The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-24 00:00:00

TIE SUN,

BIGHT OF HINDOO SUCCESSION.

We have been reqtwsted to give publicity to the
following documents:—
To the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, and the Court
of Directors of the EAst India Company.

Honourable Sirs,—l respectfully beg leave to
transmit to you for your information, translation of
a Mshratta address, together with a statement on the
right of succe-ssion by Hiudon Princes, which I have
written.and sent to the native Princes and Chiefs of
India, in consequence of the unprecedented proceed-
ings which have been adopted tovfards my late and
present Sovereigns, Pertaub Shean and Shahoo
Maharaj, Rajas ot Sattara.
I have the honour to remain, Honourable Sirs,
Your most obedient humble servant,
RuNoo BAPOJEB,
Vakeel of his Highness Shahoo Maharaj
Chuttraputtee, Itaja of Sattara, now at
Benares.
9, Blandford place, Regent's•park, Nov. 8, 184.9.
Translation of a Mahra:ta Address cent by liaogo

Bap jee to the Princes and Chirfs of India.

From Ruwago Bipoje,, Pruh'io,—vak,_•el of his High-
ness Shanoo Mahar4j, Raja of Sattara, Who is now re
siding in the holy city of 13enares written on the 17th
September, A.D. 1849, in Lyndon, the capital of
England :

Oa the 25th September, 1819, a treaty was entered
into, on the one part by the East India Company, and on
the other part by the Sirkar of his Highness Pertaub
Singh Maharaj Chuttraputtee, of Sattara, and the said
treaty was in fall force and operation. In the year
1836 the Bombay Government, in order to appro-
priate to itself the territory of Sattara, commenced
all sorts of plots and intrigues, by raising false
and unfounded repo; is against his Highness the
Baja aforesaid, but withheld from his High-
ness copies of all evidence taken secretly against
him, and denied him justice. Ultimately, on the s:h of
September, 1839, the same Government removed him
trom the th:one of Sattara, tanished him t 3 Benares,
seized his private property, reducing him to much straits
for his expenses, infltcted on him all sorts of distress
and injury, and kept him a prisoner. Meanwhile, the
Government formed a new treaty on the 4th September,
1839, with his younger brother, Appa Sahib Maharai
(retaining in force the first article of the former treaty),
and placed Appa Sahib on the throne. In this the
second treaty, no mention is made of the false accusa-
tions against the former Raja, and in a proclamation
issued at the time it is distinctly stated that the English
Government had no intenion whatever of taking the
country, or of increasing its own possessions by this
measure. Whereas the same Government has now taken
the territory into their ow❑ hands.
Having experienced this injustice at the hands of the
said Government, his Highness Pertaub Sing Maharaj
Chuttraputtee deputed me to bring his cause before the
Honourable East India Company, and the Right Ho-
nourable the Board of Control, in England, where this
humble individual, supported by several influential
friends, endeavoured to obtain justice, but without the
least effect.

The answer always has been, " We have not taken the
Raja's couutry, but have transferred it to his young.r
brother." They thus put us off with such like false
pretences.

This Government pretends to be for the benefit of the
people of Llls, but I will now proceed to show how far
ibis assertion is correct.

