Modern Hyderabad (Deccan)
by John Law
Chapter XV : The Hon'ble the British Resident
2420685Modern Hyderabad (Deccan) — Chapter XV : The Hon'ble the British ResidentJohn Law

CHAPTER XV.

The Hon'ble the British Resident.

When we visit the Residency bazaars in Hyderabad to-day, and learn that the British Resident now exercises there civil and criminal jurisdiction over 17,971 people, we find it difficult to picture the Residency area of one hundred years ago. At that time the Resident lived in one of the garden houses of the minister of the day and he had little responsibility and little influence.

In "The Nizam," by Henry George Briggs, we find the following curious account of the present fine-looking Residency. Writing to Lady Clive, in October 1799, while passing through Hyderabad on his way to Persia, via Bombay, Sir John Malcolm says : — "I will conclude this letter by relating an anecdote connected with the projected edifice (the Residency) that will satisfy you. The princes of the East do not lose much of their valuable time in the study of geography. Major Achilles Kirkpatrick, the Resident at this Court, wished to obtain a grant of one or two fields to erect this structure upon. He requested the engineer of the English force stationed at Hyderabad to make an exact survey of the spot and when this was finished upon a large sheet he carried it to the Darbar and, showing it to the Nizam, requested he would grant the English Government a grant of the land. The Prince, after gravely examining the survey, said he was sorry he could not comply with the request. When the Resident was retiring, not a little disconcerted at the refusal of a favour which he deemed so trifling, Mir Alum (the minister), said to him, with a smile, "Do not be annoyed. You frightened the Nizam with the size of the plan you showed him. Your fields were almost as large as any of the maps of his kingdom he has yet seen. No wonder," added the Mir, laughing, "he did not like to make such a cession. Make a survey on a reduced scale and the difficulty will vanish." The Resident could hardly believe that this would be the case; but when at his next interview he presented the plan upon a small card, the cheerful assent of the Prince satisfied him that the Mir had been quite correct in his guess at the cause of his former failure." In due course the building was proceeded with, and the Residency was completed in 1807 by Lieutenant S. Russell, of the Madras Engineers.

The attack made on the Residency in 1857 is also very graphically described by Mr. Briggs in his book, "The Nizam."

The growth of the power of the Resident and the importance of the area that now goes by the name of "the Residency Bazaars" was largely due to the fact that the Hon'ble the Resident had to administer the Assigned districts. And the many bankers who now live in the Residency bazaars are said to have been drawn to the neighbourhood by Residents who experienced much difficulty in obtaining good money with which to pay the troops, when there were in the State many mints and many kinds of coins.

The Secunderabad cantonment (six miles north-east of Hyderabad city), where the Resident hoists the British flag during the rains, has now a population of 113,499 persons, including 7,000 English and Indian troops, which form the Secunderabad portion of the 9th Division of the Southern Army, whose headquarters are at Ootacamund. This military station, which is one of the largest in India, was originally the station of the Subsidiary Force. The combined cantonment now comprises Secunderabad, Chikalguda, Bowanpalli, Begampett, Trimulgherry and Bolarum, and covers an area of nineteen square miles.

Residents and Acting Residents.

Mr. John Holland was the first represent-ative of the Governor-General at the Court of the Nizam, and he arrived at Hyderabad in 1779. He was succeeded by Mr. J. Grant, who retired in 1784.

Mr. R. Johnson . . . . 1784

Captain Kennaway . . . . 1788

Captain J. A. Kirkpatrick . . 1797

Captain W. A. Kirkpatrick . . 1798

Mr. H. Russell . . . . 1805

Captain T. Sydenham . . . . 1806

Lieutenant C. Russell . . . . 1810

Mr. H. Russell . . . . 1811

Mr. C. T. Metcalfe . . . . 1820

Captain H. S. Barnett . . . . 1825

Mr. W. B. Martin . . . . 1825

Mr. E. C. Ravenshaw . . . . 1830

Colonel J. Stewart . . . . 1830

Major J. Cameron . . . . 1838

Brigadier J. Wahab, c.B. . . 1838

Major G. Tomkyns . . . . 1838

Colonel J. S. Fraser . . . . 1838 Major C. Davidson .. .. 1852

Colonel Low, c.b. . . . . 1853

Major C. Davidson .. .. 1853

Mr. G. A. Bushby . . . . 1853

Captain A. R. Thornhill . . 1856

Colonel C. Davidson . . . . 1857

Major A. R. Thornhill . . . . 1862

Sir J. U. Yule, k.c.s.i, c.b. . . 1863

Sir R. Temple, k.c.s.i. . . . . 1867

Mr. G. J. Cordery . . . . 1868

Hon'ble A. A. Roberts, c.b., c.s.i. . . 1868

Mr. C. B. Saunders, c.b. . . 1868

Colonel E. C. Ross, c.s.i. . . 1886

Mr. G. J. Cordery .. .. 1886

Major D. Robertson . . . . 1887

Mr. A. P. Howell . . . . 1888

Sir D. Fitzpatrick, k.c.s.i. . . 1889

Mr. T. W. Chichele Plowden, c.s.i., i.c.s. 1891

Hon'ble Lieutenant-Colonel Sir D. W. K. Barr, k.c.s.i. . . . . 1901

Hon'ble C. S. Bayley, c.s.i., i.c.s. . . 1905

Hon'ble M. F. O'Dwyer, i.c.s. . . 1908

Hon'ble C. S. Bayley, c.s.i., i.c.s. . . 1908

Lieutenant-Colonel A. F. Pinhey, c.s.i., c.i.e. . . . . 1911

Hon'ble S. M. Fraser . . . . 1914

Lieutenant-Colonel A. F. Pinhey, c.s.i., c.i.e. . . . . 1914