Abstract
Sitaram, a ‘native’ officer in the Bengal Army, served the East India Company for about forty-eight years, and more important he was in the army during the tumultuous years of 1850s. When the Bengal army was in the forefront of the revolt of 1857, Sitaram remained faithful to his master, the British. The memoir was written by Sitaram in 1861, after his retirement, and in its foreword he wrote, ‘I trust what I now written, and what I have before at different times related to your Honour, may prove that there were some who remained faithful, and were not affected by the Wind of Madness which lately blew over Hindustan…’ (p. xv). The memoir was written in Hindi and was given to James Thomas Norgate in 1861. Norgate served the 69th Bengal Native Infantry which revolted at Multan in 1858. Norgate translated this memoir and it appeared in book form in 1873. The importance of this text lies in the fact that it provides an intimate glimpse of the lives of Indians serving in the army under the control of the English East India Company, the observations and experiences of an Indian soldier and also a different perspective on the response of Indian soldiers to the revolt of 1857.
Sitaram, born in the family of an upper caste Hindu living in eastern Uttar Pradesh, was very impressed in his youth by his maternal uncle’s narrative, who served the Bengal Army. Going against the wishes of his family, he decided to follow the footsteps of his maternal uncle and with his help got enrolled in the Bengal Army. This was around 1820 when the forces of the East India Company were engaged in expanding the territorial boundary of the company’s empire by defeating the local rulers and chieftains. The original memoir has about fifteen chapters narrating major incidents of Sitaram’s life starting from childhood to his retirement from services. We learn from Sitaram’s memoir that his father was landed gentry having more than 400 bighas of land. Like any other child of his age, he was put under the training of their family priest to acquire reading and writing skills and in his teenage years he was engaged in helping his father in managing his land. The turning point in his life came when his maternal uncle, who was serving the Company army, visited their home and narrated stories about army life and the might of the British. This incident ignited the dream of young Sitaram to join the services of the mighty British force. Sitaram talked about the transformation of his life, a strong desire to join the army, journeying with his uncle to the army regiment and how with the help of his uncle he succeeded in joining the army. In his long career in the army he took part in many expeditions which took him to various parts of India, and he fought against the Gurkhas, Pindaris, Pathans, Santhals and the Sikhs. He recalled in his memoir, to the best of his capacity, his hardships in the army, serious injuries he suffered in the course of battles and his personal life. His narration of the events of 1857, feelings of his village people against the company, his consistent loyalty to the company, passions of many native soldiers to wage war against the British and even the death of his own son for taking part in the mutiny, provide valuable insights to understanding and analysing the mental world of an Indian soldier who worked in the British army. In the last chapter entitled ‘On retirement’ Sitaram expressed his unhappiness in getting delayed promotion in spite of his sincere service for the Company. He wrote,
The sepoy would be quite contented with a larger pension, and if he would get this after twenty-five years’ service, he would not think much of being a Soobadar, which rank he could only get when he was too old to be fit for it, and unable to march, and when he ought to have been at home in ease, preparing for his death. (p. 209)
He also observed at the end about the transition after the revolt of 1857 from the Company rule to the direct rule by the British crown, the attitudinal change of the British officers, corruption in government offices and how the common people are denied justice. He ended expressing his complete loyalty to the British government.
Introducing the memoir Ananda Bhattacharyya, the editor of the current edition of Sitaram’s memoir has provided valuable details about Sitaram’s family, history of the origin of this text and, of course, a critical appraisal of the memoir. Sitaram’s traditional religious beliefs, family values and the social context in which he grew up had a bearing on his views towards the larger social world and the British government. Attention has also been drawn to other autobiographical accounts of Indian soldiers to make the points of difference in the narratives of Sitaram. Without going into the questions like whether Sitaram wrote this memoir under the instruction of his commanding officer to portray a different picture of the army following the revolt of 1857 or being driven by the desire to express his gratitude for whatever rewards he got from the Company, what may make this text important to a reader are the experiences shared by an Indian soldier of his life and adventures. Sitaram may not be an exception in expressing his loyalty to his master but more than this the valuable insights of his life and experiences can definitely help to reconstruct history of the period to which he belonged. I am of the opinion that this text would be of interest to many who are engaged in understanding the eventful developments in India around the 1850s and the experiences of Indian soldiers which may vary depending on perceptions and beliefs.