Telugu Historyతెలుగు చరిత్ర

Sir Thomas Rumbold

Sir Thomas Rumbold was Governor of Madras from 1778 to 1780. He called the zamindars of the Northern Circars to Madras and fixed their tribute himself, setting aside the Company's Committee of Circuit. His government also took Guntur on lease from Basalat Jang in 1779, against the Nizam's wishes. The Court of Directors dismissed him in 1781, though a later defence by his daughter convinced the Godavari manual's author that he was innocent.

Sir Thomas Rumbold governed Madras for only two years, but both of his large decisions touched the Telugu coast. He fixed the tribute of the zamindars (landholders) of the Northern Circars himself, and his government took Guntur on lease.12 Both decisions were attacked, and he was dismissed.34 See East India Company.

Governor of Madras

Maclean’s list of Governors shows Rumbold in office from 8 February 1778 to 6 April 1780.5 Francis’s Visakhapatnam gazetteer and the Kistna manual both repeat a story that he began life as a waiter at White’s, a London club.32

The zamindars called to Madras

In 1775 the Court of Directors ordered a Committee of Circuit.1 Its members were to tour the Circars and inquire into the zamindars’ revenues and armed forces.1 According to the Godavari gazetteer, Rumbold interrupted its work soon after it began.1

In 1778 he summoned the zamindars to Madras and made a settlement with them there himself.1 It was for five years, at 12½ per cent above the mamul jamabandi (the amount they had paid by custom).1 Francis quotes Mill’s history on how it was done.3 The Governor “alone negotiated with the zamindars”, and the Council “without enquiry, acquiesced in his decrees”.3

The settlement lasted longer than its author.6 The revived Committee confirmed his 12½ per cent increase, and in 1786 the settlement was extended to 1789.6 So, the gazetteer says, it was in force for eleven years.6

Some zamindars came to Madras with their own complaints.7 Appa Rao of Nuzvidu laid his debts to Company officers before the Government in Rumbold’s time, but got no help.7 He went home and began to defy the Company’s officers.7

The Guntur lease

Guntur was then held by Basalat Jang.2 On 27 February 1779 the Madras Government made a treaty with him, without asking the Nizam.2 A force under Captain Harper marched to take Guntur in April 1779.2 The Council then leased Guntur for ten years to the Nawab of Arcot.2

The Nizam was angry, and the Governor-General, Warren Hastings, repudiated the Madras Government’s action.2 The Kistna manual says that when the news reached England, the Directors dismissed Rumbold and two members of his Council.4 In April 1780 Rumbold left Madras.4 See Guntur.

Where the sources disagree

  • His guilt. Francis says that Rumbold “was charged with having conducted these negotiations corruptly”, and that he and two members of Council were dismissed in 1781.3 Morris’s Godavari manual (1878) says his daughter had since published documents in his defence.8 Morris thought they proved “that he was innocent of all the accusations”, and that the Directors had approved his dealings with the zamindars.8
  • The Committee of Circuit. Morris says Rumbold abolished the Committee.9 The Godavari gazetteer says its work was interrupted, and that it was reappointed in 1783.1
  • Resigned or dismissed. Morris says Rumbold “afterwards resigned his appointment”.8 The Kistna manual and Francis say he was dismissed.43

Footnotes

  1. F. R. Hemingway, Madras District Gazetteers: Godavari, Vol. I (1907), p. 162 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  2. Gordon Mackenzie, A Manual of the Kistna District (1883), p. 82 and note (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  3. W. Francis, Madras District Gazetteers: Vizagapatam, Vol. I (1907), p. 167 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  4. Mackenzie, Kistna District (1883), p. 83 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. C. D. Maclean (ed.), Manual of the Administration of the Madras Presidency, Vol. II (1885), p. 269, list of Governors of Fort St. George (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  6. Hemingway, Godavari (1907), p. 163 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  7. Mackenzie, Kistna District (1883), p. 299 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  8. Morris, Godavery District (1878), p. 249 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  9. Henry Morris, A Descriptive and Historical Account of the Godavery District (1878), p. 248 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

Dynasties

East India Company

1759–1858 CE

The English East India Company in the Telugu country, from its first landing on the coast in 1611 to the Crown's take-over in 1858. For a century and a half it traded through factories at Masulipatam, Nizampatnam, Madapollam, Viravasaram, Vizagapatam, Injaram and Bendamurlanka, under farmans of the Golconda kings and the Mughals. Its fort at Madras stood on land granted in 1639 through the Nayaka Damarla Venkatadri. After Forde drove out the French it received the Masulipatam country (1759), the five Northern Circars by the emperor's grant of 1765 and the treaties with the Nizam of 1766 and 1768, Guntur (1788), the Ceded Districts of Rayalaseema (1800) and Nellore with the Carnatic (1801). It governed through Chiefs and Councils, then Collectors. It fixed the coastal zamindars' land revenue permanently in 1802–03, and assessed the Rayalaseema cultivators under Thomas Munro's ryotwari system. It broke the power of the Vizianagaram raja at Padmanabham (1794) and of the poligars. After the Guntur famine of 1832–33 it built the Godavari and Krishna anicuts.

References

Sources (5)
  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. 269. [Public domain]
  2. F. R. Hemingway, Madras District Gazetteers: Godavari, Vol. I (opens in a new tab), Government Press, Madras, 1907, pp. 162–163. [Public domain]
  3. W. Francis, Madras District Gazetteers: Vizagapatam, Vol. I (opens in a new tab), Government Press, Madras, 1907, pp. 167. [Public domain]
  4. Henry Morris, A Descriptive and Historical Account of the Godavery District in the Presidency of Madras (opens in a new tab), Trübner & Co., London, 1878, pp. 248–249. [Public domain]
  5. Gordon Mackenzie, A Manual of the Kistna District in the Presidency of Madras (opens in a new tab), Government of Madras (Lawrence Asylum Press), 1883, pp. 82–83, 299. [Public domain]

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