Eventually the case was submitted to Parliament, and
at last the whole of the docouments appertaining to it,
that had been laid before the Government in India, were
printed, and became accessible to the Rajah's friends.
By these it appeared that false papers, with forged seals,
together with a paper of hints from the Governor of
Bombay to the Resident at Sattara, how to ensnare the
Raja and to obtain proofs of the Raja's criminality,
had bsen received, and been accepted as evidence; be-
sides which money was offered in the shape of rewards
and bribes to induce bad and wicked subjects of his
Highness to come forward as witnesses against him;
and in order to prevent their being punished, measures
were taken to protect them. There seems abundant
proof, in the documents alluded to, to show that all this
was for the purpose of taking the Raja's country. Ap-
plication was tieing made to Parliament for the purpose
of obtaining an impartial committee of inquiry when his
Highness died. Then the real object of these intrigues
became apparent.
The father of both the Rajas, Pertaub Singh and Appa
Sahib, was likewise the paternal uncle of Balla Sahib
Senaputty, who was consequently their first cousin. The
son of Bella Sahib, Trimbukjee Raji, therefore, is
equally related to both Rajas ; and according to the
treaty is their heir and successor. For this reason his
Highness Pertaub Singh, on the 10th of October, 1845,
adopted the said Trimbuls'ee as his son, in conformity
with the practice of the Hindoo law, under the name of
Shahoo Maharaj, and conferred on him, as his heir and
successor, all the rights of the Raja of Setters. In con-
formity with the forms of friendship, due information
of this event was conveyed in a letter to the agent of the
Governor-General at Benares, through whom it was
transmitted to the Right Howse:treble the Governor?
General, and by him to the Court of Directors in
England. This document was subsequently printed
by order of Parliament two years afterwards.
The Raja Pertaub Singh departed this life on
the 14th October, 1847, and in the following year, on
the sth April, 1846, his brother, and successor, Appa
Sahib, also died, Oa this occasion two General Courts
of Proprietors of East India Stock was held in the
months of July and December, when it was mooted that
the nephew of the two late R-jas, adopted by Raja
Pertaub Singh, should be recognised as heir to the Raja.
The chairman of the Court, of Directors stated to the
Court of Proprietors that the directors had received no
information trom the Governor-General of India or the
subject to enable them to come to a decision, but that the
directors, on the arrival of such inform ition, would be
prepared to take the matter into their favourable consi-
deration. This was, however, a mere trick to deceive
the Court of Proprietors and the public. For it after-
wards appeared that on the 30th of August, the Go-
vernor-General had communicated his sentiments
and advice to the Court of Directors, recommending
that no adoption should be recognised, and that the
Sitters territory should be resumed by the British
Government. Accordingly, on the 24th January, 1849,
the Court of Directors sent an order to the Governor-
General to attach the territory of Sattara to the British
dominions. On the 12th of May, 1849, the Bombay
Government, in conformity with the above instructions,
issued a proclamation, stating falsely, and in violation of
existing treaties, that there being no heir to the late
Raja, the territory had lapsed to the British Govern-
ment. Now what is the very wording of the treaty?
In the treaty of the 25th September, 1819, it is written
that the territory assigned to the Raja is to descend, in
perpetuity to his Furzumdum (sone), Warisan (heirs),
and Kyain Mookaum (successors in perpetuity.)
The East India Company's Government, professing
to be the friend, the supporter, and the adviser of the
Raja, thus solemnly pledged itself to continue for ever,
in consideration of the ant'quity of the family, this do-
minion to the house of Sattara ; but now, in violation
of this most sacred pledge, it proclaims itself. Lord
.
paramount over all the sovereigns of India ; and vir-
tue of such title has appropriated to itself the said ter-
ritory, because the adoption did not receive the sanction
of the Lord paramount. Did the Lord paramount reject
the adoption when made ? No—he said not one word
against it.
This East Italia Company entered India originally as
merchants. On the seal affixed to their treaty they
style themselves the devoted servants of the Mussulman
risng of Delhi; but now they proclaim themselves lords
paramount over all the sovereign princes of India. They
have disregarded the compact entered into by themselves
with the ancient house of Sattara, and appropriated its
dominions in violation of the same, as lords paramount.
But this treaty is in strict accordance with the treaties
they have entered into with the several other princes of
India-

The Governor-General (Lard Dalhousie), supported
by sundry of the East India directors, having abandoned
the usual practice and form of adhering to treaties, has
resolved for the future not to recognise the right of
adoption to any Hindoo prince, but on all similar occa-
sions to annex the territory of such princes to the Bri-
tish dominions.

Dia is the manner in which they have acted towards
the Sattara family, and they have openly declared they
will act so on all similar occasions.

This declaration is probably not known to your High-
ness ; it behoves you, therefore, to look into your treaty,
and immediately to address the Governor-General, to
know if you are to understand whether by the treaty,
according to which your heir is entitled to succeed, you
are to be permitted to c xercise the right of adoption in
conformity with the law and custom of the llindoos, or
whether such law is to be violated and to be hencefor-
ward set at naught.
In this inquiry there is no treason nor conspiracy. It
is the ordinary course that every prince is bound to
adopt for his own and his family's security.
In case you should doubt the statement above made,
I have caused extracts from the papers laid before
the English Parliament to be translated, and I send them
herewit'.
Though I am the Vakeel of his Highness the Raja of
Sattara, do not imagine I address you now on his part
or in that capacity. If it b: comes you to regard your
own character and assist us, well and good; if not, it
must be left as a matter not of choice. But lam a
Hindoo, and I address you, whether Hindoo or Mussul-
man, with a view to :iour own advantage, to prevent the
future violation of treaties, and the ruin of your families.
Yon, as an ally of the British Government, are bound
to adhere to the treaty you have entered into, any you
are entitl.ll to inquire whether they also mi•an to adhere
to it in le! ter and spirit.

My wish is to forewarn you, cnd to prevent your
big ruined. Lot:lc to your rights as a Hindoo, and
r( quire their r(cogni;ion, tut without any breach of
loyalty or good faith.
I am in the midst of difficulties, and a foreigner in a
strange land, and have been induced to address you from
my own condition and despair.
Do not rej et this appeal, but let me entreat you to
send an answer to it.

It i. now two years since the Rijn of Sattara
(Fed, bui. nothing has Lei.,n paid to his fyn,ily, not even to
discharge his funeral expenses. He was confined with-
out having committed any crime, and now the Govern-
ment roinses to reci,gnist• the adoption of his son, and
starves his family. To justify this cruelty they main-
tain that the, late Rajah left abundance of money,
which is wholly false. But this is the manner in which
the R :jm's family has Ipea treated, and in which the
East India company have acted, when they have the
power of doing so with impunity.

Every heart has its necropolis, filled with the
grave stones of the loled kud entorgotten.—Lliza.Cook's
Journal.