Harking Back: How the British destroyed the old aristocracy

Every power dispensation survives because of the establishment they create. Change is therefore, naturally, resisted. This is true today and had been so in the past.

We see that when the Sikh rule started from 1799, the Lahore Darbar completely got rid of all Mughal vestiges, resulting in a stable 30 years of enlightened rule. But the death of the ‘enlightened’ ruler also led to another ten years of chaos. But then when the Lahore Darbar was overturned, the East India Company (EIC) took over in 1849, with the British ruling for another 98 years. But then again their rule ended in utter chaos and the biggest exodus in human history.

This need not be the pattern, for circumstances matter more. But one thing is certain and that being that the prevailing elite who lose control, invariably re-emerge in a new form with different characters. While researching in London’s British Museum Library Archives of the East India Company era, one came across a number of ‘top secret’ files. They are titled ‘Foreign Secret Consultations’ sent by the British government to the EIC on May 26, 1849 (Nos 68-71), on December 29, 1852 (Nos 140-144) and on February 4, 1853 (Nos 124). I mention these references for future researchers. But let us return to what one has to say in this column.

Once the EIC took over charge of the Lahore Darbar on the 29th of March, 1849, the British government strictly ‘advised’ them that if they wish to rule the Punjab they must do two things. Firstly, the “must get the Royal Family’ out of the way and out of the Punjab. Secondly, the entire elite/aristocracy must be eliminated and their wealth in every form confiscated as ‘war reparation’. Special mention was made of the only ‘manly-person’ left in the royal family, namely Maharani Jind Kaur.

The Rani was arrested and exiled to Benares on suspicion of conspiracy. From there she was moved to Chunar Fort on charges of trying to escape. But then this ‘only manly person’ actually did escape to Nepal, only to end up in England after wanting to be with her son. She died in London in 1863. Her ashes were brought to Lahore by her grand-daughter after Pakistan was created.

Next was the elimination of the aristocracy. On intelligence briefs a list of 25 of the richest elites was drawn up and approved by John Lawrence the Administrator. Small battalions of soldiers, all led by a British officer, approached the aristocrats and removed all their wealth and took over their land papers, all their jewellery and other artefacts. They were removed from the premises and lands. Cases of conspiracy and fraud were instituted against them.

This exercise was carried out with speed and a total of Rs1,131,865 was collected. Mind you in those days the Indian rupee equalled the British pound. In terms of gold prices this comes today to Rs2.989 billion. Added to this was the annual returns from the land yields which was then Rs112.7 million.

But the aristocrats were not the only targets of the EIC. All ‘neutral jagirdars’ as the records state, were considered most dangerous, for they could switch sides any time. The ownership records of every ‘jagirdar’ was checked and an amazing number of over 10,000 were found to be ‘rent-free’. They were forced to deposit the value of the land in the ‘Company Account’. Those who could not lost their land.

This drastic exercise enriched the new British rulers immensely, as well as shook up the entire country and society. Never before had such a ‘revolutionary’ step been taken. However, there was a sharp disagreement over this drastic step between the brothers Henry Lawrence and John Lawrence. The Viceroy ruled in favour of John and this led Henry Lawrence to resign and return home.

To till all this vacated land, loyal Punjabis of every faith living in British Punjab, mostly from Jalandhar and nearby areas, were located in the western portion of the enlarged Punjab. There the British undertook water canals and promoted modern agriculture. Mind you the new land owner paid for the canal cost, not the British.

John Lawrence then stepped up his purge of the richest of the land and influential families were marked out, like the Bedi and Sodhi families. A strategy of lowering their prestige was undertaken, which to a great extent changed the manner in which Punjabi society operated. But the greatest fear the British had was from the old Lahore Darbar army soldiers. A strategy was devised on the recommendation of the Maharajah of Patiala, who was an old British supporter.

So they called to Lahore 50,000 soldiers of the old Khalsa Army, paid off their dues and dismissed them from service. Among those who wished to serve the British only 4,750 were recruited in a new set of regiments. All new recruits were taught to follow a policy of “look down upon Sikhs as enemies”.

Next the Maharajah of Patiala advised them to set up a new Punjab Police force and train them to be brutal and “to come down harshly on the people irrespective for rank or position”. The Punjab Police training, it seems, remains the same today, for they are feared in both Indian and Pakistani Punjab. All over British India they were the most feared force.

This policy of demonising Sikhs led them to be crushed. A policy of crushing Punjabi culture was initiated after the G.W. Leitner Report statistically showed the high literacy rate of the Punjab. It was agreed that the language would be demonised, especially by people who had been brought in from other parts of India. The use of their language was banned in all educational institutions.

So at bayonet point the language and the people were suppressed. Much later these very people turned out to be their biggest supporters. Come Pakistan and we see that colonial trait still exists. While people the world over love their mother tongue, the new elite of the Punjab was ashamed of their own ancient mother tongue. In schools still it is not taught. At home children are still discouraged from speaking it.

Such has been the operation to disgrace and suppress the people of the Punjab, which was the last country to fall to the British, and that happened because of betrayals by army generals. Politics means power and power means money. It is as simple as that. Claims of serving the poor invariably remain meaningless.

Once the British had suppressed the old elite, it opened up ways of modernising and new professions emerged. A new elite naturally formed. Modernisation set the pace of change to a new high. A new Lahore began to emerge, impressive that it is.

As we see conditions today we see a new set ‘colonial era’ ‘zamindars’ and ‘jagirdars’, as well as the new industrial elite of Pakistan, in power. To rule peacefully one set of beliefs is pitched against the other and new hostilities planted. Sub-cultures and sub-sects emerge. But the old ways of ruling remain. Seems our enemy lives within us.