Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-12-23
A HINDOO FUNERAL.
A STRANGE PICTURE OF INDIAN CUSTOMS.

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A HINDOO FUNERAL.
A STRANGE PICTURE OF INDIAN CUSTOMS.
The London Times of November Ia
prints the following extract from the
letter of Lieutenant @. Il. Yate, Assist
ant Political Agent, Bombay Staff
Corps, relative to the death of the
Maharana of oodeypoor:
The REsIDENcY, OoDEYPooR,
RAJPoorANA, Oct. IL, 1872.
| would have written before il /
could have found time, but have been
in such continual state of excitement
lately that it was impossible. l wrote
to you last just after my arrival from
Erinpoors, on the Sd, and forgot wheth-
er j mentioned to you that the Maha-
rama was dangerously i'll He had
been so for some time, and ! am sorry
to say that just when every one began
TO think there was a chance of his re-
covcry, he had another attack and
died most suddenly two days ago. On
the 4th instant DIR. Macdonald arrived
here from Nccmuch (cight miles Off to
consult with Dr. Burr here about the
Maharana, for they had hopes of his
ultimate recovery, though very light
ones. On the 7th he was much better,
but 10 o'clock at night the doctors
were sent for, as the Maharana was in
great pain. They returned to us very
shortly to say that it was all over, and
that they had left him dying; another
abcess had burst in the liver, and the
shock had been too much. Colonel
Wright, the political agent here, and /
at once buckled on our rcvolvers, and,
jumping into the carriage, drove off TO
the palace as hard as we could co.
The Maharana had died Just minute
or two before our arrival, without
naming any successor He had no
children of his own, and he had always
refused to adopt, as is customary ac-
cording to Hindow law. He left two
uncles, both of whom were at deadly
enmity with each other, and we were
afraid that there would be row be-
tween them for the succession how
ever, luckily everything went off quiet
ly. Each Of these uncles, / must tell
you, had been accused Of having be-
witched the Maharana, and the row
was just coming to a crisis when the
latter died. One uncle at the time was
living in a garden next to the Resi-
dency, where he had come for refuge
and the protection ofthe political agent.
Three days before bis death the Maha-
rama was weighed against gold, he in
one scale and gold mohurs in the other.
This enormous sum, about lac and a
half 100000 rupces), was to be dis
tributed among the Brahmins conse-
quently, the city was crammed full of
these people, who had come from miles
round to participate in the spoil. j
saw myselfno less than 30, 900 Of them
fed in the palace a few days ago, and
after the feast was over a piece of gold
to the value of between three and four
rupees was given TO each us they went
out of the palace gates; that is how
the numbers were ascertaincd. Well,
to return to the subject, Colonel Wright
and ], after hearing of the Maharana's 8
death, went down again to the wait
ing-hall below. We found that all
Colonel Wright's orders had been car
ried out. The Zenana doors were
locked, and everything was compara-
lively quiet. The entire government,
of course, lapsed into Colonel Wrights
hands, and he is at present the de facto
ruler Of the country. The excitement,
which was great at first, gradually got
less, and about 2 o'clock in the morn
ing il was pretty quiet. We lay down
in our clothes, and took short nap,
but neither Of us had any sleep. / do
not think the women of the Zenana
got news of the Maharana's death for
some time, and did not show their
grief till early morning.
= just at dawn we were startled by q
fearful wall from the Zcnana, which
contains, ] am told, 500 women, 30 You
can fancy what q row all these wall.
ing together could make. Their cry
was taken up by all the people in the
palace, and went on, | may say, almost
without intermission for some three
hours, till the body was carried Off to
the place of cremation. Troops Of wo-
men came In from the city, all wailing
and crying in chorus. These all passed
through the palace into the Zcnana Ia
add their lamentations to those of liz
inmates, and as day broke the prepar4
ations for the funeral went on and the
crowd began to get thicker and thick
or. At this time women in the Zenana
began to get most violent The two
wives and the favorite concubine of the
Maharana made most determined cf
forts to break through the doors, and
doubtless they would have succeeded
In getting out had not Colonel Wright
taken the precaution of having them
locked in in time. had possession Of
the key all the time They wanted tc
be allowed 10 commit suttee, and u
be burnt along with the Maharana, and
sent message after message to Colonel
Wright begging to be let out, Theil
efforts To get out were 40 determined
that Colonel Wright at last posted ths
two chief mobiles Of the State at the
doors, and told them that he would
bold them personally responsible that
no one got out. II Is a rule here that
IL q woman gets out Of the Zenana and
shows her face she Is either obliged tc
become 'suttec" and be burned, o.
else TO commit suicide. AT last tbs
Maharana's mother sent q message te
Colonel Wright begging that rs Ion,
Of the others were allowed TO become
suttce she might have permission to dc
80, as no Mahanna Of Oodeypoor had
ever died alone and II would be a dis
grace II her son was 10 do 80. All The
time great preparations were going or
for the funeral procession. The noise
was tremendous; in addition to thu
wailing Of somo 1000 women in The
Zcrsna, all the mon were howl;ng and
beating their breasts, They brought Z
lot Of jewels on the tray to the Cclone
which werc 10 be put upon tho corpse
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