

‘Come!’

Fitzroy led the way, stood aside to let the officers pass, closed the door behind them, and then took his place at the smaller desk to the side of the office to take notes. Arthur did not speak for a moment as he stared at the two Company officers. The colonel he already knew: Sanderson, who had served over two decades in India, and had eight years of service as a regular back in Britain before that. He was heavily built, with a bright red complexion that told of a fondness for spirits. Beside him stood a younger man, of approximately the same age as Arthur, he guessed. Dodd was tall and slender, with cropped blond hair and brilliant blue eyes. Handsome would be the word for him, Arthur mused. It was clear that he had been drinking as well, and that he was one of those men for whom the only effect of alcohol was to render them bitter and cruel.

‘Fitzroy, where did you find them?’

‘At the Company’s officers’ mess, sir.’

‘So I can see.’Arthur interlaced his fingers on the desk in front of him. ‘Now then, gentlemen, it seems you are both at the heart of a miscarriage of justice.’

‘Miscarriage of justice?’ Sanderson feigned surprise. ‘Sir, I don’t know—’

‘Quiet!’Arthur snapped.‘You will be silent, sir, until I give you leave to speak.’

Sanderson opened his mouth with an angry expression, thought better of it and clamped it shut. Dodd just gave a small bitter smile, that quickly vanished like a wisp of smoke.

‘I was visited today by the dewan, in the company of a woman. She claims that Dodd killed her husband, and that when you were asked to investigate the matter you merely suspended the lieutenant’s pay for six months. Is that true?’

Sanderson shrugged. ‘Yes, sir.’

‘In which case was that suspension based upon finding the lieutenant guilty of the charge?’

Sanderson glanced sidelong at his subordinate. Arthur slapped his hand down on the desk. ‘Don’t look at him! Answer me!’

Sanderson’s eyes steadied on the wall behind Arthur’s head and he shuffled to attention.‘I decided on the evidence presented to me that Dodd was guilty of a serious misdemeanour that might bring disrepute to the reputation of the Company, sir.’

‘A serious misdemeanour,’Arthur repeated coldly.‘Is that what a brutal, cold-blooded murder is?’

‘Murder, sir?’ Sanderson shook his head. ‘He simply beat a fellow for failing to provide a service. Hardly an uncommon event, given the laziness and dishonesty of the natives we have to deal with. Of course, it was unfortunate that the man died. An accident was what it was, sir. Nothing more.’

‘An accident is what happens when you barge into someone, or drop a plate on their foot. What an accident is not is a systematic and cold-blooded beating with a mallet. Do you deny that is what happened, Dodd?’

‘It wasn’t like that, sir,’ Dodd said evenly. ‘It was, as my colonel says, a mishap. The man had wronged me. I had been drinking. He refused to repay me and there was an argument. I lost my temper. I reached for the nearest thing to hand. It happened to be a mallet. After that, things were something of a blur. I had no idea the man was badly injured when I left his shop.’ Dodd shrugged. ‘That’s all there is to it, sir. Naturally I regret that the man died.’

‘Naturally,’ Arthur repeated with heavy irony. ‘Murder is murder, Lieutenant Dodd.’

‘But he was only a native, sir,’ Dodd protested.

‘What of it? He was a man, and you were responsible for his death by your own admission. And you will face the consequences.’

‘Sir?’ Colonel Sanderson interrupted. ‘You go too far! This is not the first incident of its kind.With good reason.These natives need to be ruled with a firm hand. Once in a while it is a useful thing to set an example.’

Arthur stared at him with open contempt before he continued. ‘That is precisely the kind of example that can only win us the eternal emnity of the people of this continent. That is the kind of example set by the very tyrants with whom we are at war. That is why we have to set a better example. One that will win the respect and loyalty of these people. There are too few Europeans in India to rule by coercion. So we must rule by consent. And that means setting the right example. You, Lieutenant Dodd, will be made an example of.’ Arthur leaned back in his chair and gestured to Fitzroy to take dictation as he concluded in a formal tone. ‘It is the decision of the military governor to overrule the disciplinary process of Colonel Sanderson with respect to the case of Lieutenant Dodd. With immediate effect, Lieutenant Dodd is dishonourably dismissed from the service of the Honourable East India Company. Subsequent to his dismissal, proceedings will commence to try William Dodd for murder in a civil court. By order of the Governor.’

