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THE PROSPECTS OF INDIA.

at.

What will be the financial condition of India India has enjoyed both the advantages. From at the expiration of the Company's Charter the earliest period of our knowledge of India, in 1854, if no material change occur in the we are told she has been a commercial counmean time? This question is as important as try, and there was a time when she supplied it is difficult to solve; on such a variety of almost the whole of the civilized world with circumstances does it depen. The chief dif- her natural and artificial productions. Not to ficulty in the way appears to arise from our go further back, in the time of the Mahomme. ignorance of the receipts and disbursements dan rulers, we had commercial intercourse by of the public revenues, the accounts of which the sea with the Portuguese, the Dutch, the instead of being published here soon after English, the French, the Danes, &c., and by the date of their closing and whilst the circum- land with the Armenians, the Persians, the Tarstances connected with them are fresh in the tars, ths Cashmerians, the Afghans, &c. &c. All recollection of the people who are most inter- which must prove beyond question that the peoested in them, are transmitted to England, and ple of this country have been no less remarkable after sometime, published there for the use of for their industry and ingenuity than the soil the Parliament and among a people who for they inhabit has been for its natural prothe most part take no more interest in what is ductions. Indeed, at one time, such were passing here, than if they were transactions of the capabilities of India-such her wealth, men in the moon. The few who in couse- luxury, and splendour, that she was styled the quence of their office are obliged to wade Paradise of the world. Why then, we ask, through these to them uninteresting documents, should the question we have proposed, be confor want of information, generally take for sidered as difficult of solution? why should we granted the correctness of every item. Thus hesitate a moment to reply to it by saying, the publication of the Indian accounts in Eng- that if India was such under a despotic and land, some years after the occurrence of the less enlightened rule than that of Britain, she transactions to which they relate, is as com- should be in a far better condition when her plete a farce as ever one could desire to laugh situation as regards her rulers has been so Why not publish the yearly accounts much improved? Under such circumstances, here, immediately on their being closed, and strange as it may at first appear, we are lay them open for public inspection at some forced to say, that India, ever since she place where the people may have free access to came into the hands of the English, has them, forwarding copies to England for the been progressing in impoverishment. The purposes for which they are now transmitted. cause is a simple one. The rulers of India But this plan we fear will not suit the views who preceded the English, from whatof our Honorable rulers. Why and wherefore ever country they came or whatever it is impossible to divine. These accounts are religious or political creed they professed, not a state secret nor altogether withheld made India their home-their permanent dofrom the public view; why then should the micile. After the flame of war kindled by people of India, whom they concern directly, their invasion had been quenched, and the blood be prevented from inspecting them until they of the numbers who fell by their barbarous are sanctified by passing through the English sword had dried, they themselves became a press under the orders of Parliament, and by part of the people, and made no distinction bechance reach this country? There is, how-tween their countrymen and the aborigines, ever, very little hope that any appeal from the they forgot the country whence they had origipeople of this benighted land on such a subject nally come, and made India the seat of their will be favored with an attentive hearing by government. It is true they took much from our local rulers. So that we must be left in the people whom they found here, both by the dark and allowed to grope, the best way plunder and taxes. But what they took they we can, to the solution of the question with did not send away to a foreign land. They which we set out. had no island situated at almost half the distance of the globe to make it the repository of With such materials as we possess we have their acquisitions in India. Every man who two ways of arriving at the solution of the enjoyed the favor of the ruling Prince or held question we have proposed, viz., a consider-office under him, and there by accumulated ation of the political bistory of India and of wealth, spent it here; and in purchasing the its present condition, and an examination of the luxuries he enjoyed, gave it back to the peoIndian accounts which have yet reached us via England. We shall consider each of these separately.

ple from whom it had been taken. Thus every fortune made in India was spent in India. The wealth of the country circulated within it, and National wealth must chiefly depend on two was not abstracted from it. By her commercauses the natural capabilities of the soil, and cial intercourse, India received in exchange of the industry and ingenuity of the people. The her produce a considerable quantity of preciformer of these has never been denied to India, ous metals which by increasing the circulating and though some may dispute the latter, yet a medium added to the means of facilitating glance at our history will convince them that commerce; which being at the same time

observers conformed the favourable appearances of the time. The real wealth of the country was however on the decline, and with the ruin of the great and wealthy zemindars and ryuts, all that was substantial vanished from

