Page:The Indian Mutiny of 1857.djvu/284

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

CHAPTER XVIII.

EVENTS IN THE SÁGAR AND NARBADÁ TERRITORIES, CENTRAL INDIA, RÁJPÚTÁNA, THE MÍRATH DISTRICTS, ROHILKHAND, AND THE PANJÁB.

The Ságar and Narbadá territories, immediately south of, and adjoining, the North-west Provinces, comprised, in 1857, the districts of Ságar, Jabalpur, Hohsangábád, Sióni, Damóh, Narsinhpur, Bétul, Chandérí, Jhánsí, Nagód, and Mandlah. When, in 1843, the Gwáliár Darbár commenced those hostilities against the British which culminated in the battle of Máhárájpur, the chiefs and people of those districts, moved partly by their dislike to the foreign system of administration, partly incited by the Gwáliár Darbár, broke into rebellion. On the conclusion of the peace which followed Máhárájpur, the then Governor-General, Lord Ellenborough, made a clean sweep of the officers who had administered the territories, and deputed Colonel Sleeman to inaugurate a better system. Colonel Sleeman, working on eastern ideas, completely succeeded. His successor, Mr Bushby, continued his system with marked success. But after a rule of five or six years Mr Bushby was promoted. Then, in an evil hour, the Ságar and Narbadá territories were placed directly under the Government of the North-west Provinces.

That transfer caused the introduction of the system called after its inventor Mr Thomason. But for the earnest exhortations of the ablest man in the Commission