Telugu Historyతెలుగు చరిత్ర

Lord Napier (Madras)

Lord Napier of Merchistoun was Governor of Madras from 1866 to 1872, and left to act as Viceroy after Lord Mayo's death. Worried by the backwardness of education in Kurnool, he had the government open two small taluk schools there, though they later closed. In 1869 he attended the Nellore agricultural exhibition and cattle show, which was unusually successful that year.

Lord Napier of Merchistoun governed Madras from 1866 to 1872.1 The Telugu records remember him for a school plan in Kurnool and a visit to the Nellore show.23 See British Crown (Madras Presidency).

Governor of Madras

Maclean’s list of Governors shows Lord Napier of Merchistoun in office from 27 March 1866 to 19 February 1872.1 On 19 February 1872 he sailed for Calcutta, to act as Viceroy and Governor-General of India after the death of the Earl of Mayo.1

Schools for Kurnool

The Madras education report for 1875–76 says that “the intellectual stagnation of Kurnool attracted special attention”.2 Lord Napier thought that it “demanded the energetic interference of Government”.2

The result was two small taluk schools.2 They “languished for a few years and finally disappeared”.2 The report’s author thought it would have been better to raise the district school to a higher class, which could have prepared students for college.2 See Kurnool and Schools and learning.

The Nellore exhibition, 1869

The government held a cattle show every January at Addanki, to encourage good breeding.4 About a month later came the agricultural exhibition at Nellore, with its own cattle show and displays of farm produce and tools.34

The Nellore manual says the exhibition of 1869 “was honored by the presence of the Governor, Lord Napier”, and was “an unusually successful one”.3 It showed 287 head of cattle, including working cattle, besides 93 country ponies, 46 rams, a flock of sheep and 28 goats.3 See Nellore.

Footnotes

  1. C. D. Maclean (ed.), Manual of the Administration of the Madras Presidency, Vol. II (1885), p. 270, list of Governors of Fort St. George (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Report on Public Instruction in the Madras Presidency for 1875–76 (1877), p. 128 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  3. Boswell, Nellore District (1873), p. 79 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. John A. C. Boswell, A Manual of the Nellore District (1873), p. 74 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

Dynasties

British Crown (Madras Presidency)

1858–1947 CE

The government of the Telugu districts of the Madras Presidency by the British Crown, from the transfer of the East India Company's territories in 1858 to independence in 1947. Under a Governor in Council at Madras, the coast and Rayalaseema were ruled through Collectors, a Board of Revenue, district and taluk boards and municipalities. The districts were redrawn (Godavari and Kistna in 1859, Anantapur in 1882, Guntur in 1904, Chittoor in 1911, West Godavari in 1925), and the Nizam ceded the Bhadrachalam and Rekapalli taluks in 1860. The ryotwari lands were surveyed and settled, and the inams registered by the Inam Commission. The great zamindaris of Vizianagaram, Bobbili, Pithapuram, Venkatagiri, Kalahasti and Karvetinagar kept their permanent settlements. The Godavari and Krishna deltas were irrigated, and railways reached Bezwada and Waltair. The great famine of 1876–78 emptied the Ceded Districts. The Rampa rising of 1879–80 was the last that needed regular troops in the Presidency.

References

Sources (3)
  1. C. D. Maclean (ed.), Manual of the Administration of the Madras Presidency, Vol. II (Appendices) (opens in a new tab), Government Press, Madras, 1885, pp. 270. [Public domain]
  2. John A. C. Boswell, A Manual of the Nellore District in the Presidency of Madras (opens in a new tab), Government of Madras, 1873, pp. 74, 79. [Public domain]
  3. Director of Public Instruction, Madras, Report on Public Instruction in the Madras Presidency for 1875-76 (opens in a new tab), Government Press, Madras (Selections from the Records of the Madras Government, No. LVIII), 1877, pp. 128. [Public domain]

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