supported by the natural capabilities of the soil and the industry of the people increased the wealth of India to an extent unparalleled in the annals of the world. In those times the riches of India were so great that the people apprehensive of exciting the cupidity of their des- the land. potic rulers, kept their wealth generally buri- About this time the abuses in the service of ed under ground regardless of the interest the Company became notorious, which the which now-a-days forms so important a consi- Marquess of Cornwallis checked by increasderation. This is a fact well known to all ing the salaries of the public functionaries. who have examined the history of this coun- From this period the Government and their try. While the English rulers of India servants steadily pursued their grand object of have until very lately systematically excluded increasing the public revenues and the comtheir countrymen from settling in it with their mercial profits by protected trades, transfers of wealth and talents, her former rulers made it their zemindaries to new hands on more advantageobject to invite their countrymen to settle in her ous terms, and a thousand other ways; until, vast territories, and to increase her population in 1813, the country, overburthened as it was and resources. Hence we find the people of by taxes, &c, was thrown open to the English this country consist, of so many classes and free-traders. nations. This population, composed of the aborigines and the colonists, formed but one people whose interest was the same, and who were all looked upon by Government as equally entitled to its favours.

If all these people who made money by India were allowed to make India their home, there would be no cause of complaint, and the country would continue as rich as ever: but this I was not the case. All were allowed to come In this state India continued until the begin-to India, and after they had made their forning of the 17th century when her misfortunes tune were forced to retire to England, and commenced to gather round her. Like the there enjoy the acquisition they had carried Roman Empire, India has to date her decline along with them. from the period when the luxury of her imperial court began to impair her powers. The first symptoms of her weakness were manifested in her submission to the chouth demanded by the Marrattahs, and afterwards to the other contributions levied on her by depradatory chiefs who now overran almost the whole country and reduced the Emperor to the necessity of committing the management of the country, to a body of foreign merchants, and of accepting for himself a pension at their hands.

But the natural resources of India are so great, that no one cause could have reduced her to her present impoverished condition. A combination of causes acting against her was necessary to produce the effect we are deploring. Whilst Englishmen were systematically precluded from settling in India, and allowing the improvements which Europe had within her to share in the advantages derivable from the two last centuries made in the various arts and sciences, these very advantages were brought to bear against her in an unequal conflict between the manual labour and the rude implements of India, and the improved machinery of England-the steam, and all the advantages which science can bestow on man. Under these circumstances it is not to be wondered, that notwithstanding the natural resources of India and the industry of her people, she has been impoverished.

After the battle of Palasey in 1757, which gave to the English a firm footing in the country, they made it their object to amass as much wealth as they could, and to monopolize the whole of the trade by endeavouring to oust from it the other European nations who were trading with India. The wars and political manoeuvres they engaged in, in order to gain this point, are too well known to need being mentioned here. From 1765, the era of the Company's assumption to the Dewany, to 1793 when the permanent settlement was made, the English took upon themselves the management of the Judicial and Territorial functions of the state, and most vigorously directed their attention to the increasing of the revenues of Government. For this purpose various plans were adopted by the public functionaries. The estates were put up for sale to the high-detail examine the provisions of the charter. est bidders; the interests of the ryuts and the general view of its prominent features will zemindars were totally disregarded, and their suffice to place the subject in a sufficiently clear families generally ruined. The consequence of point of view.

We shall now proceed to examine the provito check these impending evils, and direct the sions which have been made in the new charter current of these untoward circumstances to a less ruinous channel as regards the future prospects of India; which will answer the question we have marks. It is not necessary that we should in proposed at the commencement of these re

these proceedings was an immense increase in First. The relinquishment by the Company the revenues, which gave to the country an of the China trade and other commercial speappearance of growing wealth, whilst in reality culations is indeed profitable to the people of the seeds of its future ruin were being England, who have thereby a fair chance of sown. The numerous transfers of landed pro- trading to China and India. But to India it is a perty which took place in consequence of the loss not only because the territorial departsales of estates, brought many new families ment can no longer be assisted by the profits into little fortunes, and in the eyes of superficial of the commercial; but also on account of the

sixty-five lacks of annual dividend which the country has to pay in lieu of the commerce, &c. taken away from the Company. This arrangement, therefore, has advanced the interest of the people of England at the expense of the people of India.