As he finished Arthur turned back to the two Company officers whose faces expressed anger and disbelief. Sanderson recovered first.

‘This is an outrage, sir!’

‘I’m aware of that,’ Arthur replied coolly. ‘Which was why I had to act.’

‘Sir, I pray you, do not dissemble.You know what I mean. It is not justice to weigh the life of a native against the life of a Company officer, not to mention a British subject. I shall of course be forced to appeal to a higher authority.’

‘As military governor, I am the highest authority. My decision stands, and you two gentlemen are dismissed.’

Arthur ensured that a proclamation about his decision was posted in every quarter of Seringapatam to serve notice to all Europeans and the people of Mysore that no man was above the law. Dodd was duly stripped of his rank and forced to undergo a ceremonial drumming out of his battalion. A large crowd had gathered outside the Dowlut Baugh to witness the event, and as he emerged from the gates Dodd was pelted with rotten fruit and ordure before he could escape into the city. Then, a week before his civil trial was due to begin, Arthur received news that he had fled the city. Sanderson claimed not to know anything about his flight, but Arthur knew that Dodd’s options were limited. Since he was denied access to any British settlement, he would end up having to sell his services to one of the rulers of the Mahratta states, for ever exiled from his countrymen.

And good riddance, Arthur concluded, although he would have preferred that the man had stood trial and been convicted. Still, the lesson had been delivered and none of the British soldiers and officers under his command could be in any doubt about the consequences of their mistreatment of the local people from now on.

Throughout the summer Dhoondiah Waugh continued to attract brigands and the remnants of Tipoo’s army to his side, and the number of raids on the outlying towns and trade routes of Mysore continued to increase. When Arthur sent columns after the raiders, they arrived in the area long after Dhoondiah Waugh’s men had left. It became clear to Arthur that a more systematic approach was needed to remove the threat and he began to make his preparations for fresh campaigns. A breeding programme was set up to provide a stock of the white bullocks that had proved so useful in carrying supplies and hauling guns during the campaign against Tipoo.

The officer Arthur selected to track down and destroy Dhoondiah Waugh was Colonel Stevenson, a Company officer of long experience who proved adept at responding quickly to the enemy’s raids. However, as soon as the enemy became aware of the columns closing in on him, Dhoondiah Waugh simply crossed the border into Mahratta territory where Stevenson was not permitted to follow.

‘It’s no good, sir,’ Stevenson complained after returning from his latest attempt to catch the rebel leader. ‘He can outmarch my men, and the moment he crosses the border he’s away scot-free. You have to give me permission to pursue him into Mahratta territory.’

‘I have written to the Governor General to explain the situation,’ Arthur replied. ‘I am waiting for his reply. Meanwhile, I have decided to take the field against him. The situation in Seringapatam is stable enough to bear my absence for a while. It’s time we put every available man and gun into the effort against Dhoondiah Waugh, if that’s what it takes to destroy him.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Stevenson nodded in satisfaction. ‘I had hoped for your involvement.’

‘Oh?’

‘Well, sir, I doubt that there are more than a handful of officers in India who fully appreciate the difficulties of campaigning here. You’re one of them. If anyone can put an end to Dhoondiah Waugh, it is you, sir.’

Arthur felt the pride swell in his breast, and indulged the sensation for a moment - after all, it was his due after the success of the campaign against Tipoo. Then he fought down the emotion and hardened his expression. It would not do to let others see him respond to praise, let alone flattery. That would surely lead to his undoing. He needed honesty and objectivity from his subordinates. Anything else was superfluous. He cleared his throat and addressed Stevenson. ‘Yes, well, I shall do my best. But before we can be sure of defeating him, we need permission to pursue him across the border. Until then, the initiative is his, and there is nothing we can do to stop his raids on Mysore.’