Forbes, James, 1749–1819, James Forbes letter, Fazal-Poor, on the Banks of the Myhi, 1775 May 20, copied between 1794 and 1800
- Call Number:
- Folio A 2023 69
- Holdings:
- [Request]
- Creator:
- Forbes, James, 1749–1819
- Title(s):
- James Forbes letter, Fazal-Poor, on the Banks of the Myhi, 1775 May 20
- 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
- Part of Collection:
- volume 7, page 219-231
- Provenance:
- Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
- Conditions Governing Access:
- The materials are open for research.
- Conditions Governing Use:
- 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.
- Scope and Content:
- Forbes begins letter forty-five with the departure from Neriad: having collected as much money as he could, Ragobah (Raghunathrao) and his English allies continue their march towards the enemy. They pass through numerous villages, none of which receive sustained comment from Forbes. In one he notes a mosque “more light and elegant than any oriental architecture I have met with,” while in another, he explains a mud wall as protection from “Coolies…[who] are a set of robbers and free-booters who infest the northern provinces of Hindostan: they dwell on the banks of the Myhi.” The group encounters a few skirmishes, but they have little effect. At last, they reach the “plain of Arras,” the location where Ragobah experienced his initial defeat. Forbes explains that “we always understood they intended to renew the attack [there]; as according to the superstition of the Hindoos, they deemed it a very fortunate spot.” A battle commences, culminating in the deception of the English a faction of Ragobah’s forces: “here we were fatally deceived, and Hourra-Punt [an officer of distinction] proved a traitor!” The officer in question confirmed that a group of soldiers was allied with the English when, in fact, they had allied with their enemies. Forbes describes the ensuing chaos, including the slaughter of many Europeans, and concludes with a quotation from Shakespeare, “then did Death line his dead chaps with steel….” Forbes follows this tale of betrayal with prolonged ruminations on the character of Indian soldiers. He notes their reluctance to leave any body on the field, and compares them (with quotes from the Iliad as evidence) to Homer’s Greeks: “I daily see a great similitude to the manners & customs described by the Grecian Bard.” He likewise casts the scene of battle as an image out of Revelation. He then relates the fate of the untrustworthy officer: “he was dismounted from his horse by one of our Sepoys, and instantly cut to pieces by Ragobah’s Arabs, who had suffered much by his treachery.” And yet Forbes wonders if this is not part of the perils of civil war. He writes, “There is indeed far more horror in a civil-war, and greater excuses for treachery, than in a contest between foreign nations: here the son fights against his father, and the aged parent draws his sword on his once darling child.” Forbes, however, closes this passage with a suspicion he is affording too much “tender feeling” to the Marathas. Indeed, Forbes continues, rather than fight with courage, many of the Maratha soldiers prefer to make a show of their skill only when no danger is apparent. Forbes allows for exceptions, but insists this is the rule. He has a slightly higher opinion of other groups—“Arabians, Pathans, Scindians, and northern infantry”—noting in one case that, “notwithstanding the effeminate appearance of their flowing muslin robes, they are a brave people.” Following the conclusion of the battle—a victory for the English—the army continues its march to the river Myhi (now Mahi), eventually crossing it without issue. The soldiers camp in a ruined fortress. Forbes concludes the letter with a hope that his future letters will contain happier news, and an update on the payment of the English by Ragobah. He has signed thirty lacs of rupees over to the English, following the typical practice of payment to European forces in the service of Indian rulers, “specifying that this donation is in lieu of plunder, prize-money, and all demands of that kind.” Portions of this text appear in <title>Oriental Memoirs</title>, volume 2, chapter 18.
- Physical Description:
- 13 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
- Finding Aid Title:
- James Forbes archive
- Collection PDF:
- https://ead-pdfs.library.yale.edu/11734.pdf
- Archival Object:
- https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199725
- Metadata Cloud URL:
- https://metadata-api.library.yale.edu/metadatacloud/api/aspace/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199725?mediaType=json&include-notes=1&include-all-subjects=1