Secondly.-The Legislative Council and the Law Commission might have been the same body, or one a sub-committee of the other, and thus a great deal of expense saved. This institution appears to us no more than a slight modification on the former system, the most important feature of which change is, that formerly every act of the Government, relating to Calcutta, had to be registered at the Supreme Court where the people had an opportunity of being heard, whereas now not even a preamble explains the reasons on which the edicts of our rulers issue from the closed Council Chambers; whilst the independence of the Supreme Court has been taken away by conferring on the Council the power to legislate for it.

Thus we see, that whilst the causes we have above noticed as leading India to poverty continue in full operation, scarcely any thing has been done to check them, and what little has been done in theory, is in practice quite nega. tived. From which we of course come to the conclusion that India is progressing on towards ruin, and by the time the present charter expires she will have sunk to such a degree of exhaustion as to become almost a burthen to herself and her rulers.

Considering the length to which we have been led, we shall endeavour briefly to go over the parliamentary papers which also lead us to the conclusion to which we have arrived, from a consideration of the history of India. The dividend of 65 lakhs per annum allowed to the Company was also in lieu of their commercial property here. These we all know had been rated so high that their disposal could never realize the amount. But until now only a few instances have occurred to confirm Thirdly.-The Agra Presidency seems al- this opinion. The Santipoor and Rungpoor most a nominal institution in regard to any ad- concern, with their balances, valued at a very ditional facility in working the Government considerable amount, have been sold literally machine; although it is far from being so in for nothing. When the estimates were subregard to the additional expenses it has entail-mitted to the authorities in England, they took ed on the country, but we are happy to learn by the late English news that the country is soon to be relived from this heavy and useless

expense.

Fourthly.-The increase of Bishops and their powers, which is providing for the religion of a few out of money taken from the mass of the people who profess a different creed.

it for granted that the statements were all correct, and decided the matter accordingly, unwittingly sacrificing the people of India to the interests of the Company. But no more sales of the outstanding balances take place to afford us further proofs of the real state of things, apparently that the enormous loss so recently following the heavy estimates may not attract the attention of the people of England, Fifthly.-Colonization-almost the only and thus cause unpleasant enquiries to be made measure on which India might have placed her in the matter. But sooner or later these great hope of retrieving what she has lost by the cir-deficiencies must be written off to profit and cumstances we have above detailed. But hi-loss against this country, and at the end prove therto this has been allowed only in theory. a burthen which she will not be able to bear. Englishmen cannot reside, except in certain parts of India, without the license of Government; and we know it to be a fact that every opportunity is taken to throw obstacles in the way of Europeans settling in India. Witness for example the case of Calder versus Halket, lately decided in the Supreme Court. When the Charter was renewed we had expected, that at least colonization would be so effectually allowed and encouraged as in some degree to check the ruinous consequences of the existing state of things. From it we had expected a counterbalancing gain for the loss of the heavy dividend allowed to the East India Company. But that hope, it is now beyond all doubt, has been frustrated, and on the whole we are in a worse situation than before.

Sixthly. The removal of the disabilities arising from colour and religion. This, in itself so saltary a measure, has been completely nullified by the reservation of patronage to England. This point has been fully explained, in another paper, in which we pointed out that in regard to Hindus especially, who could not go to England owing to the prejudices of caste, this provision, apparently so much to their advantage, had been rendered totally nugatory.

By the parliamentary papers before us, the total income and expense of the state, in 1834, appears to have been as follows— Indian charges...... London charges... Proprietors' Dividend..

Total expense.....

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£

£

1,68,63,949 0 0 25,95,405 0 0

6,30,000 0 0

£2,00,89,354 0 0 or Sa. Rs. 20,08,93,540 0 0

Income, £1,79,36,217

Deficiency.......

or S a Rs. 17,93,62,170 0 0

Sa. Rs. 2,15,31,370 0 0 As no favorable change appears likely to occur on which a hope may be grounded that things will be so managed in future as to bring the expenditure on a par with the income, we may reasonably conclude that this deficiency will continue to the expiration of the charter in 1854. The accumulated amount of deficiency will therefore at that period be about 43,06,27,400, to which if we add the 42,00,00,000

the present amount of the Company's debt, we shall have a debt of about 85,06,27,400 rupees to pay. The increasing interest on this debt must also be reckoned as an increase to the expenses, which itself will amount to something considerable.

