Forbes, James, 1749-1819, James Forbes letter, on board the Calcutta Indiaman, 1775 February 25, copied between 1794 and 1800
- CallNumber:
- Folio A 2023 69
- Creator:
- Forbes, James, 1749-1819
- Title(s):
- James Forbes letter, on board the Calcutta Indiaman, 1775 February 25
- Date:
- copied between 1794 and 1800
- Classification:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Series:
- Series I: A voyage from England to Bombay with descriptions in Asia, Africa, and South America
- ContainerGrouping:
- volume 7, page 7-13
- Provenance:
- Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
- AccessRestrict:
- The materials are open for research.
- UseRestrict:
- The collection is the physical property of the Yale Center for British Art. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts.
- ScopeContent:
- In Forbes’s next letter, he provides his reader with a detailed narrative of political history and courtly intrigue. He begins with the etymology of the term “Mahratta” (Maratha), which he claims comes from the word “Mahrat, an ancient province in the Decan.” They have become, he explains, a great nation, one of the only Indian powers to escape the influence of Mughal rule. Founded by Shivaji (c.1627-1680) and ruled for some time by his descendants, the Maratha Empire grew “so strong and so much dreaded, that they levied contributions in the most populous and fertile provinces of India.” Challenged by the Mughals, the Maratha forces “poured down like an overwhelming torrent from their mountains.” This is, according to Forbes, a testament not only to their strength, but to the weakness of the “degenerate posterity of Tamerlane.” Now, the Maratha Empire is a land almost entirely devoted to military pursuits, leading to the decline of arts, manufactures, and other non-military aspects of life. Forbes then provides a detailed overview of the political tensions within the Maratha government. His account is precise: though he admits his own lack of information and access to sources—and indeed, his narrative is significant more as an example of rhetoric and interpretation than for its accuracy—he provides in-depth accounts of court life, rivalries, and disputes. Forbes’s account starts with the original political structure of the Maratha Empire. This was quick to change, however, with the overthrow of the ruler by his ministers: this resulted in a splitting of the lands in two, and perhaps further, such that the empire became a confederacy only nominally under the control of the traditional ruler. Forbes recounts each ruler following this political realignment, describing their characteristics as rulers and offering evaluations of their political savvy. Many of the rulers proved quite able—and yet often met with untimely or premature deaths. Key to Forbes’s story is the alienation of “Ragobah” after the death of his brother. Mistrusted by his nephew—himself a successful ruler—Ragobah experienced a decline in power that would soon lead to crisis. The death of this nephew, and the transition of power to his brother, seems to fascinate Forbes the most. Forbes praises the former, in a way that contrasts him with the supposedly indelible traits of Hindus: “Mahdarow was endued with talents and abilities far beyond the generality of the Hindoos; his frank and open mind was enlarged, and unfettered by their superstitions.” Such was his exemplary character that his widow, rather than accept his generous offers of land and support, preferred, in Forbes’s telling, to perform sati rather than remain in the world without him. Describing the decision with clear admiration, Forbes quotes a poem, beginning, “The virtuous mind, beyond the rage of time, shall ever blossom in a happier clime,” as something “Hindoos as well as Christians believe.” The next ruler, the brother, is, unfortunately, cruel and hopelessly dissolute; in short, a “stranger to every noble action that adorns the soul, and the slave of every low and sensual pleasure.” After acting cruelly in numerous ways, including towards his uncle Ragobah, he is murdered in his palace by his guards. Forbes notes the fratricidal tendency in Indian politics. Following the death of the young ruler, Ragobah took power, only to become “indolent, timorous, and superstitious.” Unable to inspire the respect of his fellow rulers, he ran afoul of the mother of the murdered ruler, a woman “false, malicious, and vindictive; of a strong capacity and most tyrannical disposition.” And so, by the end of Forbes’s narrative, we find Ragobah facing a conspiracy between his nobles and the mother of the murdered ruler. This is the beginning of the Maratha civil war. Ragobah, unable to hold his own against his enemies, has called on the English for assistance: this is the reason Forbes now sails to war. The terms of Ragobah’s cooperation with the English are, it seems, very favorable to the company, though Forbes is “not at liberty mention.” He does, however, note that the “last intelligence” suggests that Ragobah “was encamped on the banks of the Myhi, not far from Cambray,” and that the opposing forces are only a few miles distant across the river. Portions of this text appear in <title>Oriental Memoirs</title>, volume 1, pp. 463-481.
- PhysicalDescription:
- 7 pages
- Genre:
- Correspondence , Botanical illustrations, Ornithological illustrations, Travel sketches, Maps, Watercolors (paintings), Drawings (visual works), Engravings (prints), and Portraits
- Subject Terms:
- Forbes, James, 1749-1819. Descriptive letters and drawingsForbes, James, 1749-1819. Oriental memoirs
- Associated Places:
- EnglandItalyScotlandWales
- Associated People/Groups:
- East India CompanyForbes, James, 1749-1819
- FindingAidTitle:
- James Forbes archive
- Archival Object:
- https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199689
- Metadata Cloud URL:
- https://metadata-api.library.yale.edu/metadatacloud/api/aspace/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199689?mediaType=json&include-notes=1&include-all-subjects=1