25.04.2013 Views

Memoir on Thar and

Memoir on Thar and

Memoir on Thar and

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

northern porti<strong>on</strong> of Guzerat enjoyed repose from the harassing inroads of the b<strong>and</strong>itti,<br />

kept in check by the Parkur outpost, <strong>and</strong> by another outpost stati<strong>on</strong>ed at Balmeer.<br />

68. To show the extent of the arrangements, both before <strong>and</strong> after the establishment of an<br />

outpost in Parkur, it may be as well to notice the number of men * employed <strong>on</strong> outpost<br />

duty <strong>on</strong> the Runn from Deesa, Bhooj <strong>and</strong> Rajkote before the occupati<strong>on</strong> of Parkur, as<br />

well as the strength of the detachment stati<strong>on</strong>ed there in supersessi<strong>on</strong> of former<br />

arrangements. The former outposts included 1552 regulars <strong>and</strong> irregulars, while the<br />

Parkur outpost <strong>on</strong>ly numbered 225, being a decrease by the new arrangements of 1327<br />

men. Thus the practical result of occupying Parkur was the saving of a great expense, to<br />

say nothing of the harassing of men up <strong>and</strong> down the fr<strong>on</strong>tier al<strong>on</strong>g the edge of the Runn<br />

after the b<strong>and</strong>itti, who resembled the mirage <strong>and</strong> vapour clouds of the Runn.<br />

69. An outpost was subsequently stati<strong>on</strong>ed at Balmeer as a permanent arrangement; it<br />

comprised a squadr<strong>on</strong> of cavalry, two companies of native infantry, <strong>and</strong> some 200<br />

Guicowar horse. This arrangement, however, caused some apprehensi<strong>on</strong>s at the Joudpoor<br />

Durbar, † the chief of which State appears to have entertained some undefined noti<strong>on</strong>s that<br />

his sovereign rights extended over the district of Mewa or Mullanee, in which Balmeer is<br />

situated. Its relative bearing to Joudpoor somewhat resembled that of Parkur to<br />

Hydrabad: both places were the refuge of plunderers, while the inhabitants <strong>and</strong> chiefs of<br />

both encouraged <strong>and</strong> shared in freebooting expediti<strong>on</strong>s; both acknowledged the<br />

supremacy of Joudpoor <strong>and</strong> Hydrabad, when forces came from those capitals respectively<br />

to levy tribute, or, in other words,«to rob the robbers.<br />

70. Parkur now, for the first time for centuries, enjoyed peace; the b<strong>and</strong>itti had been<br />

punished in their str<strong>on</strong>gholds; the chiefs, observing the futility of c<strong>on</strong>tending against us,<br />

wisely joined us in endeavoring to restore tranquility, while the detachments stati<strong>on</strong>ed in<br />

Parkur <strong>and</strong> at Balmeer promised security from the b<strong>and</strong>itti for the future, in the event of<br />

their showing a dispositi<strong>on</strong> to resume their former mode of life.<br />

71. The officer comm<strong>and</strong>ing the Parkur detachment did not interfere in the administrati<strong>on</strong><br />

of the district; his duty was merely to keep the b<strong>and</strong>itti in check, <strong>and</strong> to protect Kutch<br />

from their forays. The inhabitants of Parkur, accustomed to see a force <strong>on</strong>ly when <strong>on</strong>e<br />

came from Hydrabad, ostensibly to collect revenue, but practically to rob the people,<br />

naturally associated the idea of troops being stati<strong>on</strong>ed there with c<strong>on</strong>stant oppressi<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

exacti<strong>on</strong>. They so<strong>on</strong> found, however, that a British force was a widely different thing<br />

from a Sindian <strong>on</strong>e, <strong>and</strong> that instead of oppressi<strong>on</strong>, it bestowed protecti<strong>on</strong>; while instead<br />

of exacti<strong>on</strong>, a free <strong>and</strong> liberal circulati<strong>on</strong> of m<strong>on</strong>ey resulted from its presence. The natural<br />

effect of the politic arrangements initiated by Captain Roberts, was a gradual return to<br />

peace <strong>and</strong> prosperity, or rather the foundati<strong>on</strong> for future prosperity was then laid; for it<br />

* Vide letter No. 20 of 1834, dated 28th April, from Government to Supreme Government, received with No. 22 of 28th<br />

April from Government.<br />

† Vide letter No. 582, dated 2nd September 1835, from Chief Secretary to Government of India, to Agent to Governor<br />

General of Sind, reporting probable rupture with Joudpoor.<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Memoir</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> the Thurr <strong>and</strong> Parkur Districts of Sind. Copyright © www.panhwar.com<br />

19

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!