It cannot be expected that any increase is recognized, we should have the accounts first which can be made in the revenue will be ade-published here. Why not send them home quate to the liquidation or even extenuation of printed!!

this enormous debt. In 1765 when the coun- In his retrospective view of Indian history, try came into the hands of the English the re- we are surprized to find our intelligent convenues of Bengal, for example were about 146 temporary falling into the error of treating of per cent, less than they are now. We may India as having been at one time a rich country. therefore safely conclude that the capabilities Rich in the capabilities of her soil she no doubt of the country have been strained to the last has been and is-but quoad the ingenuity and degree, and that very little if any thing more industry of her people, we suspect she never can be expected from it in the shape of Govern-was-and certainly since the British connection

ment revenue.

Thus we see that whilst the resources of the country have been increased, the drain upon it has been so great as not only to exhaust the whole of the increased revenue, but to run it into debt to a very large amount, which, under all the circumstances we have noticed must go on increasing, until the country will be brought into the most deplorable condition imaginable and be in fact a burthen of which England will no doubt be glad to get rid. Such is the sad prospect of India, and such is the only answer we can give to the question that has led us to the above observations.Reformer.

The Reformer has a very long article on the Prospects of India, in some of the views expressed in which, we fully concur, although we think the investigation embraced by it, is not throughout conducted in a spirit of impartiality and justice.

with India commenced, she must suffer in those respects by a comparison with any civilized country on the face of the earth; and as for the inflated eulogies of remote periods when the sources and true symbols of wealth were little understood, they are unworthy of any attention. India is and has been a poor country, and her institutions, that of caste more particularly, have been fatal to the development of the resources which no doubt she possesses, and to the moral and political elevation of the people. If we are to judge the prosperity of a country by her financial accounts and the relative amounts of revenue and expenditure only, no doubt we must admit that India has declined in prosperity under British rule; but who does not perceive how fallacious such a mode of estimating the condition of a country must be? The case admits of easy illustra tion. The most cruel despot might go on increasing the revenue yearly and diminishing the expenditure on every useful object till the surplus in the treasury was immense. We know that such has been the practice of some With respect to the absurdity of the system despots. It was said for example, that the which obtains respecting the publication of treasure amassed at Tehran by the late king the accounts of the revenue, nothing can more of Persia was enormous: now if His Majesty's forcibly illustrate the advantages which flow accounts had been published, and compared from our triple government. The accounts with those of India, according to the Refor are made up here, sent home and laid before mer's principle, we must have drawn a comParliament after the lapse of a year, and after parison in favour of Persia; yet who will venthe expiration of about 18 months from the ture to contend that Persia has been better time of their being despatched from hence, the governed than British India? We admit that public in India have an opportunity of being there has been much in our system to condemn, made acquainted with them!! What object that under our Government the aborigines is attained by this system, what benefit to the were until recently, and still are in effect, governing or the governed, it would puzzle though not by positive law, excluded from all any man to discover-the only argument which offices of honour and profit instead of being can be urged in its favour is, that which is encouraged as they were by our semi-barbarian constantly pleaded here by native ignorance predecessors in the conquest of this country: in defence of native superstition and folly-it and that the drain on India by the retirement of has been the dustoor-the custom. It is in European functionaries to Great Britain with short, part and parcel of the general system of large fortunes has been great-we admit that mystification which finds such favour in Lea- India has experienced, still does experience, denhall Street and which, sooth to say, has great fiscal injustice from Great Britain, and served in its day the purpose of screening from that our anti-colonization system of policy, the profane gaze of the public; many a profit- which Napoleon has absurdly termed a selfable job. Had the very opposite of this sys- denying ordinance, has been detrimental to the tem prevailed-had the measures of our Indian interests of both countries; but still from the administration at home and abroad as well as time of the great and good Cornwallis at least, all their financial accounts been made public, down to that of our present ruler, the principle we have a strong suspicion that poor territory, that we govern for the people has been recog which has been made to bear the burthen of so nized: and if they have not reaped all the fruits much extravagance, including expenses of its of the recognition which it is calculated to own conquest, would have received more jus- produce, the misfortune is owing, in some detice, and the proprietors of India Stock have gree, to the difficulty which Europeans experihad to look elsewhere for their dividends. ence in fully understanding their wants and We of course agree then that in these days, appreciating their feelings, and in some degree when in other respect the value of publicity also to that superstition which is a wall o

overcome.

