India.
The Times, 1824-10-29T00:00:00

[From a Corresnondent.I It wjilr Be gratifying to the promoters of Oriental litera- terre, and the friends of the natives of Hindostan, to be in- fiDrrned that the Government in Bengal have issued regula- 6ions, which, if strictly enforced, must prove a great stimu- lus to every Englishmrran proceeding to India to learn the native languages. Attempts have been made at different times in England by some proprietors of East India Stoel, to induce the Court of Directors to establish a rule that all their military servanits before going to India should be in- structed in the Hindostanee or colloquial language of India, wvhich would make them useful on their arrival there, and render their services of much uiore value to the Company and the public than they ever can be in the state of igno- rance of the native languages in whieh officers do go out to the Company's service, and have generally remained even after many years' service in India. It is usual for all public establishments and houses of business to give a pr eference to, and to select those ser- vants best qualified for the duties of their office ; and if, for example, a correspondence is to be carried on with France or Germany, a knowledge of French and German is considered a requisite qualification ; or if agents are to be sent out to Spain or Portugal to perform important duties there, such men will be selected as can speak and read the Spanish and rortuguiese languages: but it is lamentable to think that the East India (ompaily have long acted and still act on principles contrary to those of euhery c/er com- pany or set of men in the world, and we regret to say that the Board of Control, whose duty it is to superintend the welfare of Indiia, and attend to the proper performance of those important duties by properly qualified servants of the Company, permit such conduct. ;he East India 'ompany have, perhaps,l50,000 natives of India in arms commanded by English officers, in the proportion, as has lately been stated, of only from S to 9 of English officers to a battalion of 1,000 natives in thte field; and as all routine of duty in these battalions, and also irt the field, is carried on by these english officers, the efficiency of these native troops, for every purpose in peace or war, must be more or less perfect according as the English officers can iuderstand what the natives have to represent, or what the officers have to make kno.vn to them. It mnight therefore be expected that the Company would require their English officers to have some knowledge of th l language of the natives they are to comi and and govein. No sucl thing: for when it was proposed in the Court of Nroprietors, that every one of the three hunidre(l or four huindre(d ca(lets, sent out annually to Ind(in to become officers of the native gorps, shouldl be obliged to qualify themselves for such duties, by learningthe Hintlostanee language beforeleaving England. The Court of Directors opposed tite proposition, and ever hare, contrary to the welfare of India, continued to send out youths ignorant of the native language, and consequently unfit for the duties that clevolve on them on their landing in lndlia. If we had France to govern by an army of Frenchmen, commanded and officered by English, it would be supposed next to madness to send over such of our countrynmen as could neither read, speak, or undlerstand French, to be ofricers in that army.We should conclude, and with justice, that the utility of the cfficers would be much lessened by thc.r ignorance of French ; and every mouth would be lotud in complainhig of the Government who acted so absurd ancl miscl.ievous a part. * Ve shoul(d cxpect that the mis- takes and error. arising froin such ignorance would greatly injure the public service. Such, lhowever, is the conduct of thc East India Directors as regards India ; they have persevered in their refusal to enact regulations proper for the qualifications of the cadets as respects lan- gutages, andl the greatest, and ofteni i?reparal'le evils arisc to the officers thernselves, andl to the public interests in India, from such proceedings. It is true, (adtd so far they ought to receive credit), that the Court of Directors dlo re- quiire all the melical men to acquire a knowledge of Hlill- dostance before they can take up their appointments for Inidia. Butt the very fact that they rtquire nedical nmen to dlo so is a very heavy ohiarge against them, for not ordering their miiitary servants to do the samne. WVe believe that IDr. Gilchrist, who has ha(d the charge of that (leparunent, has acquitte(d himself very honourably and( efficiently ; arid( by hiis exertions much has been (lone to teach cattets and others proeedling to India, respectin)g whom the Court of Directrs appear so cuilpably indifllrent. Thc interests of Intdia reqtiire, nay, the interest of the officers requires, and commnon sense poinits out, that the system should be changed, and that no person shouldl be allowted to go out in the Company's service as military officers, who are not qualified to converse with the nirtives on their arrival in that country. Whllat has given origin to these ob- servations is the receipt fromri BenaLyal of an ah- stract of the orders lately published there respecting the qualificatiois-rcquired of officers for certain regimental and sctaf offlies: such regulations do credit to the Goverinnen t in In(lia, althoujh very late in taking place, and reflect dis- grace on tlthe ruling powers in England, for having so long, refused the s4roposition so often made to them-* that evcry one of their servants sent to India should at least be ac- qtiaintcd with the colloquial language of that rettntry." It m)ay perhaps give a sptur to the ind(1ustry of those who are going out as cadets to In(lia tt learn, that interpreters arc to be attached to tht h Wing's regiments iii India - and that theCoommnander-in-chief takes a *cry great interest in every thing that relates to the acquireinerlt of the lli dostaniee aidl Persian. It rmay be proper to state, that fonr or five years ago, l)r. Gilclutist, witli that cnthtisiastn whichi has marked his ca- reer as a philologist, andl rendered his long labour s so usefuil to the Indian pubslic, offered to tile I)ke of 'Yotk to teachi tre colloqutial language free of expense, to oneor all tirc offi- cers of cvery Win1g's regiment gOing to lii(lia ; but we be- lieve lie was never favoretlrd withit an answer to that liberal and valuable oifer. file gentlemen in india arc begniurg to see thio necessity of dloinlg so-nWthirrg towards wthat Dr. Gilchrist proposled to cld, as necessary for the efficiency alnid comfort of the Kirrg's troops, and the natives of In lia. ABSTRACT OF THE REU(3I,ATI(ONS. T o pass an i xamlfination for the post of Quarter-master airdi Interpreter to a regiaient of Native Iinfaintry or Caval- ry, it is required, by a receint order, that tre fprob-boner sliotldl, il adtditioni to proving hlis kttowledge of the flili- dostairce- 1. Rcadiand itantlate tirc Bavih iBahir irn the (iondoo. 2. Icail and translate the reiem .agar in ithe ihuree B3olce. writ- teir in tIre Nagoree character. . Exccuttc writte nranslarions frnnl sele-ted ordlers and rcgula. tions front English into Hindostarec in both e haractcrs. 4. Read andt tratislate the iooiistan or Unvar-i-Sooheelcc in Pesiaran. A civil oflicer gets ofl soincwliat chCapCZ: he Ie roSt- 1. Read ants translate tbe Bagh-o-Buihar ari( Ktlrered t'poz. in thre Oondoo. 2. Reads aod translate thc it oolistan ani Unwsar.i-Saolnecrle in Pecasol. 1t. lranslate. ,v;trlhouri (if )Dictiownor,u certainhv :letges Ien* viousiy spretiared) trom English inLo Hind0stanCeC aid i erbiau. in tire Persr-Arabic charaeters. 1t. Translate. withouit previoais prcparation, rtain selected 1 nS salges in Ilindostanice and Persian. IN'DtA