66

separation between the conquered and the con- Considering the length to which we have querors, and a barrier to improvement which been led, we shall endeavour briefly to go time and the spread of knowledge only can over the parliamentary papers which also lead us to the conclusion to which we have arrived, How can the Reformer, treating of Indian from a consideration of the history of India. history subsequent to 1793, say, if he refers The dividend of 65 lakhs per annum allowed to Bengal, to which as usual with writers here, to the Company was also in lieu of their comhis remarks seem to be limited, that the inter- mercial property here.

ment: now our belief is that he did none of

These we all know

But until

ests of the zemindars were overlooked? It had been rated so high that their disposal is not our purpose now to enter for the bun- could never realize the amount. dredth time on the vexata quæstio of the merits now only a few instances have occurred of the permanent settlement; but we are at a to confirm this opinion. The Santipoor and loss to conceive, how, after that measure, itungpoor concern, with their balances, valucould be alleged that the interests of the ed at a very considerable amount, have been zemindars were totally disregarded. It has been sold literally for nothing. When the estimates urged against that measure and its great and were submitted to the authorities in England, good author, that he entirely neglected the they took it for granted that the statements interests-not of the zemindars but of the ryuts cordingly, unwittingly sacrificing the people of were all correct, and decided the matter ac-and at the same time those of the Govern- India to the interests of the Company. But these; but rather tried to do what we take to no more sales of the outstanding balances take be an impossibility in his anxiety to protect the place to afford us further proofs of the real interests of zemindars and ryuts-to fix the state of things, apparently that the enormous revenue of the landholders in perpetuity and loss so recently following the heavy estimates then to regulate by law their arrangements with may, not attract the attention of the people of their cultivators-a system which reasoning à England, and thus cause unpleasant enquiries priori we should have held to be absurd; and to be made in the matter. But sooner or later which experience has proved to be impractica- these great deficiencies must be written off to ble. As to the Government, we believe that profit and loss against this country, and at the at the time of permanent settlement, a maxi-end prove a burthen which she will not be able mum of revenue was taken which led of to bear. course to a vast immediate increase, and which seemed to anticipate improvement for many years to come. The estates sold were those of defaulters; and though crack Collectors may have caused some severity in this respect, the principle on which those sales were effected is recognized, we believe, by all civilized governments.

"By the parliamentary papers before us, the total income and expense of the state, in 1834, appears to have been as followsIndian charges,.... £ 1,68.63,949 0 0 London charges... 25,95,405 0 0 Proprietors'Dividend

Total expense....

or Sa. Rs. Income, £1,79,36,217

£

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6,30,000 0 0

£ 2,00,89,354 0 0 20,08,93,540 0 0

or Sa. Rs. 17,93,62,170 0 0

Admitting all the faults of our system as it has been and even as it is, however, will it not bear, we ask, favorable comparison with any that preceded it in the East as to the two great tests of good government-the degree of pro- Deficiency....... Sa. Rs. 2,15,31,370 0 0 tection to life and property enjoyed by the As no favorable change appears likely to people?-that is the question, and to that ques-occur on which a hope may be grounded that tion from impartial people there can be, we ap- things will be so managed in future as to bring prehend, only an affirmative answer. On this the expenditure on a par with the income, we comparative estimate of Native and British go- may reasonably conclude that this deficiency vernments we will only remark that we must will continue to the expiration of the charter in protest against the narrow and fallacious prin- 1834. The accumulated amount of deficiency will ciple of testing the merits of any government by therefore at that period be about 43.06.27,400, a mere calculation of profit and loss. This to which if we add the 42,00,00,000-the was Cobbett's error. He, as we have often present amount of the Company's debt, we remarked, thought a reduction in the tax on shall have a debt of about 85,06,27,400 rupees malt or a saving in some item of expenditure to pay. The increasing interest on this debt of more importance than a measure which had must also be reckoned as an increase to the for its object the instruction of the people or expenses, which itself will amount to somethe securing to them the most important poli- thing considerable. tical advantages.

On the deficiencies of the New Charter we have so often expatiated, that we should scarcely be excused for again dwelling on that subject, when it is considered that there is no power here to remedy the evils of which we complain. We agree generally with the Reformer in all but this gloomy view of our prospects, summed up in the following pas

sages:

"It cannot be expected that any increase which can be made in the revenue will be adequate to the liquidation or even extenuation of this enormous debt. In 1765, when the country came into the hands of the English, the revenues of Bengal for example were about 146 per cent. less than they are now. We may therefore safely conclude that the capa bilities of the country have been strained to the last degree, and that very little, if any

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